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pet snake problem
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by ghostdragon65 on August 21, 2008
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Hello, I have a juvy Red-Tail Boa and I feed him a mouse and hes has a problem with throwing it up in about a few days after he eats it. What causeing this and what can i do to help him?
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RE: pet snake problem
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by FSB on August 21, 2008
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Hi Chris... pretty boa, if it's the same one in your profile (I have a thing for boas). Your problem could have several causes: temperature, parasites and stress being three that leap to mind. I'm sure you've probably read all the care sheets, etc., but boas do best at an overall ambient temperature of 80-85, and shouldn't dip below 78 at night. They also love to have a warm spot to digest, so an under-cage heating pad on one side of the cage (no hot rocks!) is also a good thing. You mentioned that you just moved in your profile... did this problem start after your move? The snake may have gotten stressed during the move, and also, though you probably know this, you should avoid handling the snake at all for several days after a meal. You might also try moving him to another room in the house... I don't know why, but I have solved similar problems this way.
Keep a close watch and collect a sample of feces, the fresher the better, at the next opportunity. Put the sample in a ziploc bag or small airtight container and take it to a vet for a fecal evaluation, which shouldn't cost too much. If you can't get to the vet right away, refrigerate, but do not freeze, the sample. If the vet diagnoses any sort of parasite, you can proceed from there with the proper treatment. Other considerations could be type of substrate you are using, water cleanliness, etc. Pine and cedar shavings have oils that are toxic or at least irritating to snakes. I prefer aspen bedding personally, many others like newspaper. And you should change the water completely every 2 days and thoroughly wash the dish with soap, as you would your own dishes (though this is more of a preventative measure than a cure for an existing problem).
Good luck!
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RE: pet snake problem
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by Rob_Carmichael on August 21, 2008
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Excellent advice...you'll have to rule out a variety of factors but relying on a good herp vet will be your best course of action. They can run fecals and blood work to determine what's going on. For now, hold off on feeding, or, feed prey much smaller than they are used to and see what happens. Certain pro biotics have been used with some level of success to help reestablish healthy gut flora. If the rodents are raised on cedar, that, too, can have some serious effects on the snake. Make sure the feeders are coming from good sources and raised properly. The key right now is stress management - keep the snake quiet and as the last post mentioned, at optimal temperatures. Also, bump up the humidity a tad w/out sacrificing good air flow.
Don't put off seeking veterinary assistance.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
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RE: pet snake problem
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by theemojohnm on August 21, 2008
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Well Chris,
Fred pretty much some up all of the most likely causes, and I have to agree, temperature or stress would be my top two guesses.
Pythons and Boas do somtimes have a tendency to sometimes go "off feed" however with no reasonable explanation, but if he eats and regurges a few DAYS later, my first thought would be an outside source of stress. Perhaps the snake is irratated by somthing in the room; placement of the cage. Its hard to think on their level sometimes for us as keepers.
I would try to give more information about your temps and cage setup. And what, if anything, may have changed in the tank or even the room around the time your boa starting showing this behavior.
Parasites are not ruled out of the equation either, as there are some little buggers that will make snakes do this, and I see it most often in the heavy-bodied constrictors.
A fecal sample would be useful if you can provide your local vet with one, and really...it ussually is not expensive for a basic analysis.
Freds advice is about as good as it gets. It may be helpful if you describe the cage setup, or placement of the enclosure a little more in detail. What do you use as a substrate?
Hope you can resolve this issue.
Good Luck,
~John.
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RE: pet snake problem
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by FSB on August 22, 2008
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John, you touched on a very important point here, and that is the need to try and put yourself on "their level" as a keeper. Empathy, patience and sensitivity - virtues that get trampled on a lot in today's world - are of inestimable valuable to any animal keeper, but even moreso when keeping animals as different from most of us as reptiles are. It is really important to try and put yourself in their, um, shoes... ok, poor choice of words in regards to snakes, but you know what I mean.
Somehow I have been blessed with an almost reptilian metabolism that has done me virtually no good at all in the "real world," but which has come in very handy as a keeper. I am very sensitive to cold temperatures and at my best at a median temperature of 80 degrees. If I feel the least bit uncomfortable, then I can bet my snakes are too. I basically brumate in the winter, and can also go a pretty long time between feedings (and I prefer a carnivorous diet). I am not a touchy-feely person and am very conscious of my personal space. I do not like to be picked up or handled roughly, and mostly prefer to just be left alone. I'll go far out of my way to avoid a confrontation, but will defend myself if threatened or provoked. I don't like to go fast, and take just about everything s-l-o-w. I'm comfortable in small, confined spaces, and have always preferred a small house with lots of hiding spots to a sprawling, spacious one. I like to hang out in woods and swamps and enjoy both swimming and climbing. Basking in the sun makes me feel good and energized. I rarely blink. I sometimes have an uncontrollable impulse to seize and strangle mousy people (just kidding, sort of). Like many snakes, I was born in late August (most native snakes are Virgos, y'know), and, I have a very low reproductive rate.
Ergo, I find snakes to be wonderful company!
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RE: pet snake problem
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by theemojohnm on August 23, 2008
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LOL Fred!
I guess I never really looked at quite as "extreme" as you, but you make some interesting points. I too am VERY similar in that respect.
Maybe it is not as easy for some of the "young keepers", but alot of good people that have been doing this for years and years, by now, should be "on that level" to some extent.
Too many people overlook this aspect I feel. Its not too hard for me at my age, eager for knowledge, to put myself in their "shoes" as you describe for lack of a better word.
Honestly, that has been my main goal for a long while now, and surprisingly have not heard anyone else state this or agree. Alot of keepers talk about getting the public to understand snakes, which I agree, is GREAT work. But how about understanding THE SNAKES THEMSELVES? Honestly, is can be EXTREMELY difficult for even the most experienced keeper to try and "think like a snake would". They are just so different from us. Putting myself into situations where I had to "think like a reptile" when I could not easily reason a certain problem, has made me marvel at, and find the human brain absolutely mind-blowing!
After all, look at what we are doing right now. We are mammals when it all boils down. I am speaking with you from how many miles away all from human invention. Compare our capabilities to that of a mouse!
Reptiles seem to use a very simple input/output process based on my observations throughout my life, much like a computer would, only... thinking for themselves. And if I were to ever pursue this field as profession, that might be what most interests me.
It doesn’t take all that much imagination if you put a little thought into it, to able to "put yourself in a snakes shoes" to determine a potential sign of stress, and I have solved MANY problems this way before when all else failed. Often it may be placing the cage in a lower traffic area. That is the main reason I do not use glass aquariums for cages long term (as discussed in another post).
I agree, ALL reptiles think very differently than us. That does not make them stupid by any means, just different. And trying to think like them, and grasping even the most basic concepts of their thought process, should be one of the top "goal" for any reptile keeper, however difficult it may be at times.
I am new to this forum, so if this has been brought up in recent years, forgive me.. But I found it a VERY interesting read, although it is very un-finished and has many "loose ends". It is an article about the perception of pain in reptiles, which raises some interesting points, however. I believe it probably arose from the topic of many snakes tendency to burn themselves on heat rocks. Hard to imagine why a snake wouldn’t just move away... ???
But if put into a reptiles perspective, in nature, not too many things are hot enough to cause so much damage, so maybe the original pain response is just associated with heat and nothing more.
Anyways, her is the link:
http://www.anapsid.org/herppain2.html
Take Care,
~John.
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