Help!

[JuliaGoolia]

Long story short (kind of)-
We have a young female normal BP. We bought her the 2nd week of October. She was healthy, active, and even a good eater!

Last week, I noticed a head wobble as she was climbing around her tank. A day or so later, she is completely out of control. The twisting and coiling... So I did some reading, here and on other sites. 2 things I came up with were IBD () and maybe she was overheated. I don't think sh'es overheated, because we have been watching her temps VERY closely. If anything, the temps are a bit low at nigt when our heat goes down, but NOT to hot. I went to the reptile place where we got her, as the owners have been very helpful thus far. They seem to think that it's NOT IBD, as she is so young and they think that if it was, that she would be dead by now. Thier breeder asked about temp spikes, and there really hasn't been anything very drastic.

I checked for mites, and her scales are clean and healthy - aside from a bit of skin left over from her shed she is still coming out of.

The only other thing we can figure, is a resp. infection - but I've seen no bubbles/liquid from her nose or mouth.

I talked to the rep. store owner again today, and she told me that the one breeder they work with isn't to hopful about our girl. We may have to freeze her..

Is there anyone out there who has any advise/experience/anything for me?

I'm a new snake owner - so I'm learning as I go. Good thing I like to read!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

First thing that come to mind.

MAKE an appointment with an HERP VET

[bonheki]

First thing that come to mind.

MAKE an appointment with an HERP VET

took the words right outa my mouth . sometimes the people at the reptile/pet shops can be wrong . soo i would check with a profesional herp vet. hopefully they wont have to freeze her and hope everything goes good .i know if anything like that would happen to one of my snake i would go crazy but maybe it's nothing but better safe then sorry

[ADEE]

Oh no!! Do make an appointment to see a herp vet that sounds very serious. I hope shes alright!

[dalvers63]

Definitely time for the vet, and please, if you do decide that the snake needs to be euthanized, have the vet do it. Freezing is NOT a humane way to put any animal down. If you have access to Co2 you could also gas her.

I do hope that it is something that can be corrected! Good luck with your girl.

[JuliaGoolia]

A herp vet.. I had thought of that earlier this week, and just hoped the snake would come out of it. We live in a pretty small town.. I'll have to call the local vet's here to see if they see exotics at all.. I honestly don't think they do. If not, I think the closest herp./reptile vet is about 1 1/2 hours away.

[slartibartfast]

From everything I've heard about IBD, it kills pythons in a matter of weeks but can lurk udetected in boas for much longer...maybe even years?

Have you been in contact with any other snakes in the last few weeks that might have carried it?

Whatever it is, she needs to see a herp vet and fast.
Here is a list of herp vets in Ohio.
http://www.arav.org/Members/OH.htm

Good luck with her!

[JuliaGoolia]

I called a herp vet in Toledo.. Evidently this Dr. used to work at the Toledo Zoo.. I explained to them what was going on, and they told me that it was most likely either an infection of some sort or something neurological.. They seemed to think that it most likely wasn't the IBD.. There is a vet here in town that deals with exotics, but she's on vacation until the 17th... go figure.. I just don't know what to do now.. if it's worth it to make the hour or so trip out... *sigh*

[slartibartfast]

It would absolutely be worth it to me. When I take on an animal, I am committed to its care. That means I do whatever it takes to keep it healthy, and that includes providing medical care when it is ill. That's part of the basic responsibility of pet ownership.

If you are not prepared to do that, and if it is suffering, then perhaps one of the vets in town would be able to humanely euthanize it.

[JuliaGoolia]

With all due respect, there is/was no reason to be condescending.
We are commited to her care, but I also have to be realistic. I have been on the phone with different people, including a herp vet, and frantic about it all week.
But if there is nothing that can be done for her, an hour trip and a $100-$200 (or more) vet bill really *isn't* worth it. I learned that the hard way. This past year, we dropped about $400 in Veterinary care for my cat because we hoped "she would come out of it" or "maybe THIS treatment will work". Truth be told, she was 12 years old and it was her time to go - I just didn't want her to. We ended up having her put down.. which is what I'm afraid I will have to do for the BP.