Red Tail Boa and IBD and transmission to BP's

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Originally Posted by DarkComeSoon

I keep my red tail right next to my ball and havent any problems also hypos are a colombian BCI morph I say go for it red tail boas are full of personality and adorable!

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unfortunately from what i see the only real way to tell would to to keep a ball with a boa in qt to rule out IBD, but the bigger question is who wants to risk any other animal for the sake of keeping a boa and the collection many of us have. not to mention that it seems fairly unhumane to me

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

As for QT - some boas can be asymptomatic for years..........how long were you planning on keeping the animal in QT?

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Apparently not long enough. :cool: So, who here does have both Boas & BPs (aside from those who've already stated they do) - and how did you approach this issue?

This is what I want to know, I just want a true red tail BCC, Im thinking peruvian or brazilian, but I dont wanna risk my BPs.

So here again, are there any known RTB breeders that are IBD free?

I contacted Vin Russo at Cutting Edge Reptiles and he says his boas are IBD free. To what I have been let to believe, he is very reputable breeder. I like his Brasilian Red Tails. I will most likely get one from him.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Read Jacobson's papers on IBD. He actually wrote two excellent articles in Reptiles Magazine.

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I will! I want to learn as much about this disease as I can....

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In other words - a negative biopsy may mean nothing.

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I never disagreed with this point.

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I'm sorry, I just don't see how a large fraction of boas can have IBD. If they did, boas (and pythons) would be dying right and left. So few people observe proper quarantine procedures, IBD would be running rampant throughout the boid trade.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious.... I'm just saying I still don't believe this numbers to be accurate. Also, if a boa breeder had IBD, it would probably run through his collection in no time. Some boas are asymptomatic; some are not. I'd say go with a good/trusted breeder and you should be fine. (I'd still quarantine for six months, at least, however.)

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Originally Posted by Danounet

I contacted Vin Russo at Cutting Edge Reptiles and he says his boas are IBD free. To what I have been let to believe, he is very reputable breeder. I like his Brasilian Red Tails. I will most likely get one from him.

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not to knock russo or any other breeder, but its already been said that breeders most would not admit to it even if they did get it in their collection at one time or another. the key point here is to QT for a long time and when you think your good qt even more. it doesnt hurt and your animals are worth the wait. also its good to know the breeders setup. does he keep his balls with his boas or are they separate.

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

This is very interesting... I was just offered a hypo BCI in a trade (for electronic equipment), and now I'm worried about accepting. I was thinking of taking the snake, but will it be a constant risk with my BP collection? And are BCIs and red-tails the same thing? Sorry, I know nothing about boas yet! :D

We do have a good herp vet around here, so maybe I could take him straight to the vet - followed by a good long quarantine. Hmmmmmm. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

Apparently not long enough. :cool: So, who here does have both Boas & BPs (aside from those who've already stated they do) - and how did you approach this issue?

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You just have to know and trust the breeders for being reputable. Even if they may or may not know, it's a risk you have to take with boas.

I have 3 boas, though only one is a BCI and has been in the same room as my pythons for over a year. When I got him, I only had a few pythons, and nothing has come up and killed them.

Here's the thing that quirks me. The boas are asymptomatic for years, correct? But can they not still transfer the disease immediately to pythons that will show effects within 6 months?
Therefore, if breeders have pythons and boas, then they can basically determine that their boas don't have IBD, because they're pythons are thriving.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Here's the thing that quirks me. The boas are asymptomatic for years, correct? But can they not still transfer the disease immediately to pythons that will show effects within 6 months?
Therefore, if breeders have pythons and boas, then they can basically determine that their boas don't have IBD, because they're pythons are thriving.

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technically but if its not airborne and can only be transmitted by actual contracted with fluids or physical contact, they might not get it.
at the same time with the ppl that have had ibd in their collections what we dont know is was there handwashing between tubs or washing tubs and the same animal not getting the same tub

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Originally Posted by Eventide

I'm sorry, I just don't see how a large fraction of boas can have IBD. If they did, boas (and pythons) would be dying right and left. So few people observe proper quarantine procedures, IBD would be running rampant throughout the boid trade.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious.... I'm just saying I still don't believe this numbers to be accurate. Also, if a boa breeder had IBD, it would probably run through his collection in no time. Some boas are asymptomatic; some are not. I'd say go with a good/trusted breeder and you should be fine. (I'd still quarantine for six months, at least, however.)

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Not true.

At least one of my boas was a carrier for 6+ years. I have a large collection of animals including many colubrids and 3 womas, a pair of blackheads, a pair of stimsons, a pair of spotteds, a pair of childrens and a pair of anthills. None of them ever came down with the disease and it's been over a year since my boas were diagnosed and put down.

I am religious about cleaning - I even disinfect and/or change tongs between feedings and I never stick my fingers in waterbowls.

You have to be careful making blanket statements. There have been people who have IBD and have lost their entire collections. There have been some who haven't.

I went into my vet's office last year with a head full of preconcieved notions about IBD that I had gleaned off of the Net - most were variations on the same theme. Almost everything that is the conventional wisdom on this disease is just a bit off. It was only after talking to the lab where they looked for the inclusion bodies (and ultimately did the necropsies) and some of the researchers that I got a clearer understanding of what IBD is and how it can manifest itself.

I find it sad that both a veterinary manual and a quoted study list potential infection rates of between 33 to 50% and people poo-poo those numbers.

Again - I stress that Jacobson has been very reachable and has corresponded with some people on this forum. Instead of getting your knowledge from second hand sources (including me) talk to one of the foremost researchers of this disease and ask him your tough questions.

just a though, but perhaps we could create a list of questions that we could send off to the ppl behind the study. and then sticky the reply somewhere so its there for future record and to dispell the misinformation that seems to fly around this hobby too well