WLP getting tested for Inclusion body disease.

[Awesomethepossum]

To me, that looks like that tiny bit of blood came from the irritation of expelling a little bit of debris* without more actual stool to push it along (*probably ingested from a prior meal- from before you got him), & I do see what appears to be at least one worm too, in with that lovely mucoid mess.

Out of curiosity, what dose of metronidazole is he on, anyway?

I'm not sure of the dose, just know they get a weight each time and measure it based off of that. But this was supppsed to be his third and last treatment, 2 weeks from the last. Then the plan was for me to get another sample tested...

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[Bogertophis]

Might be dosed on the low side then ("first do no harm") & not as effective as it should have been- but don't panic, hang in there.
And just looking at him, he looks pretty healthy. I know it's hard watching & waiting for a snake to get well, but it takes time.

[Awesomethepossum]

Quick update:

He's starting to show subtle signs of improvement, since his little..emptying the other day- in the sense that there are signs of activity not present since he stopped eating (knocking things over and shuffling the paper towels). I hadn't seen him peeking out of his hide for months, but I caught him lurking the other day as if he was waiting for food (would have offered if it wasn't injection day).

He's definitely going to shed soon, so I'm not sure he'd take right now. But it seems like he's starting to feel a bit better.

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[Bogertophis]

Oh, I sure HOPE so! Lurking for food sounds like a real positive sign he's feeling better. Thanks for the update.

[Awesomethepossum]

Good news- I'm excited to say that he just took a live mouse for me

On Tuesday, I had weighed him and he had lost more weight. So I gave another tube feeding after his injection, and boosted his temps up a bit more and left him be.

I had picked up some live feeders after work, like I do every Thursday. Plopped the boxes down, went to clean his tub and he readied himself in striking position. Haven't seem him get like that in a long time. Such a relief! Just need to make sure he keeps up with this.

He's almost done with his antibiotics, and I know we're both looking forward to that. He has a checkup next week and a fecal recheck, hoping that we're in the clear and we can work on gaining that weight back- and make up for lost time with his growing

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[Bogertophis]

OH, that is WONDERFUL NEWS! I'm so happy for you & especially for him! He's so lucky to have you on his side.

And I bet he'll start making faster progress now too (after eating). I'm so glad you've been tube-feeding him- in my experience, that really helps a snake regain their energy & get their appetite back so they can fully recover. Otherwise they spend all that time shutting down- & medications (as well as the process by which they're given) can make them continue to feel lousy. He's clearly getting his "spark" back.

[Awesomethepossum]

OH, that is WONDERFUL NEWS! I'm so happy for you & especially for him! He's so lucky to have you on his side.

And I bet he'll start making faster progress now too (after eating). I'm so glad you've been tube-feeding him- in my experience, that really helps a snake regain their energy & get their appetite back so they can fully recover. Otherwise they spend all that time shutting down- & medications (as well as the process by which they're given) can make them continue to feel lousy. He's clearly getting his "spark" back.

For a snake that has been showing zero interest in food, he was hungry enough to take today, even after leaving him with a full belly on Tuesday.

I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself, but I'm excited to see his progress from here on. Considering the species, I worried all of this stress would be too much for him to handle, but it looks like I underestimated his resilience.
Other than the little love bite for his first injection, he ever once got nasty or lashed out. And if anything, he seems to have calmed down more because of the frequent handling

This whole process has been a learning experience. I'm so grateful for the advice and input you (and others) have given me

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[Bogertophis]

No, I really don't think you're "getting ahead of yourself" here- this is a very positive sign. He's not totally out of the woods yet, but he's right where I hoped he'd be for you.

[Awesomethepossum]

It's been a while, but I wanted to update. He's eaten 4 live mice since that tube feeding I gave him on 10/5, and he also finally went through a shed.

I still have him in his quarantine tub because they still need to run a final fecal test and do another physical. So I'm working on just getting food in him.

Because he was a bit "touchy" towards the end of his shed... tied with poor aim during the last couple feedings (he was eating f/t off of tongs before all of this started), he's hit the sides of his tub a few times and developed a little bump on his lower lip. You can sort of see it in the picture, towards his right side.
I'm keeping an eye on it until his upcoming visit, hoping that its just some soreness from being trigger happy. But it hasn't gotten any worse than how it is right now.

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[Bogertophis]

Looks like most everything's going great with him. I wouldn't worry too much about his little chin bump- it happens & hopefully will subside. Just really happy to see him eating again, & looking so good!