[General Care] This is interesting.

[emeraldtree]

About two weeks ago I found a lost snake that managed to get out in a speaker that I have. Could not believe that she was still alive. She acted very disoriented and was very dehydrated. Her head would move back and forth when she tried to hold it up. Now about two weeks later she has stopped the head bobbing until last night. Her first feed after not eating for good knows how long went rather interesting. she followed the feed kinda inaccurately but showing her tongue and sniffing for the mouse. when she struck she did not follow with a wrap. Instead she violently slammed the mouse off the sides of the cage and made a blood bath mess. I have never before seen anything like that. I wonder if she isn't blind. When I found her she was covered with mites and have no idea where she got them but she had them bad. Is is possible that they attacked her eyes that bad to blind her. I really need help with this. I am pretty upset about this. Though she is making great improvement I wonder what is wrong.

[T.Stowell]

Re: This is interesting.

The dehydration is the biggest concern ... if a boa goes to long without water the result can be systomatically neurologial by nature. A few years back I had a yearling get out for a few months until I foung him. He went right back to feeding but several months later developed nero issues and had to be euthenized. Best wishes that it pulls through and gets back on feed without permenant heath problems.

Warm Regards,
Trey Stowell
Wichita, KS

[emeraldtree]

Re: This is interesting.

yeah there was definate hydration issues. I really hope there is no permanent damage. I had a very high humidity and lots of water but she acts so weird, I mean it has gotten so much better but I hope i continues to get better.

[Morgans Boas]

Re: This is interesting.

How long had she been missing ? How long did you own her before she escaped ?

[T.Stowell]

Re: This is interesting.

yeah there was definate hydration issues. I really hope there is no permanent damage. I had a very high humidity and lots of water but she acts so weird, I mean it has gotten so much better but I hope i continues to get better.

Well have my fingers crossed for you that she comes around ... what you have described sounds similar to how mine acted, although it was not immediate after I found him, rather a month or two after he was back in his cage and eating normally. He would start out striking and coiling like usual. Then got so bad that he could not even hit the target/rat, let alone get it down. Best of luck for her!

[emeraldtree]

Re: This is interesting.

That's pretty horrible to read. I have had her probably 6 months, she is probably only a year or so. Before she was eating small rats that I really didn't think she should eat so I didn't feed her one unless it was border line. Always had aggressive feeds and very willing to eat. Growing nicely... and then she was out for about three weeks. right before she got out she took a rat down and with a full belly went on an adventure. The worst part is I listen to music often and sometimes nice and loud. The thought that she had been in there while all of this is horrible. I don't understand her getting mites the way she did. it was like a stray cat just got a flea bath. I gave her one small mouse this feed and she treated it as if she was hitler torturing a jewish kid. I know that is a bad to say but it had to be something similar.

[Morgans Boas]

Re: This is interesting.

my guess is that she had mites before she escaped, just not as bad . I have never heard of mites hanging around in someones home unless they were brought in . Visiting pet stores or reptile shows can bring them into your home if you don't shower and burn your clothes ( I mean wash your clothes) before going into the room that your snake is in.

[T.Stowell]

Re: This is interesting.

That's pretty horrible to read. I have had her probably 6 months, she is probably only a year or so. Before she was eating small rats that I really didn't think she should eat so I didn't feed her one unless it was border line. Always had aggressive feeds and very willing to eat. Growing nicely... and then she was out for about three weeks. right before she got out she took a rat down and with a full belly went on an adventure. The worst part is I listen to music often and sometimes nice and loud. The thought that she had been in there while all of this is horrible. I don't understand her getting mites the way she did. it was like a stray cat just got a flea bath. I gave her one small mouse this feed and she treated it as if she was hitler torturing a jewish kid. I know that is a bad to say but it had to be something similar.

IF she was out approx three weeks then the dehydration (just may) not be a long term issue or problem. The boa I had that had the problems was not found for nearly 2 months. Also, since she was just fed a decent size meal, all the water and fluids the prey item held within it's tissue(s) was then absorbed by your boa, thereby prolonging the effects of being out and becoming dehydrated (compared to not being fed just prior to getting out).

As far as the vibrations from being within the speaker, I really am not sure that it would be a 'health/life threatening' exposure (as dehydration would be), but I am sure at times the animal was wondering if the world as she knew it was coming to an end (lol). While they do not hear in the same sense as as we/most animals do, they are quite subseptive to the slightest vibrations traveling through air and/or surfaces.

Again, best wishes that she just needs some time to de-stress and reclimatize to being back in her enclosure and then goes back on feed per the usual.

Warm Regads,
Trey Stowell
Wichita, KS