Care question - asking late

[moragaebd]

I am new here and unfortunately for us I found this forum too late. For the past 10 years my daughter has had a male ball python. Over the past 3 months, he had problems with an inflamed genetalia; we repeatedly took him to the vet recommended by the vivarium where we pruchased the snake. For the first couple of visits, the vet (who says he is a specialist in reptiles and affilated with the closest vertinary school and a national association of reptilian vets), said that antibiotics would clear up the problem; the an antibiotic ointment. Finally, when our snake was bleeding alot, the vet recommended we neuter the snake. The snake had surgery and stayed overnight at the vet's. When my daughter picked up the snake she told the vet tech that the snake did not look right, and the tech assured her the snake was fine. She got the snake home and she called the vet back, and told the vet that the snake was listing to the side and limp, and the vet said that was normal. We went out for a couple of hours and we returned and the snake had died. I called the vet and he said the conduct of the snake after surgery was normal, and that something else could have happened to the snake - like developing a clot and that the listing was a result of pain. I know that no vet guaranties a good result, but somehow I just can't get over that he was telling my daughter the sake was acting normal in these circumstances and he didn't ask for use to bring the snake back. Could anyone give me some feed back on the situation and let us know your experiences with vet care for BPs. Needless to say, my daughter is heartbroken.

[Alexandra V]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss

I've not had good experiences with vets on the subject of snakes. When I got mine, I was afraid he might have come into contact with IBD because I didn't trust the pet store I got him from. So I called about four vets that said they were able to handle snakes and that they could do a blood test to look for IBD. I thought it sounded odd because the only way I knew of was tissue samples post mortem, but I thought that maybe they had just found a new way. They said they were going to charge something like $600.

Now, the only way you can get a blood test on something small like a ball python is by sticking the needle directly into the heart, because there are no veins big enough. That's very dangerous, and could potentially kill the snake.

Only one vet actually bothered to reach me again and tell me that it was B.S. and that there's no way to tell if a snake has IBD through a general blood test. They just wanted my money.

[angllady2]

Awww, I am so very sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately, titles and certificates do not a good vet make.

I have never even heard of neutering a snake, I can't believe the vet recommended it like it was a common procedure.

I do know that a prolapsed hemipenes is a fairly common occurrence for male snakes, and they can become serious. If that is what occurred, and I have no way of knowing, by the time it started bleeding it would have been extremely serious. If it was a prolapse, the vet should have known what it was and the correct action to take. I find it hard to believe he didn't diagnose what it was, and just recommended antibiotics.

As to what happened after surgery, I'm betting he knew he had not solved the problem and was refusing to admit it. It would not be the first time a vet screwed up and was too haughty to admit they were wrong.

Tell your daughter I am very sorry to here she lost her pet, it sounds like you tried to do everything right, and it certainly wasn't your fault the vet was a hard-headed snot.

I hope she'll take time to grieve, and then consider opening her heart to another. If you had him for 10 years, you must have been doing something right.

Gale

[JLC]

Tell your daughter I am very sorry to here she lost her pet, it sounds like you tried to do everything right, and it certainly wasn't your fault the vet was a hard-headed snot.

What Gale said.

And I agree that if you had him for ten years without developing any problems, then you must have been taking fine care of him.

Personally, I've only had one issue that required a herp-knowledgeable vet and she turned out to be just fine. (The vet and the snake both) It's very sad that the vet you ended up with didn't seem to know what he was doing.

If, in time, you decide to choose another ball python (or any snake or lizard or whatnot)....we'll be here to help you find the very best and healthiest out there, and can do our best to help if any issues arise.