Signs of Sickness?

[mzh3de]

We just moved our new rescue beardie into a five foot, so I disinfected his four foot and put my young Ball Python in yesterday.

What the vets didn't mention was that it's very likely said rescue has ADV, which is apparently passable to snakes, even if you have disinfected everything. There's no point moving the BP back into her old viv, since if she's gonna catch it she'd have it already.


We're gonna send in a fecal sample, but in the meantime what I'm wanting to know is what signs should I be looking for? I'm assuming blood in her poo would be one, since it's happening to the rescue. How long would she have to live if she did catch it?


There's still a small possibility the rescue doesn't have it, and even then I've been told that snakes tend to be more hardy with things like this, but I'd like to be prepared for the worst case scenario. (We'll also be changing vets)

[Alter-Echo]

As far as I'm aware, ADV is only transmissible to lizards, but I could be wrong. The way the virus works is that it suppresses the immune system, so an animal will usually get random RI and gastrointestinal infections or encephalitis. I would imagine in a ball python RI or sepsis would be the most common issues caused by the virus.

[bcr229]

What did you use to disinfect the enclosure?

Also I would move the BP out anyway as the virus seems to have a shelf life of two weeks on a non-porous surface. Even if your BP was exposed to the virus it may not have gotten a high enough dose (yet) to where his system couldn't fight it off, versus getting a full-blown infection.

[mzh3de]

I use F10 to disinfect. I'm not sure if it matters but it's a wooden vivarium. Should I leave everything in her Viv as it is, rather than risk it passing over to the old one? I'm a little worried bc in that case she'll only have one hide and a water bowl. I do have a spare heat mat tho.

[AnnieHeart]

I don't know about this sickness, but I am wishing you and your BP the best of luck! I do hope she is going to be okay!!

[mzh3de]

Thank you :)

[B.P.'s 4me]

We just moved our new rescue beardie into a five foot, so I disinfected his four foot and put my young Ball Python in yesterday.

What the vets didn't mention was that it's very likely said rescue has ADV, which is apparently passable to snakes, even if you have disinfected everything. There's no point moving the BP back into her old viv, since if she's gonna catch it she'd have it already.


We're gonna send in a fecal sample, but in the meantime what I'm wanting to know is what signs should I be looking for? I'm assuming blood in her poo would be one, since it's happening to the rescue. How long would she have to live if she did catch it?


There's still a small possibility the rescue doesn't have it, and even then I've been told that snakes tend to be more hardy with things like this, but I'd like to be prepared for the worst case scenario. (We'll also be changing vets)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...tb01228.x/full
I just googled this topic and have to say there isn't a lot of information on it affecting snakes, although it does happen apparently. One site indicated that it can only be transmitted from one animal to another by eating the feces of the affected animal, but then in the next sentence said is was highly infectious. Yes VIRUSES are infectious but transmission through ingesting feces sounds like what I'd expect for intestinal parasites, and it's not like snakes would walk or crawl through feces and then groom themselves and lick it off!!
I'm not even clear on this point if the adv virus present in Beardies, is the same strain that is found in snakes. If they are two different strains, you may be fine. I sympathize as I know you must be worried sick.... keeping my fingers crossed that your snake remains healthy. The only thing I might suggest is that you try to keep your animal healthy, well fed, and free from stress as viruses don't respond to anibiotics, it's the immune system which eventually eliminates them.... or not. Making sure your snakes' immune system is strong and effective is the most effective way to deal with this.
Wishing you the best of luck!

[SDA]

Lesson learned. Never place a reptile in a previous reptile's enclosure without letting it go sterile for at least a few months. Of course there are exception with breeders and large commercial setups but it is still a good rule to never place one reptile in another container.

[mzh3de]

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...tb01228.x/full
I just googled this topic and have to say there isn't a lot of information on it affecting snakes, although it does happen apparently. One site indicated that it can only be transmitted from one animal to another by eating the feces of the affected animal, but then in the next sentence said is was highly infectious. Yes VIRUSES are infectious but transmission through ingesting feces sounds like what I'd expect for intestinal parasites, and it's not like snakes would walk or crawl through feces and then groom themselves and lick it off!!
I'm not even clear on this point if the adv virus present in Beardies, is the same strain that is found in snakes. If they are two different strains, you may be fine. I sympathize as I know you must be worried sick.... keeping my fingers crossed that your snake remains healthy. The only thing I might suggest is that you try to keep your animal healthy, well fed, and free from stress as viruses don't respond to anibiotics, it's the immune system which eventually eliminates them.... or not. Making sure your snakes' immune system is strong and effective is the most effective way to deal with this.
Wishing you the best of luck!:)

Thanks a lot, I'll keep her as healthy as possible, and probably limit handling to avoid too much stress

[mzh3de]

Lesson learned. Never place a reptile in a previous reptile's enclosure without letting it go sterile for at least a few months. Of course there are exception with breeders and large commercial setups but it is still a good rule to never place one reptile in another container.

Yeah, I probably should've been more careful, but breeders and commercial setups should have the same rules as us- their time and money does not take priority over the health of their animals.