Red Tail Boa and IBD and transmission to BP's

70%? I'd like to see evidence of that before I believe such a high number.

Actually, doing a liver biopsy isn't that bad of a procedure, and it is highly accurate in detecting IBD. It's just rather expensive.

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Originally Posted by Eventide

70%? I'd like to see evidence of that before I believe such a high number.

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ME too.

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Originally Posted by Eventide

70%? I'd like to see evidence of that before I believe such a high number.

Actually, doing a liver biopsy isn't that bad of a procedure, and it is highly accurate in detecting IBD. It's just rather expensive.

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Unless of course the snake is not shedding virus when the biopsy is taken. That is why determination in live animals is so difficult. You need a much bigger sample than can be taken from a live snake.

I don't believe 70% here in the states but from what I understand it is becoming common in Europe.

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Originally Posted by Eventide

70%? I'd like to see evidence of that before I believe such a high number.

Actually, doing a liver biopsy isn't that bad of a procedure, and it is highly accurate in detecting IBD. It's just rather expensive.

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Only if there are actual inclusion bodies present in the liver. Remember, while the presence of inclusions is a diagnostic for the disease, the absence of these inclusion bodies does not necessarily indicate that the snake is not diseased or is free from IBD.

They could be in the:

............gall bladder

............brain

............esophageal tonsils

etc.

My female went through a liver and a gall bladder biopsy (ultrasound assisted). No inclusion bodies.

The inclusion bodies were found in her esophogeal tonsils........


As for the rate of incidence - I believe it's south of 70% but higher than your local boa breeder would leave you to believe.

Don't take my word for it - Dr. Jacobson has proven himself reachable by e-mail - even to members on this forum.

Instead of asking specifics from a vet who only sees a couple of confirmed cases a year, or worse a breeder who will most likely deny IBD is even a problem, e-mail the man who's spearheading the research and see what he has to say.

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

ME too.

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To me even the 33% number is scary - a third of all red-tails? Those odds suck.......

Here is my question, I love boas, ever since I was a kid and saw them from time to time around, Im from Venezuela, although people always killed those snakes. But I always found them facinating. My favorite snake by far.

Anyways, Im 26 now and I realy want to get a true red tail, But I already have ball pythons, and I love them too...

Is there anyways for breeders to know if thier BOAs have IBD or not? Is there any reputable breeders that are know to be "IBD free"?

Thanks. :)

I've already resigned myself to never owning redtails.

However, does anyone know if other boa species are prone to carry IBD? The one species that interests me most is the Brazilian rainbow boa. Are rainbow boas known to carry this disease?

I in no way want to take any risks with my python collection, but if some boas can be kept safely, I'd love some rainbows.

I am a little more curious about the actual properties of the virus itself. I have my BP's in one room and my boa in another. I usually take care of the BP's first and then the boa. But, what I keep wondering about is, if my boa is an IBD carrier, then is keeping them in separate rooms enough. Basically, how long does IBD survive in air? I have ventilation fans running in both rooms, so is it possible the the virus can be spread around the house from room to room? Or, if I inhale the virus, and later, cough or sneeze in the BP room, have I just contaminated the room? I know there are probably no definitive answers to these questions. This is something that I wonder about when thinking if merely keeping them in sepapate rooms is enough. I guess the best case scenario is to have separate facilities for each species and wearing bio suits in the boa room, but this is not practcal. So, in the end, it is more of a gamble that you hope you don't lose...


Rob

ONE IBD free red tail "hatchling" (I forgot the boa name for "hatchling" :P) cant be much to ask for is it??!

I personally do not believe that the vast majority of boas are carrier of IBD. From what I understand, if you have a boa that is a carrier of IBD and put them in the same room as a ball python the ball will die very quickly. I keep my boas and my pythons in the same room and have for years with no symptoms from any of my snakes. All of my boas are captive bred.