How-To Vet Visit

Hi All :) I rescued a severely (in my opinion) neglected BP one week ago. To see her back story and a picture: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e!#post2132116

My question is two-fold. Would you guys recommend a trip to the vet? She's apparently never been seen by one. And if so, how do I transport her? I wasn't sure if I need to worry about her getting cold and so on.

Thank you in advance!

The transport part is actually something I need to know too....

Thanks for asking this :) :gj:

You can if it makes you feel better and if you chose to do so it is important to chose the right vet by picking a competent herp vet.

In the event you chose to do so I would recommend a fecal.

The key word here is really competent herp vet, some vets have a tendency to do things and prescribe thing that are not needed just in case and because someone brings them an snake for a check up and you definitely want to avoid that.

For the transport part the most secure and stress free way is to use a snake bag or pillow case (depending on the weather when I transport snakes I place the pillow case in a small styrofoam cooler to protect them from the cold when in and our of the car)

I recently moved with my ball python which included a four hour drive. What I did was put her in an inside out pillowcase that I had thoroughly inspected prior to placing her in. I inspected the seams to insure that that were no weak spots in the stitching she may have nosed her way out of. I tied the end of the pillowcase into a knot to keep her from escaping. I then placed the pillowcase inside the tub I have for her for cleaning days. Not sure on what size the tub I used was, but it is more than large enough for her as she only fills up about 1/4 of the tub. I used a bungee cord to secure the lid of the tub as a secondary safety precaution (maybe a bit overkill, but better she arrives in the tub than me searching my car for an escapee).

I then placed the tub on the floor of my car. I tried to pick a part of the car floor that wouldn't get a lot of sunshine through the windows. I made the drive in the late afternoon so it was pretty warm out. I set my a/c to keep the car at about 76-78 degrees, with the fan blowing out the dash vents (not the floor vents). I didn't want cold air blowing directly on the tub.

After arriving at the destination, I set the tank up and let it get back up to temps. I then let her go in the tank. After acclimatizing again, I offered a meal two days later and she took it with no hesitation. Mind you I have owned her since December and she has never refused a meal.

Hope this information helps. I'm sure there are more experienced keepers who may chime in with other tips and tricks.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

You can if it makes you feel better and if you chose to do so it is important to chose the right vet by picking a competent herp vet.

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Thank you!!

As for choosing the right vet, is this a matter of research on my part or is there a site of recommended herp vets?

Kensa: (sorry, I don't know how to multi-quote, lol) Thank you so much for this! This helps a lot.

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Originally Posted by LooptyLoo

Thank you!!

As for choosing the right vet, is this a matter of research on my part or is there a site of recommended herp vets?

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http://www.arav.org/find-a-vet/ this will allow you to find a certified herp vet in your area. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

http://www.arav.org/find-a-vet/ this will allow you to find a certified herp vet in your area. :gj:

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Thank you! :D

One thing to consider if you put the tub on the car floor, if you have a rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive don't put the tub on the "hump" running down the center of the car as it does get fairly warm.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

One thing to consider if you put the tub on the car floor, if you have a rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive don't put the tub on the "hump" running down the center of the car as it does get fairly warm.

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Thank you! I will definitely keep this in mind!

I don't want to stress her if a vet visit isn't necessary. I keep going back and forth. And the nearest herp vet is 20-30 minutes away. I think I'm needing some, "If it were my snake, I would take her/not take her."

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...d-Exotics-Vets