A Boa of my own!

Last Sunday I went snake shopping at the New England Reptile Expo in Manchester, NH, along with my 10 year-old daughter. I wasn't looking for a Boa, as I just can't have an 7 + foot snake, but my daughter lead me over to a crowded display (in truth, they were all crowded) where they had an assortment of Hog Island Boas. One of the little guys looked up at me, his tongue flicking, and my heart started to swell. They pulled him out, sexed him then and there, confirmed that he was a male, explained that he's 2 months old and handed him over to me.

The little guy struck the most confident pose in my hands, made himself comfortable, and kept looking up at me flicking his tongue. I hadn't held a Boa in over 20 years, and decided then and there that I was never going to put this one down (metaphorically speaking of course).

I've named the little guy Raziel, but will call him Razy. He is beyond cute and is just the most adorable little guy.

Now, I keep several other snakes, a corn snake and a few ball pythons. So even though I wasn't planning to get a Boa, I feel that I have the experience to do so, plus an over abundance of enthusiasm and commitment.

But he is my first Boa, so I would like to pick some more experienced brains as I've noticed a few 'odd' things.

Questions:
First; Razy doesn't hide, at all. He is always lying on the hot side, out in the open. My temp gun measures his body between 90-91, and he just lays there all the time. Is this normal? Cause in a BP, I'd be concerned with that behavior.
Second: I've noticed his skin looks a bit loose in places and his tail seems more set off from his body than is typical for Boas. Is this just because he's so young and hasn't developed a mature musculature yet? Is it something else? Is he perhaps underfed? Dehydrated?
Third and final: Is it too soon to feed him his first hopper mouse with me? I'm quite anxious to get him eating.

My Husbandry: He's in a divided T8 from animal plastics (his enclosure is 2x2) heated with a RHP from pro-products which is regulated by a Herpstat 6. Ambient throughout is 83-82 F, floor temp is 90 F on the warm side and drops to 82 on the cool side. Humidity is 70%. He has several smallish hides spread around and a branch to climb on. Somehow I've resisted the urge to handle him since Sunday. I just want him to settle in and get comfy.

If there's something that an experienced Boa keeper wants to point out to me, please don't hesitate. I want nothing more than for Razy to grow into the most healthy and beautiful dwarf boa he can.

On Sunday morning on the way to the Reptile Expo, I had such grandiose plans about how many snakes I can fit in the snake room, now all I want is Razy. Oh, and the other snakes I already have, can't forget about them...

Thanks for any advice.

Congrats on the new addition. Boas absolutely rock.

A few quick tips on husbandry (I would double check for Hog Island Boas, but usually husbandry is pretty similar throughout Hogs Islands, BCI, BCC, etc).

90-91F is probably too hot for a hot spot. BP's like 88-90F, but Boas prefer 86-88F with 88F being the highest I would go. The warm side for my BCI is consistently 86-87F and she digests fine. I had tried keeping at 87-89F and she barely used it. She uses the hot spot to digest now that it's around 86F.

I would aim for ambient temps of about 80-82F, with a cool spot no hotter than 80F and not lower than 75-76F. I keep mine about 78F.

Humidity sounds good.

Boas are ferocious feeders, so use tongs for sure :).

There are a bunch of Boa people on here and they will probably chime in as well.

Good luck and keep us in the loop. Also, PICTURES! No pictures it didn't happen.

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Originally Posted by dakski

Good luck and keep us in the loop. Also, PICTURES! No pictures it didn't happen.

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Only one bad pic so far. I'm trying to leave him alone so that he can settle in. I don't want to go shining lights on him and such, not yet anyway. We'll get there with him though, I'm sure.

I used his pic as my avatar as I can't seem to get pics to post easily on this site.

Temps getting turned down a bit tonight when I get home.

You don't think its too soon to feed? With BPs I typically wait a week after arrival.

Awesome pickup! I was pretty close to pulling the trigger on a Hog Island myself a couple months ago but instead purchased my 1st Boa (a male Super Ghost BCI). I'm really looking forward to seeing pictures of your little guy once he settles in.

You made a comment about him not using his hide and remaining on the hot side. I had the same thing happen with my guy the 1st couple of weeks and also was wondering if that was normal since my BP is 'always' hiding. I adjusted the temps a little and noticed he started moving a little bit more from hide to hide. I also think he needed some time to recognize what a 'hide' was. Now he's constantly in his hide. Usually with his head hanging out when it gets closer to feeding time. I waited a couple of days for him to get acclimated before my 1st feeding and definitely waited 3 feedings to start minor handling (5 minutes).

Congrats again! It's great to see more Boa owners on this site!

Congratulations on your new little boa.
Think you will love him.
most of my boas only tend to use there hides when in shed or after a meal in the warm end but most like to chill in the open air .
He could be a bit baggy if he is dehydrated but normally he may be due a shed , probably be his second one if he's only that young, he will look great when he's shed,.

There's plenty of decent boa people on here to guide you along the way don't be afraid to ask any questions

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Congrats on the new critter. I hope you really enjoy him. I'm new to boas also and I already love mine. :)

I think you will really love having a Boa around I know I do. So much so that I bought a second one. Not sure how much different from my BCI but holy smokes the demeanor and alertness, crazy. Enjoy and hope you post up some pics. Congratulations on Razy.👍

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Last Sunday I went snake shopping at the New England Reptile Expo in Manchester, NH, along with my 10 year-old daughter. I wasn't looking for a Boa, as I just can't have an 7 + foot snake, but my daughter lead me over to a crowded display (in truth, they were all crowded) where they had an assortment of Hog Island Boas. One of the little guys looked up at me, his tongue flicking, and my heart started to swell. They pulled him out, sexed him then and there, confirmed that he was a male, explained that he's 2 months old and handed him over to me.

The little guy struck the most confident pose in my hands, made himself comfortable, and kept looking up at me flicking his tongue. I hadn't held a Boa in over 20 years, and decided then and there that I was never going to put this one down (metaphorically speaking of course).

I've named the little guy Raziel, but will call him Razy. He is beyond cute and is just the most adorable little guy.

Now, I keep several other snakes, a corn snake and a few ball pythons. So even though I wasn't planning to get a Boa, I feel that I have the experience to do so, plus an over abundance of enthusiasm and commitment.

But he is my first Boa, so I would like to pick some more experienced brains as I've noticed a few 'odd' things.

Questions:
First; Razy doesn't hide, at all. He is always lying on the hot side, out in the open. My temp gun measures his body between 90-91, and he just lays there all the time. Is this normal? Cause in a BP, I'd be concerned with that behavior.
Second: I've noticed his skin looks a bit loose in places and his tail seems more set off from his body than is typical for Boas. Is this just because he's so young and hasn't developed a mature musculature yet? Is it something else? Is he perhaps underfed? Dehydrated?
Third and final: Is it too soon to feed him his first hopper mouse with me? I'm quite anxious to get him eating.

My Husbandry: He's in a divided T8 from animal plastics (his enclosure is 2x2) heated with a RHP from pro-products which is regulated by a Herpstat 6. Ambient throughout is 83-82 F, floor temp is 90 F on the warm side and drops to 82 on the cool side. Humidity is 70%. He has several smallish hides spread around and a branch to climb on. Somehow I've resisted the urge to handle him since Sunday. I just want him to settle in and get comfy.

If there's something that an experienced Boa keeper wants to point out to me, please don't hesitate. I want nothing more than for Razy to grow into the most healthy and beautiful dwarf boa he can.

On Sunday morning on the way to the Reptile Expo, I had such grandiose plans about how many snakes I can fit in the snake room, now all I want is Razy. Oh, and the other snakes I already have, can't forget about them...

Thanks for any advice.

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Grats.

To start off, 90 hot spot is kind of hot. Cool/ambient is a little high too. I try and keep ambient in all my snakes around 77-80F. Hot spot is set to around 86-88F. Boas generally dont need it hot and usually dont like it hot. My boas spend 90% of the time on the cool side and my big 7' girl will pace and push if it gets too hot or too much humidity.

Humidity, i would shoot for around 70% letting it drop to around 60% and then spike it again. You dont want a wet floor or just wet cage. That will promote mold and fungus.

Do you have pictures of the snake? Loose skin generally is a sign of shedding. But then then there is loose skin from dehydration or starvation.

As for feeding, you can offer him food now if you want. Boas generally are not that shy and love to eat. I usually try to feed mine within a day or two of getting them. Heck my retic ate within 2 hours of being unboxed lol.

I personally would not handle the snake though for a week. Let it settle in and get 3 meals under its belt before you start messing with it.

Thanks for the advice. I turned down the temp on the thermostat and now the hot spot is 87-88, ambient is down to 79-80. The floor of the cool side is 79. I'll see how that goes and maybe knock the setting on the thermostat down another half a degree or so.

Last night I offered a thawed hopper mouse, but he showed no interest. A couple of tongue flicks as all. I even nudged his nose a bit with the mouse and still he dind't react. I'm going to wait until Sunday and offer again.

Also he seems really sluggish. He's only moved between two spots that are a couple of inches apart. Perhaps he's been a bit to warm. This normal for a boa?

Please keep the advice coming. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

I have a tendency to stress out over these things. My fist snake was a corn and I was so wrapped up in her well being that my bald-spot got bigger!

Normal for a boa to be sluggish? No. They arent a corn but they should be alert. If they are comfortable, they can sit in the same area for hours. But my boas always move within a few hours be it going inside a hide or coming outside a hide or just moving some. But they never seem 'sluggish'.

If you can get pics, i would post some pics. Sluggish with 'loose skin' with no hiding kind of makes me worried......

Well, that's all it took for me to get worried!

Tonight when I get home, I'll take him out and snap a ton of pics of him.

When I got him on Sunday he seemed small but was definitely alert and wiggly. I placed him in his enclosure and he set right to exploring, but soon settled down and curled up into that one spot. And like I said, he'll move to another spot a few inches away only to curl up there. That seems about the limit of his movement.

That he didn't react to the mouse last night is what really got me sweating....

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Well, that's all it took for me to get worried!

Tonight when I get home, I'll take him out and snap a ton of pics of him.

When I got him on Sunday he seemed small but was definitely alert and wiggly. I placed him in his enclosure and he set right to exploring, but soon settled down and curled up into that one spot. And like I said, he'll move to another spot a few inches away only to curl up there. That seems about the limit of his movement.

That he didn't react to the mouse last night is what really got me sweating....

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Let me 1^st say that Sauzo is far more of an expert then me and I don’t want to in any way discount what he’s saying but I wanted to offer my 2 cents because I don’t want you to freak out if there’s not a reason to. Personally I wouldn't get too worried yet. I'm not sure I would even disturb him by getting him out unless you definitely thought there was a problem that needed to be addressed. I'd like to think my new Boa is doing well and as I've said at the beginning of this thread, the 1st couple of weeks he NEVER was in his hide and now he's in it constantly. As for the comment about being sluggish, I'm not sure what that even means. Yes, I hardly ever see my boa move when he's in his enclosure but when I get him out he's very attentive. He’s in separate quarantine room so I only see him when I enter the room (once a day) and he’s never out and about roaming; always in his hide.
As for the food rejection, maybe he just needs to settle in a little bit. I would wait another week until I offered again. I like to warm up the prey w. a hair dryer (I know this is mainly for BPs) but my guy has never refused so I’m going to keep doing it.

Good luck and keep us updated! Just don’t want you to freak out if there’s not a reason too….

I'm probably over thinking and stressing out. Its only been three days, previously he probably lived in a tiny tub with all his siblings, and now he's in this larger area all alone. Its a big and potentially stressful change.

For now, I'll let him settle, give him heat, humidity, darkness, and quiet. Come Sunday, I'll offer food again and see what happens.

Well like mentioned, I'm not sure what sluggish means to you. Like i said, a boa is not going to be like a corn snake but they should definitely be alert. All of my boas are more or less slugs unless they smell food or i open a cage door. Then they perk up and come over/out to investigate.

As far as eating, I wouldnt worry too much as the snake is new. All snakes will have their own personalities but as a general rule, boas dont turn down food. Even Louie who i labeled as my 'chicken snake' since he is very shy does a 180 when he smells food and will charge for said food lol. And once in feed mode, he will follow any movement like a hawk and strike first and sample second.

My biggest concern was this 'loose skin' you refer to. Boas should not have loose skin unless they are getting ready to shed and even then, it is generally just around the jowls or where the head meets the neck that will get wrinkly/loose.

As for using a hide, i wouldnt worry. Vicky was terrified of a hide when i got her as she was kept in a rack system and didnt know what hides were. It took her a few days of poking her head inside one and then looking around and backing back out before she accepted them. Even now though, 4 years later, she still spends 50/50 inside a hide or behind one. And Rosey my 7' girl is inside her cool hide probably 2 times a week, otherwise is just curled up outside or stretched out across the front of the cage.

But anyways, not trying to alarm you. Like i said, the 'loose skin' is the only part that concerns me. If he is getting ready to shed for the first time with you, i would bump the humidity up to around 70%. Sometimes stress from a new environment can cause snakes to have a fubared shed. Once they settle in, i dont even bother bumping humidity at all for anyone, even my GTPs. As long as the snakes stay hydrated, external hydration in the form of humidity isnt going to impact it that much.

Is the new snake properly quarantined?

If you are not sure what proper quarantine procedure is, please ask.

Neccesary, and if you think something might be up, even more so.

Also, have you asked the breeder what he was eating, what his enclosure was like, etc?

Well, I got home yesterday to a pleasant surprise. He had pooped! Strange things we snake keepers consider to be good news. Then this morning I went to check his temps, and I couldn't see him! So he's hiding. Plus I could see trails in the aspen bedding, meaning he's been moving about. Seems like progress to me.

I was told he was live fed hopper mice, but I don't do live feeding. The one I offered was frozen thawed, so perhaps that combined with the stress of a new environment is what put him off.

Maybe temps were too high, maybe stress, maybe a combination of things. My plan for now is to leave him be until Sunday night and carefully offer another thawed mouse.

Both snakes I picked up at the Expo last Sunday were live fed. The other I picked up is a BEL BP, (Russo/Mojave) she's doing well but reacted much the same way to the thawed rat pup I offered. She was rather active for a ball for the first few days but she found her hide and has not been seen since. I find that young balls tend to really like paper towel tubes, at least until they can't fit anymore!

I'll keep posting updates.

Sounds like your boa being a boa. And it should be no problem switching him over to FT. Just wait until he is good and hungry lol.

Congratulations on your Hog Island.

OK, I just got home to find him basking under the RHP. Got some good shots of him and definitely want opinions. You can see he has long folds down the sides of his body, and at the "hip", just before the tail, it looks bloated. Though that may be because his tail seems a bit thin.

He seems alert and moving. When I opened the enclosure he seemed aware and was looking around.

Opinions please! Am I going to the snake doctor tomorrow? Or just stressing?

Can't seem to insert pics so I linked to the gallery section.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery//sh...mageuser=68039

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery//sh...mageuser=68039

I touched the area near his "hips" just before the tail that looks bloated. It seems neither squishy soft nor firm.

I just spoke to the breeder. He suggested that Raz hadn't eaten for 10 days prior to the expo and may have lost a little weight, being so young.

You need to soak that boa. He is constipated big time. There should not be bloating like that. You need to soak it and pray it takes huge poop and if not, then you need a vet like yesterday.

And i take that back. From the looks of the condition of the boas middle end, he looks emaciated. You need a vet asap. And you need to contact that breeder. That snake doesnt look very healthy to me. Maybe some better pics from a top view.

That bulge is disconcerting. I’m very new to snakes in general but my understanding is a slight bulge after feeding for Boa’s. After a poop there is a bulge like that, somethings going on. Like Sauzo said, a good sook. I know a friend of mine has done that with an Iguana and helped it poop. The vet is really making sense though. Shame on that breeder for passing on an ill animal if that is the case. I hope everything works out, not a great way to start out.

First, I agree with the Sauzo and Jakethesnake69, that snake looks ill. Something is going on with his back end, especially if he just pooped.

Additionally, he does not look healthy. Yes, younger snakes are small, but they don't have loose skin like that. I would be sending those pictures to the breeder and asking him what the heck is going on and why he sold you this animal! It looks like he hasn't eaten in much longer than 10 days, or was barely fed before then.

Secondly, you need a vet ASAP!

Third, and again, I'll ask what I asked earlier and got no response. IS HE BEING PROPERLY QUARANTINED?

If not, and not to make you feel worse, your other snake could be at risk as well.

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Originally Posted by dakski

IS HE BEING PROPERLY QUARANTINED?.

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Sorry I didn't respond right away with regards to that. Measures have been taken and the other snakes are fine. They are all separated as well is possible in my house.

We in Southern Mass are very lucky to have a local specialist for reptiles and he will be seeing little Raz tomorrow on an emergency basis.

I promise you all, and most of all my new boa, that no expense or expedience will be spared on his behalf.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

I hope everything works out, not a great way to start out.

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No, not a great way to start out, but hopefully in the long run it will work out for Raz. Were he to stay in the hands of the person he was bought from, he'd be doomed. At least with me he has a person willing to do anything to give him a chance.

Oh, and I followed Sauzo's advice and gave him a good long soak. I held him in the water for a good 25 minutes. I didn't have any pedialyte as it is late here, otherwise I'd have used that as well. After the soaking he did look marginally better. Still seeing the specialist tomorrow.

By the way, its Friday night, and you were taking the time to check the snake forum. Thank you deeply for all for your advice and concern.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Sorry I didn't respond right away with regards to that. Measures have been taken and the other snakes are fine. They are all separated as well is possible in my house.

We in Southern Mass are very lucky to have a local specialist for reptiles and he will be seeing little Raz tomorrow on an emergency basis.

I promise you all, and most of all my new boa, that no expense or expedience will be spared on his behalf.

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Good. He needs to stay quarantined for a while even after he feels better.

Keep a close eye on everyone else. Depending on what’s going on with Raz, they might not show symptoms right away. However, if properly quarantined it’s not an issue.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

No, not a great way to start out, but hopefully in the long run it will work out for Raz. Were he to stay in the hands of the person he was bought from, he'd be doomed. At least with me he has a person willing to do anything to give him a chance.

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I understand what you are saying. Not sure if you’ve followed along, but Yafe, my new albino Caret Python had an RI within 2 days of getting to me.

He’s getting injections for a month and is improving. Not out of the woods yet. However, the breeder covered vet costs and he was (supposedly) healthy to begin with. Can’t say for sure, but he looks good otherwise.

Could not send him back and risk him dying. He came from Chicago though and I am in Northern CT.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Good. He needs to stay quarantined for a while even after he feels better.

Keep a close eye on everyone else. Depending on what’s going on with Raz, they might not show symptoms right away. However, if properly quarantined it’s not an issue.

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Oh I will keep an eye out! For 6 months, at least.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

I understand what you are saying. Not sure if you’ve followed along, but Yafe, my new albino Caret Python had an RI within 2 days of getting to me.

He’s getting injections for a month and is improving. Not out of the woods yet. However, the breeder covered vet costs and he was (supposedly) healthy to begin with. Can’t say for sure, but he looks good otherwise.

Could not send him back and risk him dying. He came from Chicago though and I am in Northern CT.

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Man, that's tough. I've no doubt he's in better hands now, though. I wonder about some of these breeders....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

No, not a great way to start out, but hopefully in the long run it will work out for Raz. Were he to stay in the hands of the person he was bought from, he'd be doomed. At least with me he has a person willing to do anything to give him a chance.

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No doubt about that and was in no way a slam on you. I went through a bunch of bad issues early on and wasn’t until after a lot of struggles found this site. Lot of great people on here with a ton of knowledge to help get you through. It’s really to bad your going through this and not reaping the good that a new critter should bring.

Ouch poor thing, looks so thin and that lump definitely isn't right, you done the best thing as explained by everyone above, they often poop when soaked ,if it is that .

At least you getting into the vets Saturday
Fingers crossed for you

Alot of us use Tapatalk a free app to upload pics
All the best and good luck

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

The situation so far. I spoke to the vet and they can't see Raz until Monday morning the earliest, and even then they are making a bit of an exception.

The word crypto has been mentioned.

Now I'm terrified. I don't keep a lot of snakes, but those I do I am very attached to. Please allay my fears.

Raz and Helena (Helena is my new BEL BP) have been in a separate quarantine room since I picked them both up less than a week ago (Sunday, October 7). Their enclosures were side by side for convenience with the thermostat. Interaction has been extremely limited as they are new. Helena has not been handled past being placed in her enclosure, having water changed and temps checked with a heat gun. Raz has been detailed above. I will note that in the few handling sessions that have occurred, Raz was always handled second and last. Nothing has been moved from one enclosure to the other.

Helena has now been moved out of the same room and is in my bedroom. Very luckily I had three thermostats, I keep a Jumpstart on hand just in case. Raz has been moved even further away from everyone else and is now in my partially finished basement. If he does have crypto I will consider everything he has come in contact with, enclosure, RHP, thermostat probe as lost causes and they will be discarded.

Is my dear little BEL in danger?

Worse, what risk have I exposed my other snakes to? Could I transmit crypto to them somehow?

I couldn't even imagine such an awful thing happening.....

oh poor baby! That does not look normal and does not look like a poo-constipated lump to me. I'm glad you're going to the vet, I'd suggest a check for internal parasites. I hope everything works out okay!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

The situation so far. I spoke to the vet and they can't see Raz until Monday morning the earliest, and even then they are making a bit of an exception.

The word crypto has been mentioned.

Now I'm terrified. I don't keep a lot of snakes, but those I do I am very attached to. Please allay my fears.

Raz and Helena (Helena is my new BEL BP) have been in a separate quarantine room since I picked them both up less than a week ago (Sunday, October 7). Their enclosures were side by side for convenience with the thermostat. Interaction has been extremely limited as they are new. Helena has not been handled past being placed in her enclosure, having water changed and temps checked with a heat gun. Raz has been detailed above. I will note that in the few handling sessions that have occurred, Raz was always handled second and last. Nothing has been moved from one enclosure to the other.

Helena has now been moved out of the same room and is in my bedroom. Very luckily I had three thermostats, I keep a Jumpstart on hand just in case. Raz has been moved even further away from everyone else and is now in my partially finished basement. If he does have crypto I will consider everything he has come in contact with, enclosure, RHP, thermostat probe as lost causes and they will be discarded.

Is my dear little BEL in danger?

Worse, what risk have I exposed my other snakes to? Could I transmit crypto to them somehow?

I couldn't even imagine such an awful thing happening.....

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A few things and I will be 100% straight with you.

1. You don't know that Raz has Crypto, I would assume he does, for the safety of everyone else, but I wouldn't sell the farm until your know 100% that he does.

2. Breathe, there is nothing you can do now except get him to the vet and see what they say.

3. Tufts has an ER VET in Grafton, MA, which is where I took Yafe. They are open 24 hours and although it's $180 to show up, everything else was priced fairly and they did a great job. You might want to consider that. Not sure where in MA you are, but that's an option. Also, feel free to PM me and I can give you more information.

I am going to write the next thing for the benefit of everyone else reading this and for future reference.

Proper Quarantine Procedure:

1. Separate tank and separate room, or not near other animals.

2. Separate tools; hemostats for feeding, hooks, hides, etc. All unique to quarantined animal.

3. CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN! Paper Substrate, cleaned immediately and well with F10SC and allowed to sit to fully disinfect.

4. Quarantined animal is handled last. NO other animal is touched after quarantined animal on the same day. Hands are thoroughly washed and disinfected after contact with quarantined animal. Clothes are changed as well before touching any other animal in collection.

This lasts 60-90 days, preferably 90 days, and longer, if there are concerns.

Any news?

What did you decide to do?

Did you go to ER Vet at Tufts? Are you waiting until Monday?

F10SC does not kill Crypto so if the plan is worst case scenario the recommendation is at least 3% hydrogen peroxide and it’s not a guarantee it will kill it. Bleach and alcohol are also of no use. It’s highly contagious.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

F10SC does not kill Crypto so if the plan is worst case scenario the recommendation is at least 3% hydrogen peroxide and it’s not a guarantee it will kill it. Bleach and alcohol are also of no use. It’s highly contagious.

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I know. As far as I can find, only ammonia can kill crypto.

Dakski is right that I don't know what is going on, but I need to assume worst case. I apologize that I haven't given updates today, but I've been quite busy. I've been cleaning and doing what ever I could to do the best for my BEL. Her enclosure has been scrubbed, cleaned, aired out, and refurbished. A stressful day for her, and myself.

I haven't gone to Grafton and don't plan on it. I know about ER VET in Grafton, Mass. They actually did a vasectomy on one of my cats; not neuter, a vasectomy (long story). But In Weymouth, Mass., we have the Oddpet Vet. They focus on snakes and other reptiles and the doctor I'm seeing specializes in boas. So, I'll wait to see him rather than take a risk with whoever happens to be on duty. I've had enough experience with vets to understand that just anyone is not good enough. But I thank Dakski for the suggestion.

And I want to thank you all for your support and advice. The internet can be an ugly place, but this forum is a rare gem of friendship and comfort.

Finally, I want to stop posting on this thread. The title is too optimistic for the current circumstances and it stabs at me. I'll start a new thread tomorrow, or perhaps the day after so that I can keep you all abreast of the situation as it develops. Of course, I'll stay subscribed so I can read your comments.

Again, you all have my deepest gratitude.

Any updates on Raz? Hoping you were able to see the Vet this morning and it wasn't as bad as many of us thought.

I'm afraid that the situation is now over.... I would prefer not to go into details at this time. I'm sure you all understand.

When I'm ready, I'll be creating a thread on the progression of my dear little BEL, Helena. She is the one most at risk of exposure and is the focus of my concern, but she's doing well. I convinced her to eat a frozen thawed rat pup, she had been on live, and she has kept it down for over two days now. So there is a ray of light shining out of this nightmare...

Really sorry to hear that, really glad your python switched to frozen thawed

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We are all thinking of you and here for you when/if you want to write, PM, etc.

Very glad Helena took F/T.

Again, no obligation to post anything. Please know you are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.

Hoping for the best.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

We are all thinking of you and here for you when/if you want to write, PM, etc.

Very glad Helena took F/T.

Again, no obligation to post anything. Please know you are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.

Hoping for the best.

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Ditto to what Dakski said above. Sorry to hear the news. If you do decide to fill us in, maybe it would serve as a helpful precaution for others to look out for.

Good to hear about your other new purchase taking a F/T. That's a big step for many new owners.

Everyone here has been very supportive and I honestly say that it has meant a great deal to me.

I've cleaned, and cleaned again. The infected enclosure has been wrapped and sealed in plastic and placed inaccessibly away in my basement, to be forgotten for now. Maybe in a year I'll take it out, disinfect it again and then put it away again for another year. Maybe I'll just toss it. I don't think I could ever bring myself to use it again.

After dealing with it and the clean up I've forsworn all snake keeping duties for the next week. 'Til then, my wife and daughter will need to handle the changing of water and such.

I'm a ball of stress over the whole thing. My wife tells me that I'm overreacting and that I should calm down. But I'm not sure that its possible to overact to this situation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Everyone here has been very supportive and I honestly say that it has meant a great deal to me.

I've cleaned, and cleaned again. The infected enclosure has been wrapped and sealed in plastic and placed inaccessibly away in my basement, to be forgotten for now. Maybe in a year I'll take it out, disinfect it again and then put it away again for another year. Maybe I'll just toss it. I don't think I could ever bring myself to use it again.

After dealing with it and the clean up I've forsworn all snake keeping duties for the next week. 'Til then, my wife and daughter will need to handle the changing of water and such.

I'm a ball of stress over the whole thing. My wife tells me that I'm overreacting and that I should calm down. But I'm not sure that its possible to overact to this situation.

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So sorry to hear the sad news. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I recently lost one of my corns that I’d had for 5 years. It is never easy. I completely understand the need to step back for a short time. I wouldn’t call that overreacting, just needing time to process everything. Wishing you the best.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Everyone here has been very supportive and I honestly say that it has meant a great deal to me.

I've cleaned, and cleaned again. The infected enclosure has been wrapped and sealed in plastic and placed inaccessibly away in my basement, to be forgotten for now. Maybe in a year I'll take it out, disinfect it again and then put it away again for another year. Maybe I'll just toss it. I don't think I could ever bring myself to use it again.

After dealing with it and the clean up I've forsworn all snake keeping duties for the next week. 'Til then, my wife and daughter will need to handle the changing of water and such.

I'm a ball of stress over the whole thing. My wife tells me that I'm overreacting and that I should calm down. But I'm not sure that its possible to overact to this situation.

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JRLongton,

A few thoughts here. I know nothing I say can take away the pain and grief you must feel, but please hear me out as I, and I think others here, are trying to help, and feel the pain you are in.

First, please do not blame yourself. You didn't know you were buying a sick animal. SHAME ON THAT BREEDER! You had no idea the ramifications of buying Raz and all you can do now is move forward and do your best for the animals you have. Do your best to focus on the future, and do not let this experience ruin your passion for reptiles and the hobby you love.

Secondly, you are not overreacting. I had the same fear with Yafe (new addition, Albino Carpet, who was shipped with a delay and questionable packaging and had a full blown RI within 2 days of receipt) and although he is improving, had come to terms with the fact that I could only do what I could do. Nothing more. You did the same. The outcome was not ideal, but again, not your fault. Losing an animal, even a new addition, can be devastating. I've lost quite a few animals in my day (reptile, amphibian, mammal, fish, etc.), as well as too many family members; some too young and some quite old. It's never easy.

I am not sure your wife fully understands what Raz meant to you or what the other snakes mean to you. I wouldn't be upset with her; not everyone gets reptile love. However, we do get you and I think being freaking angry and grieving and worrying as heck right now is within reason.

Finally, I learned a long time ago the following: You cannot control your feelings, only your reaction(s) to your feelings.

If you feel pain, grief, anxiety, sorrow, anger, etc. It's what you feel. No one can take those feelings away. They are yours and you are allowed to feel them and feel them fully.

It's up to you as a grown person how you want to react to those feelings.

If your wife thinks you should calm down, maybe she's coming from a place of worry? Try to make some deep breathes and see what you need right now. Maybe it's space? Maybe it's a hug? Whatever it is, try to calmly and clearly communicate to your wife and family how you feel and what you need. I find that always helps in situations like this. Help them be empathetic and try not to put them on the defensive.

Again, we are all here for you. Feel free to post or PM anytime.

Sending positive energy your way. You will get through this.

I know this put you thru the ringer and I’m sorry it had such an end. I know when I post up things like a new snake or an achievement the BP.net family shares in the joy and I have no doubt grieving a loss is something they share in as well. I wish you better days ahead and good health for your BEL. Like Dakski said you are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

Wow what a ride, I didn't know what you were going through sorry for the little ones pain.

It reads and looks like the breeder did you dirty, to put all your reptiles at risk I would be pissed.

Getting a new pet is not something responsible folks take lightly, don't be to hard on yourself. Sounds like you picked the wrong breeder, that's the only thing you did wrong.