Worried about Ma-tsu

[missi182]

Stay positive Hoping all will go well for you and Ma-tsu, crossing my fingers for you.

[MedusasOwl]

Thank you for the well wishings you guys, we still don't know what Ma-tsu's "nodules" are. There's two of them it turns out very close together that I thought were one lump. They're small and not painful, right where her neck meets her body (basically where her pattern changes). They took some cells or something from them and we'll know more later in the week.

The good news is that in all other ways -aside from needing desperately to shed- Ma-tsu is a healthy and even ovulating girl! Heart, lungs, all sound good. She's even gained a little weight. Not that Neptune's getting any action till she's shed and has a clean bill of health of course. I feel a bit cursed in the breeding department as it's always something, but you know me and my scale kid's health always comes first. I posted a public apology on Myspace to the folks on my hatchling waiting list because stuff like this keeps happening. Sigh.

She was, as always, a very good girl at the vet. It's been suggested that I give her a bath twice a day for a week to encourage her to shed, which I'm happy to do. As for the nodules... we'll have to wait and see.

[kc261]

I hope that whatever the tests turn up that it is nothing serious. Please do keep us updated!

I think that your Ma-tsu and Neptune are really special to a lot of people on this forum. I know that between them and Jack Spirko's Tai, I've gotten really turned on to the beauty snakes.

[MedusasOwl]

Awh, thank you kc. It means a lot to me to be spreading the beauty love.

In Ma-tsu news, the test came back inconclusive... so to be safe they want to take the nodules out and send the things in for a serious wtf-is-this test. She's set for surgery on the 21st. They're very optimistic though and because the nodules are quite small it should be a relatively minor and simple affair..

[rabernet]

Poor Ma-tsu! I hope it's nothing, and it's good that you were so tuned into her that it sounds like you noticed it early!

[frankykeno]

Sending our love and hope that all will be well with her, Sheree. Please let us know how the surgery goes and what the results come back as.

[MedusasOwl]

Thanks guys, I'll keep you posted! As it is, she's eating normally and everything so that's good. No big changes. We'll see how things go on the 21st.

[cassandra]

Oooh...

*send happy blue snake thoughts Ma-tsu's way*
*Ma-tsu just wants people to send actual rats her way *

[Blu Mongoose]

Hope all is good with Ma_tsu. She's a gorgeous girl. Sending good vibes her way!!

[MedusasOwl]

Thanks guys! Ma-tsu is recovering well and staying overnight at the vet. She was none to pleased with them this morning though.

The news is this: WTF PARASITES??

It turns out that the tiny bumps are not tumors, but some kind of worm parasite things?? BUGS WTF! They don't know what they are, so they're sending them to university to find out. I, naturally, spazzed out at this news since we're so insanely careful and the fecals have been clean. It was explained to me then that it's not only possible but likely that she's had these things for years long before we got her, and once they know wtf these worm things are we should check out Neptune too (oh, that will be an adventure). Since they're under the skin and not in the gut, they wouldn't show in a fecal.

I am SO glad I caught this before we bred them! Thank God. This is why the Universe has been going "Not yet, not yet, not yet" on our baby VBBs. I knew there had to be a reason.

Even though this is a horrible revelation, I am incredibly incredibly grateful. That we won't be unwittingly selling infected hatchlings like their previous owners were, and that our beauties will soon be in better health than they've ever been. I really feel looked out for in this. Things have kept coming up to stymie our breeding plans, over and over, and then I just happen to catch this very little thing on a very long snake. Not to mention nasty as parasites are, I'd rather this than a tumor on my poor gal!

In any case, I'll keep you guys updated when we find out for sure what these little nasties are and what we're going to do about it.