Boas are bouncing back...

[JimiSnakes]

Two of my rosy's have come down with URIs and were put on a Nebulizer? and are recieving shots. The vet said my large Coastal is suffering from a calcium deficiency. Has anybody else ever had this problem with snakes? I've heard of it in lizards but not snakes. She told me to dust some feeders but the snake won't eat them that way. What should I do? I don't like the idea of force feeding a 40" snake. I've done that with baby balls who wouldn't eat, but not anything bigger and would rather not. I'm open to ideas.

[scotty]

if your feeding prekilled rats just shove a calcium pill down its throat or up its...... thats what my uncle does, but he shoves like all in one vitamins for his snake, not just calcium. Ive never seen him do it but maybe theres someone here who can tell you more indepth about the procedure, as i think just sticking it in the mouth or whatever it would come right back out when the snake contricts. i think you gotta push it down the throat some or something.

[SatanicIntention]

How in the world would the vet know if the snake was suffering from a calcium deficiency without doing blood work? How ridiculous... What signs did he say the snake was showing? If the snake is eating rodents that are a good size, and is eating well, then how could it get a deficiency...? It seems to me that she needs to do some more reading before jumping to conclusions.

Scotty, what your uncle is doing is wrong. Snakes' vitamin/mineral requirements are MUCH different from humans, and shoving a pill down the snakes throat(or up its' rear?) isn't going to help the snake at all. Snakes get all of their nutrients from what they eat, and if the rodents or other prey animals are in good health and condition, then there is no reason that the snake wouldn't get all the it needed from the animal. Vitamins and minerals are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat soluble vitamins/minerals cannot be excreted easily(ie: calcium) and can be overdosed VERY easily. Water soluble vitamins/minerals(ie: Vit C) are easily excreted in the urine and can't be overdosed as easily.

What your uncle needs to realize is that he is upsetting this delicate balance of vitamins/minerals, and will eventually cause his animals harm in doing what he is doing.

[JimiSnakes]

I didn't think it sounded right. She said that her jaw looked weak. Whatever that means. You're not the first one to think it's weird, Becky. I thought I would ask around before I jumped to conclusions. Another person, whom I usually buy my snakes off, also said that he has never heard of a snake having this problem and that it didn't sound right, but he also said that the vet I went to is really good and that I must have misunderstood her, but I know I didn't. He also said that any mouse has more than enough calcium in their bones for any size snake to be content with. He also said that he would be very surprised to see a snake eat any kind of "dusted" mouse, because snakes are very picky eaters when it comes to something outside nature's balance and that I would more and likely have to inject the snake with a calcium solution. I think I'll get a second opinion on this before I jump to conclusions.

Oh yeah--I think Scotty meant that his uncle put the vits in the rat not the snake.

[SatanicIntention]

I still don't see how she thought the snake's jaw looked weak. Did she open the snake's mouth? Do X-Rays to observe bone density?

I would either get a second opinion, or just keep feeding your snake like you're doing. I wouldn't allow anyone to inject a Ca solution into your snake without doing radiographs, and diagnosing low bone mass/density. Just absolutely ridiculous...

Also, regardless of if Scotty's uncle puts the pills into the rat or into the snake, it is completely wrong and unnecessary. It is not known how much of each vitamin/mineral snakes require, and his giving the snake HUMAN pills will ultimately cause damage, possibly death, to the animal.

[scotty]

yeah he does that to the rats, and im not sure about the vitamens but he does get them from a animal vet... so i think they are vitamens for the snake, or atleast for some animal.... reguardless take it for what its worth, as ive never done it, and never seen anyone else do it heh.

[JimiSnakes]

Becky,
I got a second opinion today and it "could" be do to lack of calcium, but is more likely a apses(?) of some sort. Not sure how you spell that. The guy also said that the antibiotics she was on for the URI would help that go away.
~Jim

[SatanicIntention]

That is just weird... How does a lack of calcium and an abscess compare? Did they say she had an abscess in her mouth? If so, is it red/inflamed/tender? Did they not try to aspirate anything if they thought it was an abscess?

What is wrong with people these days...?

One thing I can say is: If they didn't do bloodwork or take radiographs, but said she had a calcium deficiency, then they are trying to suck money out of you...
Also, if the other vet thought she had an abscess, why didn't they aspirate it, do a culture, and see which antibiotics the bacteria was sensitive to? Some antibiotics won't do a thing for some strains of bacteria. If she is on Baytril, that should take care of everything, IF she has an abscess. But if she doesn't, then oh well, and the Baytril will take care of that respiratory infection very well.

Maybe find a different vet And good luck with your baby girl, I hope she gets well.

[JimiSnakes]

I agree, I need to find a good vet, problem is there isn't any real good vets in Syracuse. Beanie (albino) is doing really good. The biggun (Widow) is still trying to get better, but went into shed and halted any noticeable changes. She is NOW shed and seems to be doing better, but I can't get this part of her shed off that is stuck over her nose, probably clogging her nasal passage up. She "will not" let me take it off. I've tried soaking her and holding her neck while tweezering it off and she won't have nothing to do with that.

[SatanicIntention]

Hmm, maybe put a humid hide in her enclosure for a few days and see if that doesn't help. Poor girlie, probably feels like she has saran wrap over her nose. Hope she gets it off!