WLP getting tested for Inclusion body disease.

I wanted to ask here, since I'm trying to get more informed on the disease.


A bit of backstory:
I have a 1-2 year old WC WLP that I've had since March. Got him from a reptile expo, seller held onto him for a month beforehand and treated him for internal parasites. Zero issues for the first 3 months or so. This guy was doing fantastic. Awesome appetite, gentle to handle, active, great sheds, healthy weight, poop, etc. All that good stuff.

Anyway, around July, he suddenly lost interest in eating and he was hiding more. I thought maybe it was stress, but saw no improvement. I finally started offering live mice and he ate a couple of times. But last week he even refused that.

I decided to take him to the vet. They drew blood and tube fed him (with some Metronidazole added) so we could collect a fecal to test since he wasn't giving us anything to to with. Not ideal, but I didn't want to put this off longer since he was starting to lose some weight.

Fast forward to today, vet confirmed that he had hookworm eggs in his stool, and that his WBC count indicated he was fighting an infection. She voiced concern that he had IBD, but the results for that will take longer. He was prescribed Fortaz injections every 3 days, which I administer myself, and tomorrow I'm bringing him back in to get another dose of treatment for the parasites.


I'm not very familiar with the disease, but I read that pythons tend to express rapid onset with more overt neurological symptoms? I'm sure not all snakes show the same symptoms, but the only observable issue is that he isn't eating and has been hiding more, and obviously is weaker because...well, he hasn't eaten. I'm really hoping that's a good sign, but the vet didn't sound optimistic.

I feel like hookworm can also cause these issues.. I wanted to check with you guys to see if anyone had any knowledge or even personal experience with the disease.

Thank you

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Sorry for your difficulties with this guy. I sorta doubt it would be IBD (& I have zero personal experience with it but) just based on the common knowledge that it tends to overwhelm pythons rather quickly, & you've had him for quite a while in terms of the timeline I've read that other affected pythons suffered. It's obvious that he has "some" kind of health issue, but you'll need more tests- & to play "detective" to get to the bottom of it. You've got guts for taking this guy on, I'll say that. I hope you get some good answers soon & that there's a "fix" for what ails him. :please:

Also, a w/c & imported snake will have been exposed to a great many things, & the stress puts them at higher risk for their immune system to be unable to fend off whatever it is. And it could be more than one thing too- as you already know- he has hookworms + some sort of infection. But at least you're not seeing neuro symptoms, right? So I doubt it's IBD, & let's hope whatever it is, it responds to treatment.

I'd also worry about things like cryptosporidiosis. Here's a link for that: https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newslett...r/snakes.shtml

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Sorry for your difficulties with this guy. I sorta doubt it would be IBD (& I have zero personal experience with it but) just based on the common knowledge that it tends to overwhelm pythons rather quickly, & you've had him for quite a while in terms of the timeline I've read that other affected pythons suffered. It's obvious that he has "some" kind of health issue, but you'll need more tests- & to play "detective" to get to the bottom of it. You've got guts for taking this guy on, I'll say that. I hope you get some good answers soon & that there's a "fix" for what ails him. :please:

Also, a w/c & imported snake will have been exposed to a great many things, & the stress puts them at higher risk for their immune system to be unable to fend off whatever it is. And it could be more than one thing too- as you already know- he has hookworms + some sort of infection. But at least you're not seeing neuro symptoms, right? So I doubt it's IBD, & let's hope whatever it is, it responds to treatment.

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Thank you, I appreciate your response

They didn't find any respiratory issues, or mouth rot and commented that he looked visually healthy otherwise. Aside from being lean (not emaciated). I told them to do whatever tests they needed to do the day I brought him in, getting it all out of the way instead of stretching it out over multiple visits and putting him through all that.

No neurological or coordination issues. Only other thing is that it seems like his growth rate is slowed, but I feel like a parasite infection (and not eating) would influence that...

I gave him the first round of antibiotics today, and he gave me his first bite, right on my middle finger. He still has a lot of spunk. I hate stressing him out with all this, but my hands are tied and we don't have any other choice.

Aside from the parasites and infection, I really hope the treatment isn't too much for him. I guess only time will tell

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For sure the parasites have an effect- they're stealing his food, & can even cause internal damage or blockages. So hopefully that's all he's fighting but only time will tell. I just don't see anything that screams "IBD" to me- but maybe your vet has dealt with a recent case that's haunting her thoughts- so naturally it gets considered anyway. IBD is everyone's idea of a nightmare, so I think it springs to mind more often than is justified.

It's heartbreaking to have a snake start off for several months doing so well, only to have them end up sick & not eating- but don't give up. I'd do the same thing you are- try to get all the tests at once if you can- to minimize his stress. If you only just now got your first bite from him, that's pretty good. :gj: It's for a good cause, anyway, & you're a great owner. If anyone can get him well, I'd put money on you. Keep us posted though, okay? He's in my good thoughts. :please:

Research Associates Lab (RAL) has a "Boid Panel" that tests for multiple viral diseases including IBD. The panel is $60 and you need to have your vet collect and send off the blood sample so you would pay that to your local vet. They can also test for crypto but sadly after dealing with that (and dodging a bullet as I only lost the one critter who never cleared QT) she never lost her appetite, just constantly regurgitated what she did eat, I doubt your WLP has it.

RAL's web site is https://www.vetdna.com/test-type/reptiles

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

...They can also test for crypto but sadly after dealing with that (and dodging a bullet as I only lost the one critter who never cleared QT) she never lost her appetite, just constantly regurgitated what she did eat, I doubt your WLP has it...

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I sure hope not- I just figured the WLP might not be that far along yet (to be regurgitating). But that's the symptom (along with the mid-body swelling) that's most typical for crypto, I agree.
Plenty of things to test for & hopefully rule out- keeping good thoughts. (It sure doesn't sound like IBD though- don't you agree? No harm testing in case though.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Research Associates Lab (RAL) has a "Boid Panel" that tests for multiple viral diseases including IBD. The panel is $60 and you need to have your vet collect and send off the blood sample so you would pay that to your local vet. They can also test for crypto but sadly after dealing with that (and dodging a bullet as I only lost the one critter who never cleared QT) she never lost her appetite, just constantly regurgitated what she did eat, I doubt your WLP has it.

RAL's web site is https://www.vetdna.com/test-type/reptiles

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I know they did send out a blood sample for testing, I'm not sure how many viruses they were testing or if it was just IBD, but it was $60. They said it could take 3 weeks to get the results. I have to bring this guy in tomorrow, so I can ask them more about the testing

And thank you, I'm sorry to hear about your snake, and I hope you're right

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If it were crypto you would likely have seen a regurge by now. Hopefully it's just parasites that can be cleared up with Metronidazole.

Also a side effect of the Metronidazole (aka Flagyl) is that it stimulates the appetite, which is why it's commonly used to help WC reptiles get established.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

If it were crypto you would likely have seen a regurge by now. Hopefully it's just parasites that can be cleared up with Metronidazole.

Also a side effect of the Metronidazole (aka Flagyl) is that it stimulates the appetite, which is why it's commonly used to help WC reptiles get established.

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I just took him back to the vet today, they gave him another dose of dewormer with food. Vet told me his organ function was good, but his white blood count was really high. He was down a few grams, but had a lot more energy.

Again, she isn't really reassuring and said there was a 50/50 chance he has IBD... I asked her about him being consistently like this for a few months now without any escalation in symptoms, or neurological issues and asked if the symptoms would be similar to a parasite infection. She said yes. But again, mentioned his high WBC count. I don't really know much about any of that stuff, but I worry what that would indicate to make her lean towards the disease, as opposed to the body just fighting a parasite infection

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I for sure don't understand why she still gives IBD such a high probability- as far as I know, many infections can cause a high WBC in a snake? :confusd:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I for sure don't understand why she still gives IBD such a high probability- as far as I know, many infections can cause a high WBC in a snake? :confusd:

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A Google search shows hookworm infestation causes high WBC in a lot of species.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

A Google search shows hookworm infestation causes high WBC in a lot of species.

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And since this WLP is known to have hookworms, that's a much better explanation for the high WBC than jumping to assume it has IBD. Unless there's something more the vet isn't explaining?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

And since this WLP is known to have hookworms, that's a much better explanation for the high WBC than jumping to assume it has IBD. Unless there's something more the vet isn't explaining?

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I'm glad I'm not alone with being confused, it's actually reassuring...but it does make me worry I'm missing something. But she only showed concern for the high WBC. Didn't say anything else from the blood test results was concerning. But I feel like stress would also increase his count as well? It is a stress sensitive species.

I need to get this guy started back on food. I'm honestly not really sure how he would want to with all of this going on, but I'm hoping the meds will encourage his appetite. They want me to bring him in weekly for tube feedings, but that isn't something I feel comfortable with. Might be a long-shot, but I'm gonna try offering a live mouse tonight.

I'll be on edge until the results come back, but him eating would help ease my nerves some.

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Just an update, but the results for the test came back negative, which is a huge relief.

Still refusing food...which is fair with everything going on... plus the antibiotic shots every three days.

Considering his current state, I did a tube feeding with today's dose of antibiotics to get some nutrients in him. He's getting his third round of Metronidazole treatment next week, and will be on these antibiotics for another month or so.

Fingers crossed that everything goes as planned and he gets back on track.

(Pic is a couple of months old. But here he is, begging for more food)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...800b7446c8.jpg

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He's just beautiful and I am sorry for both of you that he has been having a rough go of it. I'm SO relieved that the tests came back negative. It bothered me that your vet was so focused on a possible IBD diagnosis, but didn't want to confuse things too much with posting here.

You're absolutely right that it isn't at all unusual for a snake to refuse to eat while undergoing antibiotics treatment.

If you do have to tube feed again, you might see if you can get your hands on some Oxbow Critical Care/Carnivore. This was a standard emergency feeding solution we used for birds of prey, snakes, lizards, any pure carnivores and many omnivores when I worked in exotics practices and rescue. It's good stuff and your vet may well have it on hand. If not you can get it on Amazon.

Best of luck to you and keep us updated. I'm just so happy he hasn't been diagnosed with one of the fatal viral disorders; there's real hope that he can get past this and do just fine with you.

He's really so gorgeous! :love: Now to just get that little stinker back to healthy & eating again! :gj: on the tube-feed. ;)

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

... It bothered me that your vet was so focused on a possible IBD diagnosis.........
You're absolutely right that it isn't at all unusual for a snake to refuse to eat while undergoing antibiotics treatment....

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Same here, that made no sense to me unless there was more (from the vet) that wasn't shared? :confusd:

I'm not sure that anything else (besides IBD) was tested for, though? For sure, antibiotic treatments will put a snake off eating for a while.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

He's just beautiful and I am sorry for both of you that he has been having a rough go of it. I'm SO relieved that the tests came back negative. It bothered me that your vet was so focused on a possible IBD diagnosis, but didn't want to confuse things too much with posting here.

You're absolutely right that it isn't at all unusual for a snake to refuse to eat while undergoing antibiotics treatment.

If you do have to tube feed again, you might see if you can get your hands on some Oxbow Critical Care/Carnivore. This was a standard emergency feeding solution we used for birds of prey, snakes, lizards, any pure carnivores and many omnivores when I worked in exotics practices and rescue. It's good stuff and your vet may well have it on hand. If not you can get it on Amazon.

Best of luck to you and keep us updated. I'm just so happy he hasn't been diagnosed with one of the fatal viral disorders; there's real hope that he can get past this and do just fine with you.

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Thank you- and yeah, that's actually the stuff I use/used, I'm glad that people recommend it

He's on the antibiotics for another 4 weeks or so. I'm hoping all goes well from here and he picks up an appetite after that



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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Same here, that made no sense to me unless there was more (from the vet) that wasn't shared? :confusd:

I'm not sure that anything else (besides IBD) was tested for, though? For sure, antibiotic treatments will put a snake off eating for a while.

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I'll be finding out more from the vet during his appointment next week. I definitely have a lot of questions

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Id complete the treatment before feeding again if he’s underweight but not dangerously low as antibiotics will kill a infection it will also destroy the helpful bacteria that live in the snake gi tract. Need to keep it as stress free as possible to help it’s immune system


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Antibiotics are also hard on the liver/kidneys so my vet recommends not feeding unless the snake is very underweight.

You may also want to pick up some NutriBAC - a probiotic for reptiles - to help re-establish good gut flora once the antibiotics are done.

The vet wanted to either have me bring him in weekly for tube feedings or do it myself at home, since he was still losing some weight from not eating, she said it was important to keep some nutrients in him during this time. I'll definitely ask her about it, since I don't want to do do anything to compromise his recovery

(I do have Nutribac on hand for post-abtibiotic care though, it's a must have for sure)

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Just an update, took him to the vet for a 3rd dose of Metronidazole with a feeding. They didn't tell me that the vet was on vacation this week, so I had a vet tech that couldn't answer my questions.

Little guy has lost more weight and is down to 125g from 141g three weeks ago. The loss has been steady. But he also isn't eating, so...

His stool from overnight had a bit of fresh blood in it, I brought it in for them to look at since this is the first time I've seen it. The vet tech was concerned that he wasn't showing improvement with eating and said it's possible the treatments aren't working.

I'm not really sure what expectations are realistic right now, considering this species and all the stress he's being put under, plus these meds he's on. But also whether or not I should be concerned that this isn't going in the right direction. Not sure what's "normal" here, since they're suggesting this is a losing battle based on him not eating and the weight loss, plus the fresh blood in the stool. But I have another appointment for him in a few weeks to reassess.

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Very sorry to hear you're not seeing improvements as hoped- & finding blood in the stool is concerning, for sure. Disappointing that the vet wasn't there either for your appointment. Getting a snake like this healthy is a gamble about which your vet has been warning you from the start, in case things don't work out. Vets all have different personalities- as much as we want- even need- to hear optimism, some don't want us to get our hopes too high. The truth is that it's a "wait & see" that could go either way. All you can do is the best you can & keep :please: and btw, I'll join you in that.

Throwing in some pictures I took after we got back from the vet. He looks like he's due for a shed, been a month since his last one.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0a58e92dda.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9d60df0ef9.jpg

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Well, he's still gorgeous, even with a little weight loss.

BTW, for anyone following this thread, here's a relevant quick bit about metronidazole: https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/pro...dazole-flagyl/

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Very sorry to hear you're not seeing improvements as hoped- & finding blood in the stool is concerning, for sure. Disappointing that the vet wasn't there either for your appointment. Getting a snake like this healthy is a gamble about which your vet has been warning you from the start, in case things don't work out. Vets all have different personalities- as much as we want- even need- to hear optimism, some don't want us to get our hopes too high. The truth is that it's a "wait & see" that could go either way. All you can do is the best you can & keep :please: and btw, I'll join you in that.

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This particular stool looked odd, he's been going regularly and none of the others looked like this. I'm actually confused and naturally concerned, since there are some pointy bits sticking out of it, and also what looked to possibly be... little white worms.

He's on paper towels, so no chance of ingesting substrate. I gave it to the tech, but I'm pretty sure she just took a picture and tossed it. I took my own picture, but I don't want to be gross and post it here. [emoji28]


It was just a bit frustrating, because I was hoping to get some questions answered, the vet tech admitted she didn't know much about this stuff but was still the one I was working with today and suggesting the meds weren't working. Very nice lady, but I left with even more questions

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Nothing wrong with posting "gross pics" here, you won't be the first ;) and that's how everyone learns what you're dealing with- it may help them in the future if they see something similar.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Nothing wrong with posting "gross pics" here, you won't be the first ;) and that's how everyone learns what you're dealing with- it may help them in the future if they see something similar.

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I increased the brightness a tad, since the room is dark. But, here it ishttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5924ae6abc.jpg

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To me, that looks like that tiny bit of blood came from the irritation of expelling a little bit of debris* without more actual stool to push it along (*probably ingested from a prior meal- from before you got him), & I do see what appears to be at least one worm too, in with that lovely mucoid mess. (BTW, I think the mucus is "normal" all things considered- it's the body's way of self-protection.)

Out of curiosity, what dose of metronidazole is he on, anyway?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

To me, that looks like that tiny bit of blood came from the irritation of expelling a little bit of debris* without more actual stool to push it along (*probably ingested from a prior meal- from before you got him), & I do see what appears to be at least one worm too, in with that lovely mucoid mess.

Out of curiosity, what dose of metronidazole is he on, anyway?

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I'm not sure of the dose, just know they get a weight each time and measure it based off of that. But this was supppsed to be his third and last treatment, 2 weeks from the last. Then the plan was for me to get another sample tested...

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Might be dosed on the low side then ("first do no harm") & not as effective as it should have been- but don't panic, hang in there.
And just looking at him, he looks pretty healthy. I know it's hard watching & waiting for a snake to get well, but it takes time.

Quick update:

He's starting to show subtle signs of improvement, since his little..emptying the other day- in the sense that there are signs of activity not present since he stopped eating (knocking things over and shuffling the paper towels). I hadn't seen him peeking out of his hide for months, but I caught him lurking the other day as if he was waiting for food (would have offered if it wasn't injection day).

He's definitely going to shed soon, so I'm not sure he'd take right now. But it seems like he's starting to feel a bit better.

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Oh, I sure HOPE so! :please: Lurking for food sounds like a real positive sign he's feeling better. Thanks for the update. :gj:

Good news- I'm excited to say that he just took a live mouse for me [emoji24]

On Tuesday, I had weighed him and he had lost more weight. So I gave another tube feeding after his injection, and boosted his temps up a bit more and left him be.

I had picked up some live feeders after work, like I do every Thursday. Plopped the boxes down, went to clean his tub and he readied himself in striking position. Haven't seem him get like that in a long time. Such a relief! Just need to make sure he keeps up with this.

He's almost done with his antibiotics, and I know we're both looking forward to that. He has a checkup next week and a fecal recheck, hoping that we're in the clear and we can work on gaining that weight back- and make up for lost time with his growing

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OH, that is WONDERFUL NEWS! I'm so happy for you & especially for him! He's so lucky to have you on his side. :D :dance:

And I bet he'll start making faster progress now too (after eating). I'm so glad you've been tube-feeding him- in my experience, that really helps a snake regain their energy & get their appetite back so they can fully recover. Otherwise they spend all that time shutting down- & medications (as well as the process by which they're given) can make them continue to feel lousy. He's clearly getting his "spark" back. :D

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

OH, that is WONDERFUL NEWS! I'm so happy for you & especially for him! He's so lucky to have you on his side. :D :dance:

And I bet he'll start making faster progress now too (after eating). I'm so glad you've been tube-feeding him- in my experience, that really helps a snake regain their energy & get their appetite back so they can fully recover. Otherwise they spend all that time shutting down- & medications (as well as the process by which they're given) can make them continue to feel lousy. He's clearly getting his "spark" back. :D

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For a snake that has been showing zero interest in food, he was hungry enough to take today, even after leaving him with a full belly on Tuesday.

I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself, but I'm excited to see his progress from here on. Considering the species, I worried all of this stress would be too much for him to handle, but it looks like I underestimated his resilience.
Other than the little love bite for his first injection, he ever once got nasty or lashed out. And if anything, he seems to have calmed down more because of the frequent handling

This whole process has been a learning experience. I'm so grateful for the advice and input you (and others) have given me

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No, I really don't think you're "getting ahead of yourself" here- this is a very positive sign. He's not totally out of the woods yet, but he's right where I hoped he'd be for you. :gj:

It's been a while, but I wanted to update. He's eaten 4 live mice since that tube feeding I gave him on 10/5, and he also finally went through a shed.

I still have him in his quarantine tub because they still need to run a final fecal test and do another physical. So I'm working on just getting food in him.

Because he was a bit "touchy" towards the end of his shed... tied with poor aim during the last couple feedings (he was eating f/t off of tongs before all of this started), he's hit the sides of his tub a few times and developed a little bump on his lower lip. You can sort of see it in the picture, towards his right side.
I'm keeping an eye on it until his upcoming visit, hoping that its just some soreness from being trigger happy. But it hasn't gotten any worse than how it is right now. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5850422300.jpg

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Looks like most everything's going great with him. I wouldn't worry too much about his little chin bump- it happens & hopefully will subside. Just really happy to see him eating again, & looking so good! :gj:

It's been a while now, but unfortunately, back to the vet again for Nicodemus. He had been gaining good weight, but took a turn and started losing interest in food again more recently, lost a significant amount of weight and has actually regurgitated his meals twice now. By appearances, he doesn't look to have gained any real size to him

After the first time, I waited 3 weeks after since he was also going into shed, and he threw up again, even with a smaller meal. Brought him into the vet and they think it's cryptosporidosis now. I was worried the hookworms just weren't out of his system, but they said that his parasite load would need to be high for that.

Theyre having me feed him again. If he regurgitates, I need to take a swab of the feeder in for testing. If he holds it down, they want to see him 3 days after. I'm really hoping it isn't waht they think it is, but I'm at a loss.

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I'm so sorry to hear this, & I sure hope they're wrong about the diagnosis- only time will tell I guess, but you've had him for quite a few months now. I'm not sure just how long it takes crypto to become symptomatic, but let's hope this is something else- something that they can treat. Poor snake, & you've worked so hard for this guy too. Still hoping for the best, thanks for the update.

Has he still been in isolation? Also you said the vet wanted to do a fecal exam last fall, did they look for crypto or just hookworms? Crypto is a different test and even then false negatives are possible since it only shows up if the critter is actively shedding the parasite.

Run your hands along his mid-body. One of the last symptoms of crypto to show up is mid-body thickening. You might feel it before you can see it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Has he still been in isolation? Also you said the vet wanted to do a fecal exam last fall, did they look for crypto or just hookworms? Crypto is a different test and even then false negatives are possible since it only shows up if the critter is actively shedding the parasite.

Run your hands along his mid-body. One of the last symptoms of crypto to show up is mid-body thickening. You might feel it before you can see it.

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Wow! What a story of ups and downs! Thanks to OP for all those accounts and updates, thanks Bogertophis for all the steadied concern and support. bcr229 thanks for being the consummate professional with your advice and support as well. This reptile has been through quite a bit. I was thinking when he was on the antibiotics and going through the weight loss that maybe we could’ve considered soaking in H2O to help with hydration and kidney support. Along with the tube feedings. Although uncertain how and if it would’ve changed what’s happened up to this point.

Cloacal tissue being as absorbent as a sponge. Drinking water as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Has he still been in isolation? Also you said the vet wanted to do a fecal exam last fall, did they look for crypto or just hookworms? Crypto is a different test and even then false negatives are possible since it only shows up if the critter is actively shedding the parasite.

Run your hands along his mid-body. One of the last symptoms of crypto to show up is mid-body thickening. You might feel it before you can see it.

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I haven’t changed anything aside from moving him back to paper towels and increasing his temps slightly, and giving him extra water. Bare minimum interaction, I've been hands-off since all of this started to avoid added stress. Spaced out feedings more as he was becoming more fickle, which he does around when he sheds. Aside from that, I thought it was related to the seasonal temp/pressure changes. I guess that was wishful thinking.

They didn't specify what the criteria was with the fecal, but I don't think they specifically mentioned crypto. I told them he was a wild-caught import, but I'm not sure how narrow their search was, but they just told me they didn't see anything else aside from the hookworms.

I'm going to look him over now. I didn't think I felt anything because I did read about that after the vet suggested the diagnosis. He didn't get a follow-up fecal after the Metronidazole treatment because he bounced back so well, and at the checkup they said he didn't need anything else and cleared him.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Has he still been in isolation? Also you said the vet wanted to do a fecal exam last fall, did they look for crypto or just hookworms? Crypto is a different test and even then false negatives are possible since it only shows up if the critter is actively shedding the parasite.

Run your hands along his mid-body. One of the last symptoms of crypto to show up is mid-body thickening. You might feel it before you can see it.

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Just checked him over, no thickening or anything abnormal physically, no diarrhea either. I'm a bit confused about the disease and symptom progression relating to him, but maybe that's me really hoping this isn't what he has.

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:confusd: So it still might not be crypto- I sure hope you (& your vet) can get him figured out.

Honestly I'd be surprised if it were crypto since you've had him a year. If it is then the only reason he's still alive is because of the exemplary care he's received from you.

I wouldn't think "crypto" after all this time either. Unless it was accidentally acquired from another critter somehow?