Ball Python lower half near paralyzed

My snake has the following symptoms:
From just below the lungs to the end of the tale she can not right herself or move, occasionally she will respond to stimulation in that area. she is not eating and regurgitated water which I helped her drink the day before. She is a bit overreactive and bolts when someone nears the cage, she didn't do that before this (was especially gregarious) at the vet, an x ray showed a big gas bubble but massage has not relieved it (that I can tell) She m
akes 2 of her bottom side scales move in a peculiar way as if she were trying to shed skin there, the tissue underneath is a little more pink than the rest of her underside but the vet did not suspect infection. She had v mite infection a month ago and was treated successfully with soaking and mineral oil application, also pest strip above (but not in) the cage. The situation at hand appeared after the mite infection cleared and she soaked herself during that but can not pull her tail end out of the water on her own now.... I had posted to an earlier thread on a similar sounding situation and someone suggested I make a new thread to get people's attention. Hope this works and can save her. Her cage is 88 on the hot end, 74 on the cool end, 60 percent 70 percent humidity most of the time, it is a 36X12X16 tank. Oh her tail is usually lolled over to the side while the top 1/3 of her looks normal any ideas would be most appreciated short of euthanizing her which I would use as a last result...

This kind of sounds like a spinal injury, but I'm no herp vet.

Have you tried soaking her in a tepid bath? This usually helps stmulate things along if she is constipated. Has she been injured?

Xrays indicated no spinal injury as that was suspected and reviewed by the vet and an expert radiologist. Have done several soaks in a tepid-warm (99-100) bath, nervous about her being unable to get out and not wanting to stress her. about 5 minutes in bath 3 times during this process over the past 2 weeks...

Let her soak for at least 30 minutes, but keep an eye on her. Make sure the water covers 2/3 of her body so she gets a good soak.
When was her last Bowel movement?
Her last meal?

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...thon-paralyzed

WIll try the longer soak and see how it works, my 5 minute estimate may be a bit off but I certainly did not soak her for 30 minutes...

Hi,

As I said in the previous post I don't know if the pest strips could be the cause.

I would however take them ( or the packet ) to the vet so he can look at the active ingredients and describe exactly how you used them. If you left her waterbowl in for example then that is a horrendously bad thing as most of these poisons are water soluable.

Did you ask the vet about intervening surgically ( ie with a big needle ) to try and release some of the gas?


dr del

She has refused mice since then, both normal size and a little smaller, x rays showed no hard remains and only the gas bubble, regurgitated her water 2 days ago which I held her and had her drink out of a glass the day before, the water looked exactly as it did going in perhaps mixed with a little clear mucous. Concerned if she can not move that food may not move through her, was considering seeing if she would go after a pinky if I offered it to her. also the regurge has me concerned about feeding her. She has seemed more afraid of the mice than interested in eating them, perhaps because she is vulnerable and unable to move most of her body....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RickDuffy

She has refused mice since then, both normal size and a little smaller, x rays showed no hard remains and only the gas bubble, regurgitated her water 2 days ago which I held her and had her drink out of a glass the day before, the water looked exactly as it did going in perhaps mixed with a little clear mucous. Concerned if she can not move that food may not move through her, was considering seeing if she would go after a pinky if I offered it to her. also the regurge has me concerned about feeding her. She has seemed more afraid of the mice than interested in eating them, perhaps because she is vulnerable and unable to move most of her body....

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Have used pest strips in the past (with other bps and boas) without ill effect even having them in a film canister inside the cage, took more precautions this time but water may have been in cage during some of the time the pest strip was over the cage so if air born chemical could disssolve into water and become more concentrated this may be an issue. the strip was never in contact with the water....
a mouse we offered her near the time this first occurred died the following day we were not sure why, figured it was bad from the pet store ...

Hi,

We used them in a store I worked in years ago ( probably around 97 ) but we always took the water out while treating.

Also the age of the piece of strip being used affects the concentration of the chemical - so it could be a huge difference from the end of the old strip you had for a while and the first piece cut of a brand new strip.

But the reason I keep banging on about the release of some of the gas is that it could be compressing her digestive tract at that point which would prevent anything moving through it.

It could also be putting pressure on the tissue surrounding the spine etc.

Both of which could be instantly relieved by letting some of the gas out of the pocket - but that could also open it up to infection in an already sick snake which is why I said to ask your vets opinion.


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RickDuffy

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...thon-paralyzed

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Yeah, I thought of that thread when you posted. I hope yours is resolved more happily.

I'm assuming you have tried bumping up the temps as well? 88/74 is too cold. It should be at least 90/80 IMO. We had a sick snake (was sick when we bought her), and it was suggested to raise the temps a little to help the healing process. It really helped her turn around in our case (she had diarrhea and low weight)... I would ask the vet about this if you haven't already.