Emergency Vet Visit

We just got back from rushing Adalae to the vet. I swear this snake gets into so much trouble ...

She somehow managed to get her body stuck in the handle of a metal coffee cup, so far along that I couldn't back her out of it. The handle was stuck right over her lungs, and of course my first thought was, "Oh God, her ribs are broken." But luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case. She was just having trouble breathing because she couldn't expand her lungs all the way.

The vet (who was a last choice in an emergency situation :rolleyes:) charged us $100 to walk in the door, and $60 to remove the cup. Then he wanted to give us $100 worth of injections - 4 in all. One of which was a vitamin C injection.

If there's anything I've learned with vets, snakes, and injections, it's that 90% of the time it isn't necessary. I told him I didn't want the injections. Should I have gotten them? He scheduled an appointment for Friday to come back in and see if she will need them. I most likely won't be going. I am going to try to send an e-mail to my preferred herp vet and see what he thinks of the situation.

For now, I have been giving her a reptile-safe ointment that is mostly aloe vera, but also some simple medication to fight infection. She doesn't seem bothered by it when I put it on her, but her skin is swollen and red.

Here are some pictures:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/DSC_0006.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...s/DSC_0004.jpg

When the vet brought her back to me my very first question was, "are her ribs ok?" And he honestly told me he didn't know by feeling. He actually had to think about it for a second, and then said, "well, I guess we could take an x-ray." I swear, am I the only person on the planet that isn't an idiot?

Did you try to use vegetable oil or mineral oil to get the cup off?

I would just rub some neosporin on that to help it if it's sore for her, but I'm sure it will be fine.

Snakes break ribs all the time in the wild and it's really not a big deal for them. If she broke one, I doubt it's going to hurt her. That vet sounds like a dumb-a$$.

P.S. On a better note, she sure is a pretty girl!

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Originally Posted by Mindibun

"well, I guess we could take an x-ray." I swear, am I the only person on the planet that isn't an idiot?

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Ouch!

It doesn't seem like that vet cares so much for the animals, or maybe the vet doesn't care much for reptiles... Either way, I most definitely would not go back there. :mad:

yeah sounds like he/she was just trying to squeeze every penny out of you.... glad she made it out of the cup ok. i almost had to cut my bed apart cause i neglected to watch my snake for a minute and he tried to curl himself around a buch of little wooden rods that look like a fence at the end of the bed :P

I have a supposed famous renowned vet by me that is like this.

Just give her some R and R and start her back on some smaller meals I would think would be the prescription I'd write her.

OMG....what a story. Well after she is healed and you are healed from the vet visit.....I am sure you will tell this as the crazy story.:rolleyes:

I am glad to hear the little trouble maker is ok....someday you might have to call me just to tell me how in the world she did that!

she won't ned any injections unless she gets an Infection. I had one try ot squeeze between the cage divider andthe glass doorsa few years back. I had to takea cage apart with a screwgun, hold the cage uprightand the entire tiem the little sob was latched onto my arm cause she was pissed when she got stuck. you know hard it is to remove 30 some decking screws and support a second cage with only one arm free lol.. she had a scar area were the sking was bruised and all. the only thing that kept her from gettingthough was the fact she had eaten 2 days befoer and the meal had not digested enough yet. after a few months of real close watching see was adopted out to a gentleman and his wife in PA somewere. they wanted a larger bp for their son and didn't ming the scaring she had since she was free lol..

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Originally Posted by Mindibun

When the vet brought her back to me my very first question was, "are her ribs ok?" And he honestly told me he didn't know by feeling. He actually had to think about it for a second, and then said, "well, I guess we could take an x-ray." I swear, am I the only person on the planet that isn't an idiot?

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I have to admit, I'm curious what you would have done if they weren't. I'd think an X-ray on a snake would be difficult since they aren't really fans of holding still!

Sorry you had to take her to the vet- she does sound like a troublesome snake!

BPelizabeth - She was able to do it because I had a bunch of bowls and cups in her cage. It's a long story... (She got loose a few times, and each time I found her in a box with those cups and bowls. So to try to discourage her from leaving I put the stuff she seeingly liked to be next to inside her cage. Nothing had a handle on it except for this one cup that I hadn't even noticed.)

Mechnut450 - that's crazy. I am really thankful the situation wasn't worse. I thought for sure she was going to turn around and nail me but she was actually really calm.

unspecified42 - It turns out they actually are fans of holding still - when they're injured.

When she was stuck in the cup, you should have force fed her a jumbo rat, that way she would have popped the cup off herself. Then give her a dose of vodka, to ease the pain. It works trust me:gj:

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Originally Posted by juddb

When she was stuck in the cup, you should have force fed her a jumbo rat, that way she would have popped the cup off herself. Then give her a dose of vodka, to ease the pain. It works trust me:gj:

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*facepalm*

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Originally Posted by juddb

when she was stuck in the cup, you should have force fed her a jumbo rat, that way she would have popped the cup off herself. Then give her a dose of vodka, to ease the pain. It works trust me:gj:

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Originally Posted by mindibun

*facepalm*

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:8:

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Originally Posted by Mindibun

BPelizabeth - She was able to do it because I had a bunch of bowls and cups in her cage. It's a long story... (She got loose a few times, and each time I found her in a box with those cups and bowls. So to try to discourage her from leaving I put the stuff she seeingly liked to be next to inside her cage.

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I can see where you're coming from, I've put some stuff in some of my snakes' cages for them to play with.

My boa has a whole bunch of those sanded grapevines they sell for reptiles. In my corns' cages, I put a paper towel tube and several squares of styrofoam insulation. It gives them something to occupy them to discourage them from trying to get out the top.

However, on the top of those 3 cages are bricks. Some people would think this is overkill, but the 2 corns and the boas are the most apt of all of them to try to escape.

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Originally Posted by zantedeschia

I can see where you're coming from, I've put some stuff in some of my snakes' cages for them to play with.

My boa has a whole bunch of those sanded grapevines they sell for reptiles. In my corns' cages, I put a paper towel tube and several squares of styrofoam insulation. It gives them something to occupy them to discourage them from trying to get out the top.

However, on the top of those 3 cages are bricks. Some people would think this is overkill, but the 2 corns and the boas are the most apt of all of them to try to escape.

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Be careful with those toilet paper tubes. Knowing Adalae, she would double herself over inside the tube and get stuck. T_T

Oh, and on the plus side of this vet visit, I finally got a weight on her. That hefty chicka weighs 3 POUNDS! It was more than 1,000 grams. The last time I weighed her she was only 300g! -lol- I was blown away when he told me the weight. She looks so small to me!

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Originally Posted by Mindibun

We just got back from rushing Adalae to the vet. I swear this snake gets into so much trouble ...

She somehow managed to get her body stuck in the handle of a metal coffee cup, so far along that I couldn't back her out of it.

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My BP's are also addicted to coffee. Do yours prefer the light or dark roast? :)

JonV

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Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

My BP's are also addicted to coffee. Do yours prefer the light or dark roast? :)

JonV

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We don't drink coffee in this household. The coffee mugs are typically used for tea. ;) And the vet actually put "coffee mug removal" on the bill. I laughed and said it should have more accurately been called a "coffee mug extraction."

David said that if we were being really and truly technical about it, it would have been called a "caffeine consumption unit disencumberment." :rolleyes:

Wow, I would have broke out the dremel. haha
That guy sounded like a typical Vet, main reason why I switched professions. Main question I asked when I finally decided to be a Vet was "Ok I want to be a exotic vet either with Tigers or Reptiles, do you offer the classes and teaching for me to do this?" They told me no, the only way you can learn that stuff was first hand work experience. Changed from Animal Science to Biology that day and now becoming a legal drug dealer (pharmacist haha) If this is so there is no wonder why so few vets are so ill informed of our pets. It's sad.

Glad she's okay! :oops: Her injury looks similar to when my corn snake got stuck in the car, and wrapped herself in the dashboard for 3 weeks... long story, but I subsequently changed her name to "Dash." :D Anyway, it's been almost 2 months since Dash's ordeal, and she's healing fine without anything. She just shed last week, and looks even better now! So I wouldn't worry much about it, unless you think anything is off with her breathing. JMO, of course.

You could have bought a hacksaw for $20 or less or borrowed one to cut the cup handle off.

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Originally Posted by unspecified42

I have to admit, I'm curious what you would have done if they weren't. I'd think an X-ray on a snake would be difficult since they aren't really fans of holding still!

Sorry you had to take her to the vet- she does sound like a troublesome snake!

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They tube a snake in order to get an X ray.

Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by Mindibun

We don't drink coffee in this household. The coffee mugs are typically used for tea. ;) And the vet actually put "coffee mug removal" on the bill. I laughed and said it should have more accurately been called a "coffee mug extraction."

David said that if we were being really and truly technical about it, it would have been called a "caffeine consumption unit disencumberment." :rolleyes:

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Oh sister....get yourself a scale at reptile basics....not too expensive and totally worth it. I now get to weigh the feeders and the snakes each week. You will LOVE it.