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  1. #31
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Quote Originally Posted by TayKiren View Post
    So, a bit of an unfortunate update - little guy has mites! Ugh! So I ordered some of this (https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcos...E&gclsrc=aw.ds), which will be here tomorrow, and my vet is going to mix up some ivermectin solution if I want to pick that up tomorrow as well. Anyone have experience with either of these?

    Also, he twitched a bit when I picked him up. I assume this is due to discomfort and itching, but I thought I'd make sure. Does that mean it's severe, should I get him help right away? He ate last week and seems completely fine otherwise (other than being more restless).

    Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
    Oh no! So sorry- mites are a nasty hassle. I've never used that spray but I do like other products from Natural Chemistry, so it's probably good.

    YES, you need to get on this immediately- especially with such a small snake, mites can kill them quicker than you'd imagine. They each only suck a tiny bit of blood, but it's more than snakes can spare (especially since mites reproduce exponentially)- they cause circulatory collapse- shock, organ failure.

    Ivermectin: how much to do you trust this vet with snakes? I ask because my understanding is that Ivermectin is risky to use with snakes, it's very potent, & while effective at killing mites, you also want a live snake. I'd have to talk more with the vet about this- & then trust your gut.

    It has been many years since I had a snake with mites. The first thing I did for immediate & harmless relief (and what I'd suggest you do now) is a 20 minute soak in lukewarm/cool water with a drop or 2 of Ivory or Dawn dish soap- just to break the surface tension so the mites drown. It will get many, or most, but probably not all the mites- they hide in nostrils, or around eyes or cloaca. You need to be careful not to drown your snake when "soaking" also- stay right there with them, they should NOT have to be swimming- the water must be shallow enough so they don't need to swim, but to be effective, you want it to cover as much of their body 'height' as possible. Snakes often panic in a "bath" situation because there's no traction for them, so it helps if you can give them something to hang onto- even your hand- so they remain in the water (covered as much as possible) & long enough for the mites to drown.

    When I dealt with mites, after the soak method ^ ^ ^ I briefly used a pesticide option no longer available, so you'll have to figure out what is your best option to use next to finish the job.

    You'll want to keep this snake on white paper towels (so the mites show up) & discard all porous materials like branches or wood hides (mite eggs will keep hatching out to re-infest your snake).
    Plastic hides are fine (washable) as is a plastic or glass water bowl.

    This may help: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...Mite-questions
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 05-14-2021 at 12:58 AM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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  2. #32
    Registered User TayKiren's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Thank you! Yeah, tomorrow I'm doing a full clean and throwing out his wooden hide. Luckily that's the only thing porous in his enclosure since it's his "baby cage" and I didn't want to buy a bunch of fancy stuff that he would outgrow. I have heard some things about ivermectin, so I'm thinking of just using it on the cage (rinsing afterward) and then the spray for his body. I did ask about the possible harmful effects and was told that they use it all the time with no problems. I'll probably just stick with the Natural Chemistry spray unless I don't find it to be working. I'll give him a quick soak for now since I don't want to stress him out too much knowing what's in store tomorrow.

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  3. #33
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Quote Originally Posted by TayKiren View Post
    Thank you! Yeah, tomorrow I'm doing a full clean and throwing out his wooden hide. Luckily that's the only thing porous in his enclosure since it's his "baby cage" and I didn't want to buy a bunch of fancy stuff that he would outgrow. I have heard some things about ivermectin, so I'm thinking of just using it on the cage (rinsing afterward) and then the spray for his body. I did ask about the possible harmful effects and was told that they use it all the time with no problems. I'll probably just stick with the Natural Chemistry spray unless I don't find it to be working. I'll give him a quick soak for now since I don't want to stress him out too much knowing what's in store tomorrow.

    Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
    So how did you find out he has mites- are you seeing many? Make sure he has a water bowl (now!) that's big enough for him to soak in, but don't put soap in that- you don't want him drinking water with even a bit of soap in (it will upset his tummy!). Many snakes with mites will automatically soak for relief. Poor little guy! (Ivermectin is used various ways- injectable etc) I wouldn't worry about "stressing him out now" (ahead of tomorrow) by giving a more effective soak because the more mites he has, that's worse than any soak. Just do it- he's too little & he's probably had them for quite a while now- they're hard to see, & always more plentiful than you realize. Please don't under-estimate mites.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 05-14-2021 at 01:09 AM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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  4. #34
    Registered User TayKiren's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    I noticed because I thought his vent looked weird, and when I looked at it I saw a mite crawling around. I didn't actually see that many on him. He did not like the soak at first, but he settled down a bit eventually. I rubbed him down afterwards and now don't see any on him. His water bowl is big enough to soak in.

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    Last edited by TayKiren; 05-14-2021 at 01:22 AM.

  5. #35
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Quote Originally Posted by TayKiren View Post
    I noticed because I thought his vent looked weird, and when I looked at it I saw a mite crawling around. I didn't actually see that many on him. He did not like the soak at first, but he settled down a bit eventually. I rubbed him down afterwards and now don't see any on him. His water bowl is big enough to soak in.

    Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
    Good!
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  6. #36
    Registered User TayKiren's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Alright, so I think that went well. I was really worried about hurting him with the stuff, but he seems all good. I was wondering though - should I put his water bowl back in? I gently wiped him a couple times with a damp paper towel, but I'm not sure how well that worked in getting everything off. Rinsing the snake isn't even on the instructions, and it says I can put all his accessories back in the enclosure, but should I wait a day or so before putting water in? Thanks.

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  7. #37
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Quote Originally Posted by TayKiren View Post
    Alright, so I think that went well. I was really worried about hurting him with the stuff, but he seems all good. I was wondering though - should I put his water bowl back in? I gently wiped him a couple times with a damp paper towel, but I'm not sure how well that worked in getting everything off. Rinsing the snake isn't even on the instructions, and it says I can put all his accessories back in the enclosure, but should I wait a day or so before putting water in? Thanks.

    Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
    Which product are you referring to? Natural Chemistry or Ivermectin or something else?
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  8. #38
    Registered User TayKiren's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Sorry, I mean the natural chemistry stuff

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  9. #39
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Quote Originally Posted by TayKiren View Post
    Alright, so I think that went well. I was really worried about hurting him with the stuff, but he seems all good. I was wondering though - should I put his water bowl back in? I gently wiped him a couple times with a damp paper towel, but I'm not sure how well that worked in getting everything off. Rinsing the snake isn't even on the instructions, and it says I can put all his accessories back in the enclosure, but should I wait a day or so before putting water in? Thanks.

    Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
    Quote Originally Posted by TayKiren View Post
    Sorry, I mean the natural chemistry stuff

    Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
    As I said, I've never used this product- it wasn't around years ago when I had a snake with mites. Please follow the instructions on the product explicitly- as shown below. It doesn't say to rinse it off the reptile, so don't. Since you can put all accessories* back, by all means replace his water bowl too, though if you see him soaking in it, it might be that he'll wash off the product & need it to be re-applied? *Just keep in mind that you need to stick with non-porous accessories for a while, since mite eggs could be hiding & hatch out for about a month, I think. From the instructions given, I think you can expect to be re-applying Natural Chemistry at 3+ day intervals for a while to ensure all mites are gone. They don't leave voluntarily & it takes a great deal to offend them...

    BTW, you seem to be under the impression that this is a "pesticide"- it apparently works to drown the mites, much the same way as the drop of mild dish soap
    in water to soak the snake does. These methods are the LEAST likely to cause any harm to your snake, as strong chemical pesticides can.

    The main ingredients are:
    dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate- which is a wetting agent (used in drugs, cosmetics & food, etc)
    Undecylenic Acid- which is an anti-fungal compound (that apparently they found to work safely for this purpose too)



    InstructionsSpray directly on reptile, but not to excess (runoff). Avoid spraying eyes and facial areas. Alternatively, spray solution on cloth and wipe on reptile. Reapply as often as necessary, but not more often than at 3-day intervals. Do not treat snakes for at least 6 hours after shedding their skin.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 05-15-2021 at 12:14 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  10. #40
    Registered User TayKiren's Avatar
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    Re: My first baby snake!

    Thank you for your input. I did put his water bowl back, and I fed him tonight. He ate enthusiastically, which is about what I was expecting haha. I'll probably treat him again Tuesday and then the tank again in a week.

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