Vet bills from breeding

Something that isn't often talked about. Whether you plan to get into breeding full time, as a hobbyist or just pair snakes willy-nilly to make a quick buck, issues can and will arise. Hopefully you catch things before the animal perishes. That is when an experienced exotics veterinarian comes in.

Here is a sample of some bills I've had the past week in dealing with just one snake. That doesn't include the 8hrs of driving back and forth to the vets office.

One egg was stuck in her. She is recovering from surgery. Her health and safety is well worth the vet costs.

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https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...94fe9772_o.jpg

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Vet bills is part of the hobby and part of the risk of breeding. We try to keep our babies safe but they are well worth it.

This is why I breed strictly as a hobby and not as a business. A business would euth the critter and buy another one if the treatment cost exceeds the critter's replacement cost, because when you run a business it's all about the bottom line.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

This is why I breed strictly as a hobby and not as a business. A business would euth the critter and buy another one if the treatment cost exceeds the critter's replacement cost, because when you run a business it's all about the bottom line.

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Sad but true.

I had a large female that when she struck a live rat, the rat was able to get a good bite into her face and literally separated a small piece of her jawbone with two teeth attached. I didn't know it at the time but when her face started swelling dramatically from the infection, I took her to the vet and they ended up doing surgery. That was an $800 bill and about 3 hours of driving for a snake that I had purchased for $700. When you take on the responsibility of owning an animal, with that comes the obligation to do what you reasonably can to give the animal every chance. That said, you can't bankrupt the family budget. There is a line to consider, but the line should be far across the other side of the wallet pain threshold.

Great thread topic. And one that probably isn't discussed enough.

I think it's so important to have some sort of vet fund stashed away, regardless of breeding or not, for any and every animal brought home. Before I add an animal I add to the "vet fund" just in case. More animals = more in the vet fund. You just never know. There are plenty of ways I would love to spend that dough, but I'll go without before I touch the vet fund.

As I often say....the animals don't get a choice, we do.

Quick question on the bill....

What did "egg removal" consist of?? was that actual surgery where they had to cut her open?

Just interested as to what they had to do.

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

Quick question on the bill....

What did "egg removal" consist of?? was that actual surgery where they had to cut her open?

Just interested as to what they had to do.

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While she was under the vet attempted to scope her to see if the cervix could be massaged and remove the egg without surgery. She was to swollen from the two rounds of oxytocin and trying to push it out on her own. The vet opted for surgery. He made an incision on her side about 2" forward of her cloaca, then an incision in the oviduct to remove the egg. Her oviduct and side both got sutured up.

Will she be able to breed again? Or is just your pet now?

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Originally Posted by 303_enfield

Will she be able to breed again? Or is just your pet now?

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Not sure what the vet would say but I wouldn't chance any breeding again.

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Originally Posted by 303_enfield

Will she be able to breed again? Or is just your pet now?

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The vet said she will be able to breed again if I choose and she may even double clutch this year on her own. I'm trying to avoid a double clutch. Even if I wanted to breed her again, she is still getting next year of at the very least. Or I may decide just to keep her as pet only, that is all still TBD.

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Originally Posted by 67temp

...I'm trying to avoid a double clutch...

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Do tell? How does one "avoid" or discourage a double clutch? My goofy FL rat snake ladies do that every year...neither has ever bred...I have yet to find the "off-switch". :rolleyes: (they're about 12 years old now)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Do tell? How does one "avoid" or discourage a double clutch? My goofy FL rat snake ladies do that every year...neither has ever bred...I have yet to find the "off-switch". :rolleyes: (they're about 12 years old now)

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At least with corns I have seen mention their breeding cycles are very in tune with feedings. If their bodies sense food is plentiful then they may double.

Last year was was my first year breeding. My first clutch after she laid I went back to feeding her once every 5-7 days to help get the weight back on her. She doubled.

My 2nd clutch last year and the 7 I've had this year I changed the post lay feedings and have yet to have a double. Now I do a small fuzzy post laying just to get a small meal in her. Then I let her go blue and shed. Once she has shed I do roughly a 10 day feed cycle with a small mouse for the next two months. After that is when I will start bulking for brumation.

Though some animals may double no matter what you do.

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Originally Posted by 67temp

At least with corns I have seen mention their breeding cycles are very in tune with feedings. If their bodies sense food is plentiful then they may double.

Last year was was my first year breeding. My first clutch after she laid I went back to feeding her once every 5-7 days to help get the weight back on her. She doubled.

My 2nd clutch last year and the 7 I've had this year I changed the post lay feedings and have yet to have a double. Now I do a small fuzzy post laying just to get a small meal in her. Then I let her go blue and shed. Once she has shed I do roughly a 10 day feed cycle with a small mouse for the next two months. After that is when I will start bulking for brumation.

Though some animals may double no matter what you do.

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My un-bred rat snakes shouldn't even be laying eggs at all, much less doubling, lol...but after they lay 2 dozen+ eggs I have to admit I'd feel funny about reducing their food, but I'll sure consider that. I agree, & it makes sense, that when food is plentiful their bodies respond -though in the long-run, over-populating an area would seem more likely to result -ultimately- in food shortages rather than abundance? I suspect mine just might be "doublers" no matter what I do, lol. Silly sneks.

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Originally Posted by 67temp

While she was under the vet attempted to scope her to see if the cervix could be massaged and remove the egg without surgery. She was to swollen from the two rounds of oxytocin and trying to push it out on her own. The vet opted for surgery. He made an incision on her side about 2" forward of her cloaca, then an incision in the oviduct to remove the egg. Her oviduct and side both got sutured up.

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Another question...

When they make an incision, do they do it between the scales?, cut the scales? remove the scales?

And how about when they stitch up the exterior part of her?

This is just interesting stuff to me, hope I'm not bugging you.

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

Another question...

When they make an incision, do they do it between the scales?, cut the scales? remove the scales?

And how about when they stitch up the exterior part of her?

This is just interesting stuff to me, hope I'm not bugging you.

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I think it depends greatly on the vet & their skills & preferences. I haven't needed any snake surgeries for some years now...I'm sure they've made progress too, just like in other medical areas. I've heard of them trying to go between the scales but that seems like it would be pretty challenging.

@67temp do you have a pic of her incision?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

Another question...

When they make an incision, do they do it between the scales?, cut the scales? remove the scales?

And how about when they stitch up the exterior part of her?

This is just interesting stuff to me, hope I'm not bugging you.

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Sorry for the delay and lack of pic quality, she is going blue and I'm trying not to disturb her much. I can't tell how the incision was done due to the scab and sutures. I believe the stitches were through the scales.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a0cd4882f0.jpg

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Are you going to remove the stiches? Been over seven days, unless the pic is old. Or will the Vet do it an give you another bill? Some Vets, the recheck was rolled in the first bill. Others like to charge again an again.

Incision looks good an clean. One of the things I worry about when reptiles are cut on. Even if the cage is sterile the reptile holds all kinds of bacteria like E. coli.

Love her colors, hope she makes a 100% recovery.

Good luck!

Sometimes they use dissolving sutures too, so they just mostly fall out on their own by the time it's healed. I've not had a vet charge again for the re-check, but I guess
you cannot assume.

The internal ones are dissolving the external ones are not since reptiles have a slower rate of healing. She is going back 45 days after the surgery to get the external ones removed.

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Originally Posted by 67temp

Sorry for the delay and lack of pic quality, she is going blue and I'm trying not to disturb her much. I can't tell how the incision was done due to the scab and sutures. I believe the stitches were through the scales.

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Thanks for the pic, poor girl :( I hope she has a quick recovery!

Saw this on another article on another thread:

"The initial approach is through the side of the body, two to three scale rows up from the belly.


The incision, about 20 centimetres long, is made in a zigzag pattern so as to not cut the scale."

So maybe that's how they do it :confusd: