Fresh Shed from Cleo the Cali King

I don't think it sounds like "your fault" from what you've posted, at least not about the substrate. I'm not convinced she suddenly has an RI, either...

Those lovely photos of her on the ground...are you sure there are no chemicals applied anywhere she might have slithered, grass or flower beds? Personally,
I don't put any of my snakes on the ground, although I know there's no chemicals used on my property, there are other issues to consider, like parasites in the
grass (both internal & external types) or various germs (from stool etc. left by wild creatures) that she could touch or inhale & be infected by. I'm in a similarly
warm & humid state like yours, just a reminder that it's risky, no matter how irresistible & photogenic it is. I do hope she gets well soon.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I don't think it sounds like "your fault" from what you've posted, at least not about the substrate. I'm not convinced she suddenly has an RI, either...

Those lovely photos of her on the ground...are you sure there are no chemicals applied anywhere she might have slithered, grass or flower beds? Personally,
I don't put any of my snakes on the ground, although I know there's no chemicals used on my property, there are other issues to consider, like parasites in the
grass (both internal & external types) or various germs (from stool etc. left by wild creatures) that she could touch or inhale & be infected by. I'm in a similarly
warm & humid state like yours, just a reminder that it's risky, no matter how irresistible & photogenic it is. I do hope she gets well soon.

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No, it’s my yard - there’s no chemicals. Of course there’s no way to know what invisible critters may be lurking, but I take my Beardie out there for multiple hours at a time almost every day during warm months.... If anyone were to get sick from being outside, I would think it would be her. The snakes get put down for like 20 seconds max while I take a pic.

I really think it’s the bedding. It’s not the first time I’ve had issues with a coco bedding.... thought the husk being chunkier wouldn’t have the same issues as the coco fiber / peat, though. [emoji30]


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Well, whatever it is, I hope she gets well soon. How old is she now?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Well, whatever it is, I hope she gets well soon. How old is she now?

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No idea. A friend of my family got her from an acquaintance and asked no background info, then gave her to us. I’ve had her since 2016 and she was fully grown then. So she’s at least like 7.... but could be way older for all I know [emoji2370] When I take her into the vet I’m gonna ask if he can give any sort of rough estimate on her probable age, just for my records.

And thank you [emoji3590]


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There's no way to tell a snake's age unless you've had them since they hatch or were born. But a 6' king snake isn't young...she might easily be 20 years,
or even more. At least with horses & dogs, you can get an idea from their teeth...try that with a snake, ROFL. So much about a snake is secretive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

There's no way to tell a snake's age unless you've had them since they hatch or were born. But a 6' king snake isn't young...she might easily be 20 years,
or even more. At least with horses & dogs, you can get an idea from their teeth...try that with a snake, ROFL. So much about a snake is secretive.

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Yeah. I know sometimes their eyes etc can give away advanced age. Not with any degree of certainty, obviously. But I was just hoping to pin down whether she’s a young adult or an old adult lol. Like is she geriatric... [emoji23]


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I hope your vet has some answers...actually, I hope she is better without even seeing him/her (that this is just some quirk that goes away?).
Also hope she bites you for laughing at her for possibly being "geriatric"...:D

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Originally Posted by alittleFREE

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...a4048229f1.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...dc7b76ffa3.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...92d4d553f4.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...e50eef0e83.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...b79d1c4141.jpg

Cleo shed last night and the weather was nice, so I took her out for a little photo op.

I know she’s about as basic as they come as far as common snakes go.... but I absolutely love the way she looks. It helps that she’s a total sweetheart.


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Love her markings! She is wonderful in her own right. Oreo being a high white morph doesn't have traditional markings. Love CKSes.

Sooo I just got back from the vet. The good news is, the vet says she seems perfectly healthy. Body condition is good, scale coloration is good. activity level is good, no wheezing, no mucus in her mouth....

The bad news is, I’m an idiot. He thinks she choked on water initially, and then when I took her out to examine her, the movement/stress caused her to regurgitate what she had just been drinking. Hence the drool and the bubbles.

He is having me keep her on upped temps and under a close watch for the next few days. If she eats this weekend and doesn’t exhibit any further symptoms, he thinks she will be fine. He didn’t feel comfortable prescribing antibiotics based on what he saw at the exam (although he acknowledged that the “incident” was bizarre). He’s going to call me on Tuesday to get an updated report.

[emoji2356]


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Great news! :gj: I'm glad he didn't just put her on antibiotics, they aren't without risks. And no, you're NOT an idiot. I know I've picked up a snake that had
just drank water (without my knowing it) & had them spit it up on me. At least you cared enough to get her checked out. Sounds like you have a good vet there.

(he didn't, by any chance, have a guess as to her age, did he?)