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**Red** · 08-29-2002, 02:58 PM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

A vet visit is in order... Also the best way to deal with snakes mites is to not deal with them.... You can get some stuff called provent-a-mite.... You can order it from Pro-product's.. As for the regurgetation I can only speculate... If you where holding them it could have caused it... You need to wait for 48 hours to hold after eating... The hole stress of the mites and stuff like that could have caused it too... If You read clay's care guide it will help with all of that.... It sound's as if you have go the cage thing. down... I don't know if you moniter the humidity or not but if you do not you need to... It should be around 60-70%... Low humidity can cause regurtitating as well... Like I said you sound like you need a vet visit...
Eric aka...Red

**SaKSTa** · 08-30-2002, 07:31 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Even though vet visits are good, I think for your case you dont need to do that right yet, Plus there expensive.
You said something about his eyes turning milky, he might be going into a shed and most likely wont eat, or will just spit it up. What you can do is wait two weeks and than try feeding him again. He should be hungry by then. And for the zit lookin thing, I have no clue, go back to the rep store you go it or anyother one and show them, and if they dont know what it is, than go to tha vet. Also what Red said, dont handle them after they eat, I usally wait 4 days after they eat cause they still are trying to digest it.

Peace M.O.B

**Larry** · 08-30-2002, 01:48 PM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

I would definitely find a vet. Also, try and bring a fecal sample for testing (which is a good idea whenever you have a new snake).

You need to eliminate the possibility of internal parasites. You said you bought the snakes from a pet store (I think). Any idea as to the origin of them? If not CB, the possibility of parasites increases quite a bit.

Good luck!

**fiveohmike** · 08-30-2002, 02:50 PM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Well as of today the little one has gotten sicker. I found him upside down in the water bowl. I took him out and righted him. Then as a test I turned him upside down again. Same thing he couldnt right himself. My big BCI has shown no signs. But i dont know. Does this sound like IBD? And where can i find more information on it.

Mike

**Russet** · 08-30-2002, 03:27 PM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Oh man...i'm sorry but what you describe is exactly what i've read about IBD...i found a site for you, it's very confusing in the first pararaphs, and really there's only one thing that really helps...here's the paragraph

"Signs of infection in boas include central nervous system disorders such as paralysis, being unable to right itself when turned over, "star-gazing", inability to strike or constrict. Other signs include chronic regurgitation, extreme weight loss, respiratory infections, and dysecdysis due to the inability to control body movements enough to rub off the old skin. The disease is rapidly fatal in young and juvenile boas, typified by rapid onset of flaccid paralysis."
If you want to read more, the site's url is
http://www.anapsid.org/ibd.html I don't know if you'll be able to read it and make any sense of it, I wasn't able to.

there's someone's experience with IBD, emotional but pretty accurate...
http://www.anapsid.org/deanne.html

Good luck, and you should try to get your other snake out of the same cage immediately...a faint hope he hasn't gotten it, but there's always a chance, no matter how slim it is...cross your fingers

**Ryan** · 08-30-2002, 03:27 PM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

that is one simptom of IBD, but I dont want to jump to any conclusions or anything. vet visit is really in order and maybe until you figure out what it is you should isolate him from your other pets.

**Red** · 08-31-2002, 02:18 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Check in the snakes mouth for mouth rot.. This is also one of the early signs... Have you noticed any other thing's but the pimple... Somtimes with snake with IBD it will have a lil' mouth gape from lung infection... I was worried about it when you posted the first time... I didn't want you to freak out so I just suggested that you go to a vet... Mite's are belived to be one of the leading spreder's of IBD... So make sure that non of the other snakes have any mites... I would soke them anyway... At least intell you rule out IBD... Well I hope you can figure it out...
Eric aka...Red
P.s. Do you have the boa constrictor manual.. It has a big section on IBD...

**Larry** · 08-31-2002, 03:42 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Fiveomike,

I hope everything works out. Very important lesson here for all. New snakes must be quarantined from all others until you can be sure that it is healthy. The best way to do that, is a vet visit as soon as you bring it home and a fecal test when one is available.

I hate to sound like I am preaching, but things like this occur all too often, partucularly with pet store reptiles. Tooo many of the pet stores don't have a clue as to the origin or health of the animals. Also, most (if not all) won't spend the money to have their animals that are for sale vet checked. I have one store that I deal with that includes a coupon for a free vet checkup with every animal that they sell. Sometimes, it is hard to find a vet that treats reptiles and other exotics, but they are out there.

Whenever Pam (my wife) asks me how much a new animal is going to cost me, I always add $45 to the price in order to include a vet visit (she controls the money in this house :-[ )

Again, I hope everything works out.

Larry

**fiveohmike** · 08-31-2002, 04:35 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Well as of this morning Krunch is dead. In his quaranting cage. I found him there. I will take him down to the vet to be tested to see if It actually was IBD. I am really saddened. I will be on watch with my big BCI to see if he starts actin gwierd at all. Well i have to go and sanatize the whole cage now. I will post more on this later.

Mike

**Russet** · 08-31-2002, 04:49 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

I'm really sorry..it's terrible when a pet dies. :'( I have my fingers crossed for Aries.

**Doug** · 08-31-2002, 05:11 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

HI,
Sorry about your loss, you may and will proably loose both boa's. Try and doccument with the vet cause of death and try to get some type of store credit. What ever it was infection, RI,or ibd was proably spread to all animals in that cage and every animal that petstore getsand sells unless they take all the cages down and treat for mites and sterilize cages.Which I doubt they will do unless you report the infection to state animal control and they force them to quarenteen all animals and sterilize the cages.Its a againts the law to sell knowingly sick and diseased animals in most states. I wouldn't buy a parakete from that store..nor would I buy feeders rats from that store nor any type of cage substrate.
You need to really clean the old cage and any toys, furniture, hides, toss all substrate . Clean all waterdishes hides and cage with 10 % bleach allow 20 min contact time to sterilize... RInse ,,, Rinse,, Rinse,,,and air dry.... Allow some down time for eveything to completly dry. I would stil buy prevent-a-mite and treat the hides and the cage.after the cleaning and drying time it will leave a white film this will kill mites up to 1 month.requires re-treatment to be sure the cycle is broken. this will prevent the possability of one sick mite hiding somewhere some how.
You should review Clays care sheets, I had a terrible time with a che on a 40 breeder drying out the air.Even with a thermo-stat
Remember its not your fault them animals were proably bought sick from a breeder of sick snakes at a really cheap price that was doubled so the pet store could turn a profit..
Try and locate reputable breeders ( i can reccomend C.English and Jeff Ronnes personally) they have very carefully monitored environments and feed only fresh thawed rats to prevent parasites..
I have only been keeping Boas about three years but the cost of store bought is just a little under the best you can buy from breeders.If you go to the vet it can run from 50 to 120 for meds and treatments. and the health and quality of the neonates from breeders who care is remarkable..A good breeder would never sell you a sick snake.....
I hope you can recover from this loss,, and try another boa,, only get one they can get very large ,note, the BCI males are smaller than females on the average..
Good luck
excellent care sheets
[ftp]http://www.redtailboas.com/carelinks/carelinks.html[/ftp]
excellent prices on boas that are from select breeding stock
the picture below is 125.00 this includes shipping I have had a couple shipped boas and they arrive overnite to your door.

Good luck get them cages cleaned wait to get another boa' until your sure your second boa's dosent have a contagious disease....
Get the second one to vet mention the first boa's sudden death and the mite's.you may save it in that case if its RI or resp infection I wouldn't get another boa' until you know the boa you have is ok, its to risky with the possible IBD infection in the home.Ibd is highly infectious and usally spread by mites.and other modes and is always fatal .
Sorry to be so negative,
I used to buy a couple new tropical fish every month for a rather 100 gal fish tank in the living room, and I soon learned new fish alway's come with some type of a problem and you run the risk of wiping out the complete collection so I don't buy fish unless I clean out and start over with that tank with the whole collection ..Many new snakes can come with extra baggage (mites, RI,IBD, worms,) from being fed live and their exposure to other reptiles under stress in the pet store and many cages have snakes come and go with only very light cleaning IE vacuum out the big chunks and replace with small amount of fresh litter or substrate..SOme pet stores take back
rejects that are not feeding due to serious health problems ,,you see the animal it looks ok and the incubation time passes you dont realize you have a sick animal til some weeks later when everything starts to happen.
Thats the down side to rescue work and buying form petstores with poor animals, you can always try and help a sick animal and if your not careful you may bring an infectious agent to your collection that can wipe it out. :-[

doug
good luck

Tj · 08-31-2002, 07:20 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Well I am really sorry to hear about your loss. It can't be good. This is a good lesson though. You always have to check out the place you are buying the snake from. Alot of pet stores do not keep proper care of reptiles. They just throw them out in a cage and let them sit there. You really have to look into your store and where they are buying them and see if you can get some background info on the breeder they are picking them up from.

I would also agree with Doug. Get the vet to write something out and bring it back to the store you bought it from and if the vet can prove that the animal had the problem before you got it, they should give you a reimbursement or some kind of store credit. I would also agree to take your other snake in ASAP and have it checked out. Since it was with the other boa for so long there is a good chance it could be sick too.

Also, with your vet...call around ask how much experience they have with reptiles. And not just reptiles, ask about snakes. I have called around my area looking and found alot of people who say they deal with reptiles, but they only work with lizards and turtles, no snakes. So before you get an appointment somewhere, really investigate it. It won't help much having someone who doesn't know much about snakes trying to help you.

**fiveohmike** · 08-31-2002, 12:42 PM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Well an update. Aries still seems fine. I wont be able to take him to the vet until next week. If the vet determines that Aries has IBD i am going to put him down. I just got finished sterilizing EVERYTHING the snakes came in contact with them. I am switching sources of rats that i will feed aries.

If I do have to put aries down, I will again sterilize everything and this time Im probably going to order form Clay. Is it safe to ship the snake overnight? I dunno.

Also if you can give me a link to where i can buy frozen vacuum paked feeder mice/rats i would appreciate. I thought i wouldnt but i actually shed tears for the little guy. Its so sad he had to suffer when he didnt do anyhting. I will email clay and talk ot him.

Thanx for the help Ill keep you updated.

Mike

**Red** · 09-01-2002, 02:10 AM

Re: My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sic

Well I am sorry for your loss... You can get some from www.cajunmice.com I get mine from them... Have not had any problems...
Eric aka...Red

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My baby Boa is Regurtitating and just seem sick

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