Some general IBD questions!

[purplemuffin]

I have been making the terrible mistake of reading too many forum posts and getting myself in a worrysome little mode.

I know quite a bit about IBD, I know it's fatal, I know it can hide in Boas for at least a year, maybe even longer before they show signs, and I know pythons catch it fast and die earlier.

I have now read six stories of people who had to euthanize their entire collections because of outbreaks of IBD and that just is terrifying and awful.

It's sort of frightening because it just -seems- so common, though I don't know exactly how common and how many outbreaks there have been. It's awful that this disease hasn't been obliterated.

I guess I need some reassuring right now, as I am worried about ever introducing a new pet to the family, especially since I am so fond of boas. We would always do great quarantine, but even the idea of buying a new friend, getting attached, and watching him suffer and die just doesn't sound appealing!

All I know about IBD really are the devastating effects of it, I don't really know the frequency of it in the trade. It seems like even a few of the big names have been hit before!

But of course the internet is always full of horror stories and this is why I'm not allowed to look at anything medical online for fear of leading myself to believe I have some horrible incurable disease when I just have the sniffles. You know how that goes


It's also very late at night/early morning right now, so I'm sure this post sounds quite silly. So ignore my over worriedness, but I would like any information regarding this nasty thing. I never want an animal with IBD to come through my door! :/

[RichsBallPythons]

One way to not worry about it is not keep boas.

I for one only work with pythons, and dont buy from people i know who have boas or who go to expos.

[purplemuffin]

Oh, well that one's too late, I already have a little boa as a part of my family. I still want a BRB... One of those dreams that was crushed sadly that I would hope to someday make right.

I guess I'd like to hear from people who work with boas on how they manage. I see people buy, sell, and trade quite often. I know a ton of people who have purchased and had nothing go wrong and lived with their animal quite happily. It would be nice to know if it's more along the lines of freak accident/not TOO likely(But of course be super ultra careful cause you don't want to risk the offhand chance your new snake does have it), or if it is more common than that..

Of course, it doesn't help that every time something goes wrong with a snake, half the world cries that it could be IBD. I understand why, you want to assume the worst and keep your other animals safe, but when the animal dies and the person doesn't get it checked to see if it WAS the disease, it just sort of adds to the mystery of the whole thing.

[Wh00h0069]

One way to not worry about it is not keep boas.

I for one only work with pythons, and dont buy from people i know who have boas or who go to expos.

What about people who keep their boas and pythons in the same room, and feed using the same hemostats? I keep boas and pythons. If any of my boas had IBD, all of my pythons would be dead. Therefore, none of my snakes have IBD.

What I suggest to the OP, is to only buy from reputable breeders, and NEVER buy imports.

[JLC]

Our new Pike's Peak Herp Society had a meeting the other day with a vet as a guest speaker who gave us a TON of great information on IBD. Here are some pertinent points he made that should help calm your fears and let you know that it's still ok to have boas.

1. IBD is not anywhere near as common as it sounds.
2. Adult boas can carry the virus for years without showing symptoms however...
3. Baby boas will crash just as fast as pythons if exposed
4. It does not appear to be airborn (but no one can say for certain)

So...if you want to keep both boas and pythons in your collection, you should try to just buy baby boas and strictly quarantine them. And never buy boas from questionable sources, especially adult ones.

[purplemuffin]

that DOES make me feel better, I had never heard that info before. We did buy Nagini as a baby and have had her for about a year now.

Makes me feel a little nicer about adding a new boa pet to the family someday.. With proper quarantine of course!

Quarantine is just so ridiculously important, I really hope all new reptile keepers realize this very quickly when they start keeping their animals!

It's true, it sounds so incredibly common. But there are so many keepers who don't join forums, or if they do, don't really decide to make a post saying "hey guys, guess what disease my reptiles still don't have!", while the people with sick animals are more likely to post online about it.

Still a very scary thing! I hope someday it is possible to treat or it just is easier to avoid! In a perfect world I'd hope it goes away all together!

[Skittles1101]

I have only ever kept ball pythons, and about a month ago I bought my first boa. I was already at that point aware of IBD and paramyxo and the risks. About 2 weeks after getting my boa I had a minor heart attack when I accidentally forgot to wash my hands after handling my boa, and about 30 mins later I had to soak one of my bps with dry skin in his nose. 10 minutes after soaking him I realized I had forgotten to wash my hands and I was literally in tears. I called some (herp) friends for help because I was a mess, and I was promptly reassured that I should not worry about it especially at this point, just be more careful in the future. I was told it is NOT as common as it seems and especially since I got my boa (and bps) from a reputable breeder, all CBB, from trusted people I had nothing to worry about. As WooHoo stated, the best way to avoid those horrible viruses is to be careful who you buy them from. Make sure you quarantine well. I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer hanging on my boas rack now lol. I've heard those horror stories too and was such a mess after my little mishap, and now feel a little better knowing it's not as common. I do plan on getting more bps AND more boas in the future, and will be sure I buy them from people I know and trust. Eventually when I get my own house (my landlord won't like a room full of 8-10 foot boas lol) I will possibly try breeding. Bps have been my love, but boas are quickly becoming my close second. Good luck

[purplemuffin]

Awesome... That makes me feel a lot better. I dunno, it's just crazy reading some of these awful stories! I need to avoid reading such things before bed as well!

Boas are QUITE amazing, and a completely different experience than pythons..I love them! I hope to keep mine healthy and strong so she lives a long, full life.

[Evenstar]

I am so glad you asked this question! I am in the same boat you are. I just got my new baby boa this weekend. I have her strictly quarantined, but in a home setting with limited resources, accidents can happen and I was already freaking out that I might do something wrong. I got Peaches as a baby and will do so from now on and ALWAYS buy from a reputable breeder. I am thankful that I had such a great experience with Peaches' breeder - I can always go to him with any questions or for any future pick ups. Judy, thank you for posting that info - it sure makes me feel better too!

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I agree with not buying boa's from just anyone. Especially expos from breeders who allow people to handle their boa's. My only boa now has been with me for 2 years and I have no plans to get more for quite some time but if I do, it would be from someone whose practices I trust. She was a baby when I got her, as was the male I ended up selling not long ago. They were both kept in a separate room from the BPs and my boa now is still kept apart from the BPs.

While I do think the entire thing is overplayed too much these days, it's better to be careful than sorry later.

I can't say for certain if it was IBD but a close friend purchased a boa from a small breeder at a local expo about 4 years ago. The snake mysteriously died after a few months even though it was eating well and seemed healthy. This is what made me nervous about it and I did mote research on the subject.

Until it becomes easy to diagnose and/or treat, which may never happen, the best way to avoid it is to only buy from certain breeders. Those who do not attend shows, or if they do, do not allow their snakes to be handled without ample hand sanitizer prior to purchase. And those who do not bring new stock into the same part of the building their existing stock is located.

I've certainly never let the idea of IBD deter me from wanting or getting boa's. You just need to be careful when getting them.