IBD confirmed in my boa... what should I be expecting?

[xFenrir]

So just an update on the Saga of Satin: she has been on Amykacin since October and it looks like we've at least stopped the progression of the leisons from the spinal infection, but she does have permanent bone growth so her section of neck does not bend well if at all. Luckily she's been having no problems eating or drinking. We are sending out a PCR panel to University of Florida to confirm the IBD diagnosis. Hopefully we'll know within the next few weeks.

[xFenrir]

Do you know exactly which virus was found in your boa? While arenavirus is the one that causes IBD, nidovirus and ophidian paramyxovirus (aka FERLA virus) cause similar symptoms, and in the past symptomatic snakes were diagnosed with "IBD" before more specific blood tests on live critters became available.

Update #2: we now have definitive answers: University of Florida confirmed my vet's IBD diagnosis via PCR, and that Satin is positive for the arenavirus. This will not change our treatment plan since we were already treating her as confirmed. It does raise many questions on how she got it or when she was exposed, as for the last almost decade I am the only person I've known that's had a snake. I'm not sure we will ever know the answer, but I hope somehow Satin's saga helps someone as it's possible she could have been asymptomatic for YEARS before this manifested.

Her bloodwork is normal except for her WBC count (the ones that handle inflammation specifically) is still somewhat elevated - since she had a major infection we are not sure if they are elevated due to the bone growth in her spine, or if the infection is still lingering. We'll be rechecking a CBC in 4-6 weeks to see if we can find a pattern.

[xFenrir]

Quick update for anyone interested: we did a 6-month follow up with bloodwork, and our vet thinks we might have stopped the spinal infection as there is no progression in the fused area of Satin's neck and her bloodwork is coming back okay. Her WBC is still sitting at about 10, which has been pretty standard since her initial scent gland infection in 2020 ( it dropped to 8 during when we found the spinal infection, but our vet doesn't think we'll really see any notable improvement in that value since she's IBD+). Inclusion bodies are still also present.

Currently we're monitoring the fused spinal area to track if any progression happens - right now she has about 20in/50cm of fused bone, but she is still eating, drinking and moving around her tank with no issues so we will continue to take it week by week with her.

[Homebody]

IBD is a matter of concern to all of us. So, I'm sure we all really appreciate the updates.

[Bogertophis]

xFenrir- thanks so much for updating & sharing your experience with this. So many wonder how long a snake might harbor such infections & how long they should quarantine their newly-acquired snakes for- your experience suggests it may be much longer than what most people assume to be safe. So much we still don't fully understand. And I'm sorry for what your Satin is going thru but it sounds like at least you have good veterinary help there.

[Caitlin]

I'm in discussions with a small group of people, including veterinarians in research institutions, about the current situation with both Nidovirus and IBD (different viruses with different prevalence in Boas and Pythons) in terms of testing, prevalence, and disease outcomes. I'm not trying to be dramatic or deceptive here but I am hesitant to say too much until the veterinarians involved complete their decisions about how they plan to amend their protocols for testing and care. I promise I'll update as more info becomes available.

I want to be clear that I am not a veterinarian. I have several years of experience as a vet tech in laboratory and exotics settings but have not worked as a vet tech for many years. My current conversations and sources are based on the fact that I keep up with research and a close friend and keeper of over 100 snakes noticed anomalous test results when testing for Nido and IBD. We initiated conversations with her veterinarian, whose master's degree is in PCR testing (which is what's used to test for these viruses) and then progressed to discussions with researchers at University of Florida.

It has become pretty clear that IBD or Nidovirus can be present in snakes for months or years with either no symptoms or minimal symptoms.

I do feel comfortable saying this much: xFenrir, you are looking at an ongoing quality of life assessment for your snake. This is not - as I think you have realized - a situation that calls for euthanasia at this time UNLESS your snake is showing clear indicators that their quality of life is so poor that euthanasia is the kindest option. And that does not seem to be the case here.

You're correct that there is no cure for IBD. Whether a snake even tests positive for it depends on the current viral load in a positive snake; viral load can shift based on external conditions such as husbandry and stress levels. So even a negative test may not reflect a true negative status. To be safe, it's best to test 3-4 times at 6-month intervals.

If a snake tests positive they may be severely symptomatic and a candidate for euthanasia, mildly/sporadically symptomatic or entirely asymptomatic. Severity and symptoms may be (are likely) related to specific strains of the virus; there's currently no definitive research on this for IBD; there is emerging research on Nidovirus strains.

The spinal issues you describe may be bacterial vertebral osteomyelitis, which is commonly found in IBD+ snakes.

There is honestly nothing I am aware of that you can do other than provide a stress-free life insofar as possible along with the best husbandry you can manage, along with ongoing assessment of your snake's comfort level and quality of life overall. You may be looking at many more years of a pretty good life. Or you may not - but right now it sounds like things are stable.

If any of you with positive snakes, or your veterinarians, want to discuss things further with researchers, I would recommend the University of Florida; I can try to get you some specific names if you like. But for now I would just continue giving your snake excellent care, as this is what will provide a foundation for her to maintain good quality of life.

Editing to add that a positive result in a setting where there are other snakes calls for ongoing quarantine, and if a keeper can't manage quarantine and meticulous biosecurity then euthanasia might have to be a consideration. The problem is that a single negative test result in other snakes in the facility might or might not be accurate. It's all very frustrating and anxiety-producing.

At the moment I would not personally rely on test results from ANY of the current commercial labs. I am not saying these labs are bad; I am saying that the test procedures the commercial labs use may not be sufficient for really accurate results.

[xFenrir]

xFenrir- thanks so much for updating & sharing your experience with this. So many wonder how long a snake might harbor such infections & how long they should quarantine their newly-acquired snakes for- your experience suggests it may be much longer than what most people assume to be safe. So much we still don't fully understand. And I'm sorry for what your Satin is going thru but it sounds like at least you have good veterinary help there.

Our vet has been amazing - I will always stress to new owners the importance of having a reputable exotics vet within reachable distance!

The course of action seems to just be watch and wait. We'll be doing 6 month follow ups for the foreseeable future unless something changes. It is scary to think that no matter how careful you may be and how perfect your precautions are, illnesses like this can still sneak right under the radar until it's too late.