Panamanian Hypo Boa with a lump

[303_enfield]

The smear is straight line. So it's a rub or he dragged his parts along the glass. If an RI, it would look more like a shotgun blast or three wet sneezes in the same spot.

Glad he's doing better!

[L.West]

Oh wonderful....thats a load of my mind. Thank you

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[L.West]

Hi, me again...I plan to get him looked at. What should I have the vet do exactly so we don't waste time and money

He's been having these smears everyday lately and that isn't normal for him.

Yesterday it looked more like a spray hit the glass so I think it is an RI

Please tell me what to have the vet do.

Thanks

[303_enfield]

Vet would need to do a culture. So that means a swab an test to see what is what. You don’t want a Doc that treats without knowing what is being treated. RI can be bacterial or viral, different treatments for both.

Till you see the Vet put the heat up a little. Take your pics with you an start writing your concerns down so you don’t forget. I would also write any behavior down you think is abnormal as your snake can’t tell the Doc what’s wrong.

Good luck!

[L.West]

He is in his own API cage and I have no way to move him away from the others. As long as I don't handle them and cross contaminate will the others be fine. This appears to be in the very early stages.

I pried open his mouth today and I didn't see bubbles just one strand of spit attached to his upper jaw to the lower jaw. Is that normal??

[L.West]

Called the vet - they intend to do a PCR Test. Says cultures are more for dogs and PCR test is more accurate.

any thoughts

[L.West]

I called another exotic vet that I've used before (but they are so far away) and asked if what this current vet said was accurate. He said he knows of this doctor and I was in good hands. She has 37 years experience with birds and exotics. He agreed with the PCR Test.

I at least feel like I will get some correct answers.

[L.West]

I'm sooo worried....are RI's succesfully treatable or is this the start of a nightmare of constant meds and vet visits.

[dakski]

If caught early, RI's can be very treatable, especially in animals like Boas, who are pretty hardy.

From my experience dealing with Yafe (my carpet python's) RI, which got bad quick, you want a tracheal wash to determine what you are dealing with. If swabs work, and that's a new thing, that's great, but in the past, and when Yafe had it, I was told Tracheal all the way to determine exactly what you are dealing with.

Either way, you need to know what type of bacteria you are dealing with and also that's not fungal.

Has he shown other symptoms yet? Discharge from mouth or nose? Popping or wheezing? Has he stopped eating?

If I missed that, I apologize, but it seems the smears are worse, but he might not have an RI yet.

Keep us posted, but try to be calm. Yafe was near death when he arrived (fed ex lost him) and within 24 hours was bubbling and had discharge from his mouth, popping and wheezing, etc. He was 100g baby. Now he's 765G and doing phenomenal. My point is, be careful to ensure that he's sick, make sure you know exactly what you are dealing with and treat appropriately. Don't rush - do it right.

[L.West]

He's at the vet. They did a prc test and sent it to the lab to be tested. In the mean time they are starting injections of Fortaz and keeping him for a few days to give him medicated nebulizer treatments.

He really didnt act sick at all. No bubbles in his mouth and he ate fine.

Only symptom was the smears on his glass cage doors.

This is my first time dealing with an RI and I've kept snakes for years.



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