IBD or Crypto?...

[abrunsen]

Hey guys, I have already posted about this on another thread and I could be over reacting but I am really freaking out about this. I am baby sitting a rainbow boa for a friend because it wasn't eating so i got it eating for him. Well, it ate 3 times for me every 7 days. It was given one fuzzy mouse. The whole time I've had it, it hasn't defecated once and it had a little bit of orangey yellow stuff on the stomach. I checked it today and it looks impacted and the discoloration has spread all over the stomach. I have a ball python of my own that shares a room with this snake because i am in a dorm and I am freaking out because I am worried that it could be something deadly that could kill both snakes. I told my friend that he needs to come get it immediately (he lives 2 hours away from me) and he asked me if i could keep it here until the weekend. I think it needs to see a vet but I have no vet that I could take it to. Can someone please help me and tell me if they think its a concern and what i should do.

P.S. Temps: 83 belly heat, 76-78 ambient
Humidity: 70%

Thanks,
A concerned snake owner

[abrunsen]

[xFenrir]

I highly doubt it's something like IBD, as I was under the impression that IBD was a disease that's tell-tale sign was neurological problems and strange movement. The first thing I would think to try is to soak him/her in warm water for 45 minutes; maybe they just need to go and they can't. The other thing I would do is STRICT Q/T, make SURE to wash your hands well and disinfect ANYTHING you use on the BRB. You might not even want to handle YOUR snake before you find out what's wrong with your friend's snake or until they come pick him/her up. Relax and try to do some research on the web too, especially on other snake sites as well.

IBD in boa constrictors is: "First signs may include off and on regurgitation, and some develop head tremors. Dysecdysis (abnormal shedding) may occur. Some develop chronic regurgitation and anorexia (they stop eating). Not all infected snakes regurgitate, however. Boas lose weight and may develop clogged nares (nostrils), stomatitis or pneumonia. The disease can rapidly progress to nervous system signs, such as disorientation, corkscrewing of the head and neck, holding the head in abnormal and unnatural positions, rolling onto the back or stargazing." It doesn't sound like s/he's doing any of that, so that's good.

Crypto had a possible symptom of swelling of the abdomen, but it sounds like regurgitation is a key sign for it too. If s/he's eating and not throwing up, I'd tend to lean more to the fact of him/her either having some sort of impaction or such. Do you feed on substrate? If you do, they could've ingested some of it and it's causing a blockage. I would move him/her onto paper towels as well, it will help you see better if they pass something, or if s/he does go, it will give you a good sample to keep for your friend to take to the vet.

[Annarose15]

You/your friend needs to get an x-ray ASAP, even if that means going to a standard vet. You cannot get a diagnosis online, and any advice will be guesses at this point. This should not wait until he can get around to it, seeing that vets will likely be closed if he waits to pick it up until this weekend, so the poor snake is now waiting until Monday at the earliest for the help it obviously needs. You'll need to tell him exactly when the swelling started, and the dates for the feedings, along with all husbandry info to provide the vet.