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  • 06-28-2007, 10:49 PM
    bearhart
    Re: Bath experience / needs a checkup?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rabernet
    You snake is just 10 months old. I don't find 374 grams to be too big for that age in a growing snake.

    Remind me what he gets every 7 days currently? I keep a 7 day feed schedule from babies to adults with size appropriate meals (appropriate for their current size).

    If you follow the girth rule he can eat one jumbo adult mouse but I've switched to feeding him two small adults per week because my preferred pet store usually only has smalls and a few mediums.

    His general look is that he's just started to get a slight "sausage" look. By that I mean a fairly quick decrease in thickness right before the vent. Most of the photos I've seen around here lately are of females so I'm not sure. But he's definately not as plump as they tend to be.

    He coloration has changed lately. He's gotten a darker, mottled appearance. The vet agreed with my suspicion that this was due to impending shed. However, the vet also pointed out the scales on Snakey's back which are all dark in the center but have a light outline at the border between the next scale. He compared them to the scales on Snakey's sides which appeared solid in color (no outlines). He told me that that was due to obesity.
  • 06-29-2007, 06:09 AM
    rabernet
    Re: Bath experience / needs a checkup?
    Sounds to me like he's about to poop with the sharp decrease in size after the vent.


    Two small adult mice a week sounds like an appropriate schedule to me.
  • 06-29-2007, 07:15 AM
    frankykeno
    Re: Bath experience / needs a checkup?
    Was the vet meaning there was stretching of the scales? That can be a sign of a too fat snake but 374 grams doesn't sound bad at all for an almost yearling. Pics of the area the vet was referring to as well as top view pics of your snake might be helpful.

    As far as advocating for the treatment you want for your snake remember this...it's your snake and your cash...the vet works for you. Unless what you are asking for is a dangerous treatment with little good effect or will ultimately harm your animal, the vet needs to work with the client. Not much different when you have children, sometimes you have to go head to head with the doctors who get in a rut with what they are comfortable with even if current findings are saying something different is in order.

    If you think about it, it makes perfect sense that oral meds would not be as effective. We're talking about a species that has stomach acids that are so strong they easily dissolve bone, teeth and fur. Not much of a stretch for me to believe that same acid would pretty much nullify any med poured into it in pretty short order.

    Oh handy trick for checking your snake's mouth. Hit the kitchen supply section of any department store and pick up some soft spatula's (they usually come in a package of various sizes). Not the hard rubber ones but the softer ones that bend a bit. They make an excellent tool for popping open a snake's mouth. Just rigid enough to do the job but with enough give to not harm or scratch. Anytime we've had to check a snake's mouth here we just gently introduce the side of the spatula (picking the appropriate size) and very gently rotate the spatula....easy as pie the mouth opens, the spatula keeps it open and we have a good look at the mouth and glottis. Afterwards they can be cleaned well, disinfected and stored in a big ziploc baggie.

    Personally I'd put that snake on layers of soft, plain white papertowels. That way you can easily and clearly see any discharge he wipes off against it.
  • 06-29-2007, 07:33 AM
    frankykeno
    Re: Bath experience / needs a checkup?
    Oh forgot to add, it's very nice to see a pet store owner that is this educated about snakes and their needs. Very refreshing after the usual very bad advice we mostly see coming out of the majority of pet stores. :)
  • 06-29-2007, 08:02 AM
    Rapture
    Re: Bath experience / needs a checkup?
    If there are any other exotic vets in your area, you might want to do some calling around to try to find one more experienced with reptiles... just in case you ever have a more serious problem and need the best treatment for your snake.
  • 06-30-2007, 01:26 AM
    bearhart
    Re: Bath experience / needs a checkup?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by frankykeno
    Oh forgot to add, it's very nice to see a pet store owner that is this educated about snakes and their needs. Very refreshing after the usual very bad advice we mostly see coming out of the majority of pet stores. :)

    Yea David is a good guy who has been working with snakes for 16 years. I just went to see him today for help injecting the new Baytril I got. I was impressed at his ability to inspect Snakey and his knowledge of infections, meds, and what else might be wrong. I felt alot better than after seeing the vet for sure.

    He is, however, very "easy going" on husbandry issues. He established alot of my initial ideas, most of which would not fly around here. Today I was discussing temps with him and he just will not recommend anything beyond an always on UTH with an inch or two of substrate, a hide on the warm spot, and a heat lamp - and let the snake do the rest. He doesn't poo-poo more highly controlled situations he just feels its overkill. Trying to resolve this just drives me nuts. As he was talking today I was thinking "yea well I know a little better on that" and this guy next to me who had come in and been listening pipes up and says he's had his BP for 13 years with a slightly smaller UTH and no heat lamp. of course, anybody can say that the snake is actually being mistreated and the guy just thinks its normal but 13 years is a pretty good run. So my world has been turned upside down again - at least where husbandry is concerned! LOL

    Snakey took his shot and Dave mentioned some other possibilities if the Baytril doesn't work. I also got hooked up with another vet that sounds alot easier to work with.
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