Snake twisting around/shaky, IBD?

Hello,

I am considering adopting a snake that twists/is shaky when head is up in the air. It is a younger snake, but shows no other symptoms other than the neurological issues. It eats very well and has no respiratory issues. I am obviously concerned from my research about IBD.

If there are no other issues than the twisting/shakiness is it likely to be IBD? Obviously if it is I am going to let the snake get put down, but it if is not I am highly considering adopting it. Thoughts?

Well, before we jump to any conclusions about IBD, is your snake a spider morph at all? Spiders can have a wobble and what is called corkscrewing.

On the snakes chart it is listed as a pastel pied. I don't believe it is a spider morph, but I can check.

I second that, look up ball python wobble on youtube or spider morph wobble and see if that is what you are seeing. Spider is bred into a few different morphs but these snakes do not seem negatively affected by it at all. I would also look up/read about IBD for comparison but my understanding is that IBD is quite rare. It does happen but I want to say it is less likely in captive bred than captive hatched. Always try to buy from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store as the pet stores often import their snakes. Wild bred/captive hatched snakes are much more prone to things like feeding issues and certain illnesses. If the snake is from a breeder you could always ask about the genetics to see if the spider gene is in it at all, they should be happy to tell you. :)

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Originally Posted by mtag

Hello,

I am considering adopting a snake that twists/is shaky when head is up in the air. It is a younger snake, but shows no other symptoms other than the neurological issues. It eats very well and has no respiratory issues. I am obviously concerned from my research about IBD.

If there are no other issues than the twisting/shakiness is it likely to be IBD? Obviously if it is I am going to let the snake get put down, but it if is not I am highly considering adopting it. Thoughts?

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There are literally countless things that can present with neuro issues - viruses, bacterial infections, heat related issues, chemical exposure, etc. etc.

I would not recommend adopting an animal that is showing neurological issues. I would not recommend adopting an animal where an aesthetic mutation causes a neurological issue.

The situation is that I work at a vet clinic, the snake is from a pet store. Obviously we can't really test much for IBD as the snake is alive, eats, and otherwise is healthy. I just don't want him getting put down as the pet store can't sell the snake as it has obvious issues.

I was planning on purchasing a snake from a breeder in a few years, but I don't want this one put down if it could possibly be something that isn't fatal. It obviously isn't the most ideal situation but I want to give it a chance if I can.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mtag

The situation is that I work at a vet clinic, the snake is from a pet store. Obviously we can't really test much for IBD as the snake is alive, eats, and otherwise is healthy. I just don't want him getting put down as the pet store can't sell the snake as it has obvious issues.

I was planning on purchasing a snake from a breeder in a few years, but I don't want this one put down if it could possibly be something that isn't fatal. It obviously isn't the most ideal situation but I want to give it a chance if I can.

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Why can't you test it for IBD?

Why are you assuming it's IBD?

I guess I am assuming it is IBD because of the symptoms the snake is showing and a tech that worked at a zoo with reptiles said it was acting similar to those they had to euth.

The blood tests that are offered are apparently often inconclusive is what I have been told/read.

As skiploder said there are hundreds of reasons for a snake to twist like that, most are not good and none of them can be diagnosed over the internet. Testing is really your only hope of finding out exactly what is going on.

The snake is being tested at the vet. I guess I will just sit tight and see what the outcome is. The only issue is that it is a big box pet store snake so they may not want to pay for everything. I will update you guys as I go along.