Beginning of IBS?

[readdit]

Hello all,

I adopted a 10 year old ball python about 3-4 weeks ago. Since then, I've taken him to the vet twice since he has a cellulitis in the jaw and some weird respiratory things going on. Since then, the cellulitis is still there (he's still on antibiotics for the next week, and the vet recommended I wait to finish those before coming back in) but the respiratory issues are gone (he was holding his head vertical for several hours and wheezing, he also vomited that same night). However, over the past week, it's almost like he's a different snake. I went to feed him a week ago and was holding him when something just clicked and he became very aggressive. He was striking (but with no mouth open), going after me, head raised about 6 inches above the ground, etc. I thought it was because I was holding him after I went to thaw the rat and he detected food and was hungry (my fault entirely). The behavior has continued since then- taking him out of the tank for his antibiotics is fine, but something clicks once he's out and about he strikes and literally flails himself around. I took some videos, but my friend is in them and isn't comfortable with me posting them to the internet when their face is consistently in the video. He'll strike (still no mouth open) and then roll onto his back and then upright again, so his symptoms aren't consistent with IBS but not sure what's going on?

His antibiotics are injections every 3 days, so my best guess is he's fed up with getting them (but I can't stop giving them halfway through either). Though he receives the shot fine, he starts acting weird 5-10 minute after receiving them.

*Sidenote: I handled him a week or so after getting him, and he was super calm, would explore, let me touch him and take him back to the tank when needed with no issues.

[Sauzo]

IBD will kill pythons very quick. It is a way people used to check for IBD carrying boas a long time ago. They would put a normal BP in with the boa in question and if the python died within a few days, you know the boa was a carrier or so I was told. IBD does act really fast on pythons though. I would call the vet as the snake might be having a reaction to the medicine as you said he starts to act weird 5-10 mins after the shot. The vet might need to see him again.

Also IBD is not that common. People like to throw it around like its mites or an RI but actually its pretty rare unlike other stuff that will give the same symptoms like poisons and overheating.

[Skiploder]

IBD will kill pythons very quick. It is a way people used to check for IBD carrying boas a long time ago. They would put a normal BP in with the boa in question and if the python died within a few days, you know the boa was a carrier or so I was told. IBD does act really fast on pythons though. I would call the vet as the snake might be having a reaction to the medicine as you said he starts to act weird 5-10 mins after the shot. The vet might need to see him again.

Also IBD is not that common. People like to throw it around like its mites or an RI but actually its pretty rare unlike other stuff that will give the same symptoms like poisons and overheating.

Incorrect. Since no one is properly testing or screening their animals, no one knows how long a python can remain asymptomatic. Some researchers claim that they can remain asymptomatic just as long as boas. I know of a woma python breeder who has two animals that are IBD positive and have never thrown symptoms.

The way people used to check for IBD was based on ignorance combined word of mouth. Many of the most publicized early cases were later proven to not be IBD. Most of the urban myths surrounding IBD were born out of this ignorance.