Meet Loopy! ***DUW****

Allison, congratulations! What a lucky little guy to have someone so committed to him!

I know a few people asked me how he loops around or would like to see what he does. I took a shot video of him doing what he does the other day.

This was pretty mild. I've seen him do a lot more while being out when I was cleaning out his tub up at work and trying to "get away".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nNLsGJaDY

Also just like to note that I do not let him spin/loop around when I'm handling him since he seems to really freak out when he does it. Also I don't find it in any way "funny" since my cousin thought it was "hilarious" and wanted me to keep letting him do it. It makes me upset seeing him do it so I try not to let him get in that situation if I can.


**Sadly I don't think he will ever be able to have a big tub to live in since I'm scared to death that he will have a looping fit, get his self flipped over and be in deep trouble. One of the main reasons why he lives in such a little tub with not to much room to move around in. I guess I'll see how he does when he gets bigger and older.**



Another question is since I can't seem to find the answer. If a snake gets "stuck" on it's back, can it die? I've heard that if a turtle gets stuck on it's back it can/will die. I know it's not common at all that a snake can't upright it's self but now that I do have a handicapped snake that can't do so, I'm worrying. I love the little bugger and just won't want to see anything bad happen to him!

Poor Loopy. :( Still... it's nice to know that he's in such good hands.

BTW, do you know if snakes with this condition usually get better, worse, stay the same, or varies the older that they get?

Lawrence,

I was told that he may or may not get more control and strength in his movements over time. Right now it's just a learning experience while trying to give him the most normal and comfortable life that's possible.

From a medical standpoint, he looks good! Looks like he has good muscle development, isn't lethargic, actively flicking his tongue. Snakey Parkinson's :)

But he does look great Allison, and he's in very capable hands!

Felt so bad watching him spaz out, poor little guy...:( :(

Aww poor snakey. :( It's hard to watch him spin and loop around. Other than that, Loopy looks good! :)

He is a cute guy, It must be hard for him :(

It's hard to watch, but he actually seems to use his body to his advantage to help him change directions. I've had quite a few animals with "disabilities" and they seem to adapt really well.

Allison just a few thoughts and this is just gut reaction stuff since I'm no vet. First off I'd send that video to a couple of good herp vets for consultation when you can do so, just to get some medical input.

Next, it almost seems that Loopy uses his body and his environment to help control his spasms. I watched closely and he straightens out against the side of that dish and his own body. At some points he's moving very naturally. If it was me I'd put him in a long, skinny sort of enclosure where he can use the sides of the enclosure, hides, even cage "furniture" and a heavy water dish to orient himself. I'd avoid any deep sort of water dish as I'd be concerned he could flop in there and drown.

He seems to move almost normally then get excited and start quivering and then spinning. Could this possibly be something triggered in his brain from stimulation? In that case maybe a darker environment might negate some of those effects on him (darker plastic tub, low light room sort of thing).

Is his ability to move and/or right himself helped or hindered by different sorts of substrates (I'm thinking smooth and slippery here verus a substrate with some traction to it). Newpaper can have almost a "slide" to it, so maybe indented Kraft paper or even reptile carpet might actually help him with better traction. I'd probably avoid loose substrate as if he got his head stuck and buried he'd be in big trouble I would think.

Lastly I know snakes do not have a diaphragm so their ribs must move for their lungs to work. If Loopy is flipped over but his ribs can still move he should in theory be able to continue to breathe normally. What does he do when he's flipped over? Can he ever right himself? If he's over and beside say a tub wall, can he utilize that surface to get himself righted?

I'd observe him closely, take videos so you can review them and see what triggers this and what he does to help himself out of a spin. Then you can design his life and home around minimizing the incidents as much as possible and helping him deal with them (much as humans do with epilepsy, parkinsons, etc.)