URGENT Blood Python Very Sick

[Bogertophis]

As far as leaving a review on MM: I don't use MM, but it would seem to me that if this specific snake was listed on MM, as opposed to just the seller having a presence there but not listing this animal, I think that makes all the difference. And I'd be especially suspicious of this snake if she wasn't listed there- maybe they were just flipping her, or already knew something was amiss, which is my suspicion.

I'd go the extra mile for the histology too. Not surprising she was dehydrated, at the rate she kept losing fluid. So she was submitted frozen then, not just refrigerated?

I wonder what was causing the melena?

[Bogertophis]

...Looking back through the threads, it seems the snake is seven years old, and a retired breeder, but hasn't had a clutch for 'several years'. Sounds like she had a clutch once and never again, since there's not really time on that calendar for more. That's a little suspicious, and not exactly what I'd call a 'retired breeder'.

More likely she wasn't a very successful breeder.

[Malum Argenteum]

You can leave a review on MM if you inquired through MM's messaging system about that specific animal, otherwise you can't even if you bought an animal that was listed.

I don't list some animals on MM that I have available. One reason for that it wouldn't be cost effective to ship them, which is probably the case here; SYR's biggest box from me to LA is $225. Other reasons are that the listings there for the species/morph are saturated and I don't want to give them away; they're low dollar animals that aren't worth the trouble to list and are easier to sell locally; they have a visual imperfection that doesn't make them less of a good pet but does prevent them from meeting MM's listing standards. I also don't list anything in the winter, because Wisconsin.

[55fingers]

As far as leaving a review on MM: I don't use MM, but it would seem to me that if this specific snake was listed on MM, as opposed to just the seller having a presence there but not listing this animal, I think that makes all the difference. And I'd be especially suspicious of this snake if she wasn't listed there- maybe they were just flipping her, or already knew something was amiss, which is my suspicion.

I don't doubt that could be what happened. She was one of 2 blood pythons at their stall of mostly boas. As far as I'm aware I don't think she was ever listed elsewhere. I think they had her for a few years, but told us the scars she had were from the previous owner feeding live. I'm not sure if it was them who bred her or the previous owners but we were told she was about 7 years old, used to be a breeder but now was retired.

Also just re-reading the report and realized that right before we brought her home, they sent us a pic of her being weighed. She was about 16lbs at the time of us bringing her home. This means she lost 3 lbs within the month we had her. That's a huge percentage of body weight to lose that quickly.

So she was submitted frozen then, not just refrigerated?

And unfortunately yes, we put her in the garage fridge, then within the next few nights (with the ongoing snowstorm) it reached as low as -30. Went to go check her the day before we brought her to the diagnostics center and realized she was frozen solid I know that's not ideal but we're having to work with what we have and hope the integrity of the tissues is enough to work with after freezing.

I called the center today and told them I would like to go ahead with further testing. At this point I feel it's best education-wise and for peace of mind.

[Malum Argenteum]

Also just re-reading the report and realized that right before we brought her home, they sent us a pic of her being weighed. She was about 16lbs at the time of us bringing her home. This means she lost 3 lbs within the month we had her. That's a huge percentage of body weight to lose that quickly.

Huh. I don't know there's any other way that can happen except severe dehydration. And even then I'm not sure. But there's no way that was just calories burned in excess of consumption. Maybe there's something to that excessive urination. Hopefully your vet can put all the pieces together once you have the most information you're able to get from the necropsy.