IBD in boas??

OK...I am a 100% ball python man. I have a friend that has 3 boas, just pets, but in a rack together. They are all normal red tails. One is flopping around in his tub and very disoriented, just like a ball with IBD. I have heard that all boas carry IBD but it doesn't always affect them, is this true? If so and this animal does have IBD can it spread from boa to boa? I could answer these questions about the BP's but not the boas. Any helpful info will be appreciated.

No, not all boas carry IBD. Only a select few have this disease. What you are getting confused about is that boas can be asymptomatic carrier, but can easily pass it on to pythons, and other boas. Pythons that have the disease die very quickly. Boas can carry it for years without showing any symptoms. They will eventually die.

Sorry to hear about you friends boa.

Quote:

---

If so and this animal does have IBD can it spread from boa to boa?

---

You bet. He better get that guy quarantined quick.

All boids can carry IBD. Boas will generally last longer than Ball Pythons, but there are reports of Ball Pythons living over a year from IBD. Generally, it takes them out much quicker, but that is why quarantine is so important.


YouTube - Inclusion Body Disease (in a red tail boa)

If that boa is Positive for IBD. Have the snake PUT Down to eliminate its suffering. there's no CURE for it.

I have noit seen the animal...NOT GOING THERE...and I have asked him not to come around my collection. All my shared info is coming from phone conversation. Thanks to all of you for your responses, it was exactly what I thought it would be. I will share this with him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fatboy

i have noit seen the animal...not going there...and i have asked him not to come around my collection. All my shared info is coming from phone conversation. Thanks to all of you for your responses, it was exactly what i thought it would be. I will share this with him.

---

good idea watch out it will wipe out your collection fast,keep boas away from ball pythons don't like to take any chances.

Hi,

While IBD is definately the big scary in the corner it's important to remember it isn't the only thing that can cause neurological symptoms.

The vet probably won't be able to sayif definately it is IBD until a necropsy from all I've read but he may be able to rule out some other possible causes.

Or identify another possible cause and treat it.


dr del

you can put the animal under anesthesia (theoretically, although, probably not a good anesthetic candidate) and go in for an ultrasound guided biopsy of the liver, follwed by a good, clean blood draw and submit it for analysis by a pathologist. im in veterinary medicine (normally i work in emergency/critical care, but i dabble in relief work for different herp vets around my city. we just submitted a sample from an ball python that we just lighly knocked out with isofluorane) one of the doctors here that ive done relief with in herp medicine is doing extensive research into ibd.

The vet trip is pretty much out of the question with this guy. He is not a serious keeper, just has them to be different and for attention, imo. He will probally end up putting the animal down. Told me he wanted to wait and see if it gets better. I told him he would be putting all 3 down soon if he waited. I have done all I'm going to do, like I said before, I'm not going near there.:(

its not cool for the animals, but staying away is probably the best thing you can do for your animals

I'm only a little firmiliar with IBD. Is it possible to transfer from human to animal? Bad wording... If I walked into a pet shop after holding my snake at home and it has IBD then held a snake while there (30 minutes later) could the shop snake get IBD?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DavidG

I'm only a little firmiliar with IBD. Is it possible to transfer from human to animal? Bad wording... If I walked into a pet shop after holding my snake at home and it has IBD then held a snake while there (30 minutes later) could the shop snake get IBD?

---

They aren't entirely sure all of the ways it can be transfered. A few ways is through reproduction between an infected animal, sharing water sources, fecal contamination, mites, saliva, etc. So, in theory, you probably wouldn't transfer the IBD, but it is possible.

I seriously wouldn't risk handling strange animals without sending yourself through a sterilization of sorts.

After visiting someone else's collection, I remove all contaminated clothes and they go directly into the washer. After that, I bathe. I do this same procedure after visiting pet stores, etc.

the bad thing about ibd, is there is little truly known about it. in my line of work of veterinary medicine, i get to work with alot of herp vets (im an emergency/critical care guy though, but i do relief work with some of the herp vets around my area). one of the herp vets, dr. todd driggers is doing pretty extensive research on ibd. there are tons of theories on this disease and how it is transmitted. one theory is that it is mite transmitted, meaning the mites are asymptomatic carriers of the inclusion cells that infect snakes. kind of like lymes disease of tick fever (in dogs). they are also speculating that it is transmitted much like flu or cold viruses, oro-nasal or contact. most likely humans play no roll in transmission other than being a temporary host. i believe so far, the only way(s) to diagnose it is to do a full blown necropsy when the animal dies, or you can put them under sedation or anesthesia and do ultra sound to get cell samples from the liver (or more dangerously,the brain) and submit them to a pathologist. this disease is alot like aids was in the 80's, not alot known about it