Question re: BPs and IBD ..mainly, can a 6 yr old BP have it and be alive?

[girlundertherainbow]

I don't really have a reason to think anything is wrong with this snake, first off..
It's my first BP, I've had it almost 2 years I think? And they had it 6 years? they had gotten 2 from a store.. 1 died. This one.. they had about 6 years. Did not take GREAT care..
I just say that as when I got the snake, it's tank looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a year. Had sheds in pieces from many, past, sheds.
Took the snake a few sheds but now it's doing good/1 piece. Had only eaten live before but immediately took to f/t (also had been awhile since it had been fed so that probly helped)
has definitely gained some size since I've had it.
TO MY POINT..
it's had sometimes where it's eyes looked maybe , dented pre shed..and after..and I thought maybe permanent damage from past care.
But read some stories last night about IBD.and got paranoid.
How possible is that it that this BP could have that?

[BPelizabeth]

Well the eye denting is due to retained eye caps from the bad sheds! Its imperative that they do come off. DO NOT PICK IT OFF!!!!!!!!!!!! They have a protective layer over their eyes and I have read many times of balls going blind w ppl trying to pick it off. If yours has dented eyes then give them a good soak and let them crawl through a warm damp towel afterwards and of course up your humidity. I have only had this happen to me once and that technique took care of it.

As far as IBD....Boas are carriers of this. No if your ball had it...... it would be dead within about 90 days. Hence why we always try to push for 90 day quarantines. Its a very dibilitating disease and quite frankly hard to watch. You can google it and watch some videos but I warn you it is just heartbreaking...and one of the hardest things to watch. Its important that you wash your hands if handling boas and that you keep them seperated from your BPs. There is really no fool proof way to test to see if a boa is carrying it. They have a test however it is very invasive to the snake and quite frankly...inconclusive.

[girlundertherainbow]

Re: eyecaps, yes I've done that before. When I first got this snake, I had to put it in a humid container a few times when it shed.. to aid in the process
Also they had it with NO heat but an overhead lamp that was not even on when I got it. and a container of water that was about a cup size...and almost empty so no humidity in there.

I have a Rainbow Boa, a jungle carpet python, a western hognose (CB), and I do have other BPs now..
that have all come from breeders and were/are being quarantined.
Just got paranoid about my older snake but thought that surely by now it would have shown/died..
just came across some article last night that freaked me out!

[BPelizabeth]

I totally understand....its a waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy scary disease. I am over the top about being careful....lol.

[girlundertherainbow]

was HOPING I could get a comforting reply.
I do also have a jcp..forgot to list that snake lol.

[steveboos]

Well if your snake is already 6 years old, you really shouldn't have much to worry about. I just put my Brazilian rainbow in the room with my pythons...it's been 4 months of quarantine. Then again i get all my snakes from reputable people and treat everything as if its a surgical procedure with cleanliness.

Case in point, i don't think your snake has IBD unless he had a sleepover with a diseased boa recently.

[Homegrownscales]

Yes I think youre safe aswell. All the articles of IBD are frankly disturbing. I'm a huge paranoido about it. I know someone who owns boas and they aren't even allowed in my snake room. Lol they understand tho. I came across the IBD articles after I got in a rescue ball in the same condition. She had an RI and a major tilt to her head all the time. My vet thought it was boid encephalothopy and in research I came across the IBD stuff. Scary. Anyways it wasnt either and I think she either had a head trauma, or an overheat. Either one leading to blindness in one eye. But in any case I did a 6 month qt. IBD doesn't last long in balls and couldn't really find any info on boid encephalothopy. But I think your is in need of a good shed and some
Good tlc but will be just fine.
Morgan

[BPelizabeth]

Home you hit on a great subject. A symptom from over heating is much like that of IBD. Just so ppl know. Overheating symptoms are issues are reversible somewhat if caught quickly enough with medication.

[sgath92]

About the eye "denting," I believe that can also be a symptom of inadequate humidity in the tank even if there are no retained eye caps on the snake. I let the humidity drop too low by accident once and noticed that after a weekend of low humidity her eye caps appeared to be dented even though she had a good shed a couple weeks prior [and I know the eye caps came off without problems as I watched her shed].

[Homegrownscales]

Great points bpelizabeth and sgath92!