Apollo is sick

So I bought a very hansom hypo red tail a week and a half ago. Well I couldn't take him home the night i bought him so the store held onto him for me and when I went to pick him up i noticed he was wheezing, opening his mouth (with lots of mucus) and had bubbles around his mouth. Well I talked to the girl working and she said they would hold onto him for me and get him better. She put him in a tub by himself and said I could come pick him up the next week. Well I went in Saturday to pick him up and he had no mucus that I could see but was still wheezing and opening his mouth, she told me they had given him antibiotics and he should be 100% in 4-5 days. Well today is Monday and I have been keeping his hot side 92 (maybe +/- a degree here and there) and the cool side the mid 80s (he said to keep his temps up but not too high) well tonight he seemed to be wheezing a lot more and I took him out (I know big no no when bringing home a new snake) and noticed he has more mucus and bubbles again. My main question is should I be responsible for it or should he since he sold me an animal that we both knew was sick and he said would be better in a few days. I feel like he should have held onto him until he was 100% but I trust this guy I have been dealing with him for years when is came to stubborn ball pythons and getting advice on mites and such, he is also the only person who sells live feeders in my area. Just want to know what kind of battle I might be getting into if Apollo doesn't get better soon. Thanks again guys, I knew I should have left him but the hour trip multiple times was killing me and I took the word of someone I trusted....:(

You should have left the snake and got a refund as soon as you saw it was sick...

I doubt they will do anything for you now, but you should try to return it immediately and get a refund!

Thanks for the input. I have been emailing him and I'm sure if he isn't better by the time the weekend comes he will either refund or let me exchange. I might email him in the morning and ask him if he would do it because I know you have to be prepared to pay vet bills but not with a new snake, I think he was a surrender because he has a healing sore on his nose. I don't want to ruin the relationship which is why I took his word.

We also asked before leaving if anything happened would they work with us since GE was si k before leaving

Get a refund. I never would have taken the snake like that.

It sounds like he needs to go back to the vet and get treated for RI. I would take him right back. I wouldn't have taken him sick in the first place.

Snakes don't recover from RIs in a week, or a weekend. I'd either return him for a refund, or if you can swing it, bring him to a vet yourself and get him treated and never return to that store again.

I would ask him to pay for treatment or return the snake. In the end, he may not do anything because the snake was purchased with the knowledge that he was sick. You will have to see what he's willing to do for you.

This link is also a good read on respiratory infections.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ons-The-Basics

I've only had one snake with an RI and I had to take him to the vet and get antibiotics (oral, not injection) and treat him for a week minimum. I'm not sure exactly how long we treated him, but one dose of antibiotics is not enough.

I know he's a good guy and he means well, but sometimes he can be a little careless with the animals.

And to everyone that says not to go to his shop. For those of us that feed live to our snakes, this shop is really the only option. There are no other reptile stores in the area and no other pet stores sell live.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I would ask him to pay for treatment or return the snake. In the end, he may not do anything because the snake was purchased with the knowledge that he was sick. You will have to see what he's willing to do for you.

This link is also a good read on respiratory infections.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ons-The-Basics

I've only had one snake with an RI and I had to take him to the vet and get antibiotics (oral, not injection) and treat him for a week minimum. I'm not sure exactly how long we treated him, but one dose of antibiotics is not enough.

I know he's a good guy and he means well, but sometimes he can be a little careless with the animals.

And to everyone that says not to go to his shop. For those of us that feed live to our snakes, this shop is really the only option. There are no other reptile stores in the area and no other pet stores sell live.

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I agree I shouldn't have taken him and he said that he had treated him (never said if it was one shot or 5) and because he is the only person who sells live feeders I didn't want to burn that bridge. He and I have been emailing back and forth ever since I left the shop, I really don't think he would just decide not to work with me. I plan on emailing him this evening when i get home and asking him if I can bring him back to finish his treatment or get a refund. This is just so upsetting to me because I thought I could trust his opinion but I guess from now on I'll stick with just feeders from him.

Just a quick update, the owner of the shop was awesome once I actually got to talk to him. He took Apollo back and has been treating him for a few days now and he is doing pretty good from what I hear. He also gave me another boa who we examined in the shop and he was perfect :) But just wanted to let y'all know that Apollo is doing much better.