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bengy_s
Yearling
United Kingdom
252 Posts |
 Posted - 12/11/2009 : 14:15:52
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Hey people,
To add to my brain scan worries this week I have some bad news about Chester too.
He has been acting (as many of you will be familiar) like he has spider wobble, though he is a normal morph not a spider. It started on his last feed, royals have bad aim and he kept missing his food though it was right in front of him. He got worse since Tuesday and he wobbles and corkscrews all the time and can't hold his hed up properly and he "stargazes", looking up all the time and he can't correct himself if he is upside down. He has also been striking at everything in his viv including hides. It really is not nice to witness. I phoned a few herp places last night and this morning and took him to a herp vet at 11 today.
The herp vet is quite sure it is something called IBD (inclusion body disease). As I got it from a place which has loads of boas this makes sense. From what I understand boas harbour the disease, which is ALWAYS fatal, and they may not show symptoms for years before they suddenly detteriorate. They pass it on to pythons simply by being in the same environment, handled by the owner, been in a viv not disinfected properly or passed through mites moving from one snake to another. Whereas pythons, particularly Royals, once they have contracted the disease will die within a few weeks, and days after first symptoms show. As I have only had him 3 weeks and I dont own any other boyds (boas or pythons) the vet is sure that the shop is the contamination site. Chester has been left at the vets now where they are testing for it (though can be difficult to pick up on a live snake) and hopefully its not, but the vet said to expect the worst as she is confident it is IBD. If the tests are showing IBD or come back blank it still means IBD. Only if it is some other illness will it mean he has a chance to make it 
I will let you all know the result. I will ick him up later and keep him until the results are back on Monday, then if it is not some other disease, he will have to be put to sleep |
 R.I.P Chester |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 14:24:47
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Its very unusual for a vet to be confident of IBD as its still quite a rare disease.
The only way of testing for it is with a liver biopsy, which itself can be dangerous to the snake.
Chester has a burn on him and I would think it much more likely that he has a neurological problem due to excessive heat at some point in his life. |
 
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 14:46:43
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| sorry to hear this ben,either way if its ibd or neuro i think the outcome will end in the same result.better than letting him suffer,we all might be surprised and it could be something treatable but dont get your hopes up. |
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bengy_s
Yearling
United Kingdom
252 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 15:04:22
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Yes fingers crossed Lee thanks.
Piers, I mentioned what you said to her as she has just phoned to let me know he has had his bloods taken and a oesphagus (sp?) swab taken and she did say the only way to be 100% sure is biopsy but as you said it is dangerous for him and would also need to be under anaesthetic too. Thats why she said its normally the case that it is discovered post mortem as the exam can obviously be more intrusive. She is hoping that she can get some infected cells of IBD (if that is whats wrong with him), if not then she is also checking for other things IBD can bring on (meningitis etc.) I am new to this disease myself so if there is anything else I can ask her then please say now as I'm picking him up soon. Apparently she said he is noticably weaker than 5 hours ago but he still put up a bit of a fight when he didn't want to let go of her. She rolled him over again and he just didn't seem to be able to even try to correct it :-< |
R.I.P Chester |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 15:41:29
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Well at least she seems to know what she's talking about and isn't fobbing you off.
If it is IBD and you have been around any other snakes it would probably be wise to warn them, even if it's a Reptile Shop.
I'm sorry for you and your poor snake. |
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bengy_s
Yearling
United Kingdom
252 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 15:47:35
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Thanks Piers. Yeah she pretty much the only herp vet in the south west worth mentioning by all accounts. She is very nice. I phoned Lee and told him and he not going to come around now to not run the risk. She's giving me some disinfectant which I will clean everything at least twice. Hannah has been told that I will no longer send her the heating equipment just in case. I also phoned Jurassic Reps as well.
Feel really upset even though I only had him a short while. Off to pick him up now and give him a rest until Monday when results come back. Mostly I'm annoyed with the shop I got it as she said even with the possible IBD aside, they should not have sold him as he had a couple of mites and she thinks that how it got transfered. She has also treated the mites so hopefully he'll be comfortable for what is likely to be his last few days :-< |
R.I.P Chester |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 16:14:34
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| I'm sorry to hear of this :( |
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 16:16:23
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| Sorry to hear that. I really hope it isnt IBD. |
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kashie
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
567 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 16:22:16
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Poor thing - and poor you - two lots of bad news in a week. :(
Really sorry for your news and poor snake. |
01.01.00 Whippets - Dylan and Tigger
01.01.00 AfricanGreys - Jasper and Ruby
00.00.15 KoiCarp
01.01.00 RoyalPython -Ebanks Blake and Gladysss
01.00.00 MojaveRoyal - Kelso
01.00.00 AlbinoRoyal - Ziggy
00.01.00 PastelRoyal - Phyllisss
00.01.00 SpiderRoyal - Wincey |
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HannahB
Yearling
United Kingdom
300 Posts |
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yardy
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 17:07:31
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| OMG. I really really hope this works out OK. |
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Kazerella
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
1196 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 18:28:54
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Bengy this is so sad!
How are you coping?
I really hope it is not IBD, but I still would be complaining to the shop. |
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bengy_s
Yearling
United Kingdom
252 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 20:17:54
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Thanks guys & gals.
Yes another blow in one week... they say bad luck comes in three so I dread what is next!
I just got the little guy back from vets and he is very lathargic, but its been a long day for him. The vet gave me some Vikon to use on the viv and equipment to kill the mites and any IBD cells on surfaces. So just spent the last hour and half doing that. Hope he feels comfortable for the next few days until results come through.
I tried phoneing shop and the owner is not available until tomorrow. This turned out to be a good thing as the herp vet said to report him to trading standards first, find out exactly what he has to refund (the snake cost and the vet bill or just the snake cost). They will advice me on that score but she also said they will open up an investigation on the store and she hopes also he goes out of business! Its out of order and when I went there on Saturday to buy some prey, he even keeps his hatchlings together and a boa just finished eating one of its' siblings! Bad bad shop owner. All he said was "I didn't know boas were canabalistic" then "I'll have to sell that one for twice as much now". Great bloke! |
R.I.P Chester |
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HannahB
Yearling
United Kingdom
300 Posts |
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2009 : 20:37:11
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quote:
Originally posted by HannahB
can i just ask which shop? think i read somewhere it is jurassic reptiles?
Thats the shop he visited, not the shop he got the snake from. |
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HannahB
Yearling
United Kingdom
300 Posts |
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2009 : 17:03:49
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Any news bengy?
And can I ask who the vet is? Its likly to be one I have visited before. |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
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bengy_s
Yearling
United Kingdom
252 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2009 : 17:54:31
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No additional news on Chester's health, I'm afriad no improvement.
I phoned the shop (I won't name drop at the moment until everything has been resolved).
To be fair when I spoke to earlier him he seemed concerned about the rest of his "stock" but weather thats concern for pocket or animals I don't know!
Matty: Chester's under the care of Polly at Highcroft in Bristol. Apparently she is excellent and I can honestly say so far that, although its not best of circumstances, she is great. More than helpful, and really thorough. Chester even liked her as he didn't strike at her once!
Hannah: No not Jurassic Reps, thats who have been helping me with prey items and general advice. They are really good. I did look at their stock of reptiles and the 08' Royal they have at the moment seemed nice until one of the staff took him out and it stuck at me........ ever get the feeling royals don't take to me!? |
R.I.P Chester |
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 13/11/2009 : 18:01:39
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| Polly is a very good vet, I have seen her a few times now. |
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spor
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1226 Posts |
Posted - 14/11/2009 : 00:24:33
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| sorry to hear your news. fingers crossed on both accounts. |
0.4.0 Royal Python
1.0.0 Pastel Royal
0.1.0 Spider Royal
1.1.0 Carolina Corn Snake
1.0.0 Normal Stripe Corn
1.0.0 Yellow Bellied Turtle
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Another bit of bad news....
