Our Dumeril's has lost his mind

[treaux]

We adopted our boy Sage about a year and a half ago and he was very calm and sweet. He never acted aggressive towards us in any way. About a year ago, he came down with an RI and we had to treat him with oral antibiotics for a month. Before we even gave him the antibiotics, he had become pretty reactive to anyone approaching within reach and would strike out if you were holding him and someone came close. Since getting antibiotics, he has remained super aggressive and strikes at his cage just about any time we are in the room. He has been doing it consistently for about a year now and it doesn't seem to be letting up. Once we get him out he is okay, but still defensive against anyone moving around nearby.

Lately he has taken up to feed-striking his water bowl when we are in the room, including wrapping it and dumping all the water.

Even when we covered his window completely, he continued to strike blindly at people who moved by him at more than a few feet away. Once being held, he is never aggressive toward his handler.

Has anyone experienced this or have any ideas on how to work him out of it?

He's currently being fed a large rat every two weeks (same schedule as all of our boas), though he always seems hungry and we give him extra snacks from time to time.

[EDR]

Sorry i can't say i really know what to do. I'm not sure if any one does. My best advice would be handle him more and just give it time and hope he grows out of it. Maybe change things up. Like the set up in the enclosure and maybe change where you keep him. The idea is to break the routine he is use to. And maybe that will help him stop.

[Zincubus]

I've absolutely no idea what's going on but if you decide to start handling him more as just suggested -make sure you take loads of videos lol


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[redshepherd]

Kinda like EDR thinks, I'm curious if he will keep acting that way if you set him up in a new enclosure, like a temporary tub for example. The 3 foot sterilite ones or 5 foot iris ones would work, I'm assuming he might be huge if he's eating large rats LOL.

And if he does break out of the habit, maybe wait a few months before moving him back to his old enclosure, and clean it all out so no old scents or memory remain? Idk either, just thinking how changing things up completely may help if it's really just to break habit.

[Zincubus]

Kinda like EDR thinks, I'm curious if he will keep acting that way if you set him up in a new enclosure, like a temporary tub for example. The 3 foot sterilite ones or 5 foot iris ones would work, I'm assuming he might be huge if he's eating large rats LOL.

And if he does break out of the habit, maybe wait a few months before moving him back to his old enclosure, and clean it all out so no old scents or memory remain? Idk either, just thinking how changing things up completely may help if it's really just to break habit.

Oddly enough my psychotic Thai Bamboo Rat snake has tamed down remarkably since I moved him into a bigger Viv ..


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[PiperPython]

I, too, would try to change around its routine as much as possible.

Also maybe use a heavier waterbowl that it can't tip over or drag and he may eventually give up trying.

[rottn]

Could there be something else wrong with him that hasn't been diagnosed yet? If he's in pain somehow, that would make anybody aggressive. Or if he's lost some sort of sense making his world seem very unbalanced? I know they can't hear, but maybe blind in one eye or something? I don't know. I'm not a vet, nor have any sort of knowledge on snake illnesses other than what is commonly discussed. Just thinking out loud? I hope he calms down for you. Poor thing. Again, from a layman's perspective (I am super new to snakes), it seems like he may be in some sort of distress. But I hope I'm wrong and he's just a "cranky old man". Good luck with your baby.

[Zincubus]

Could he be craving a female ?

Just a long shot ?!?'


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[djansen]

I know a guy who has quite a few of them and he has one female that does the same thing. They are known for having a strong feeding response but he just chalked it up to her being a little kooky lol. I'm not sure you can come up with a logical explanation on this one.

[tttaylorrr]

i just wanted to pop in and say the photo is kind of hilarious lol, tho i am sorry your snake is experiencing some eccentric behavior. this seems very odd from what i've read of Dums!