More Shakey Spider Problems...

[bigballs]

ok well if you dont remember i posted about a spider that i purchased from a breeder and i was unaware that was a little too shakey for my liking. well after reading the responses i felt a lot better and i thank everyone for them but i have a new situation that i need some advice on.

ok so when i purchased the snake a month ago i was told that it was a great feeder and eating f/t small rats. the snake is a female spider and almost a year old weighing in at around 750g.

i brought it home put it in my rack let it chill for a week and then attempted to feed on my feeding day. it didnt eat. so a month later it hasn't fed for me which sucks. heres the worse news: the snake has mites! i betadine bathed it, reptile reliefed the tub and im going to repeat tomorrow and double check on all the other snakes in the rack. (i know im a dumbass for not quarantining but i figured that a snake that expensive from a breeder... you know. but i know i'm dumb!) ok so i have yet to call him although i have been trying to get around to it even before i found out about the mite situation.

so my question is what can really be done in this situation besides me calling him and complaining about his animal?

i want to post a feedback thread about this breeder on here but i guess its best to wait until after i speak with him.

what do you guys suggest?

[LadyOhh]

I suggest contacting the breeder and mentioning to them the situation. See what they say.


If they do not respond in a professional manner, then maybe I would go to the feedback forum.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I'd recommend a vet check--if it has mites, who knows what else might be wrong--best to make sure!

[Chuck]

I think you should totally talk to the breeder, and maybe a vet visit would be in order. However if this snake has mites that would be enough to cause it to stop feeding. I would say if its 750g and a year old its been eating. SO treat the mites and go from there. I would fix one thing at a time treat the mites and see if you can get it to feed, then take the fecal sample from that meal to the vet and get it tested. Just what I would do.

Chuck

[lookout4theyeti]

Just out of curiosity, since it seems that he's been eating (when he was with the breeder), check to make sure none of your other snakes have mites that he may have come in contact with since you've gotten him. I know it's unlikely, but like you said he wasn't quarantined so the possibility is there.

[rabernet]

I've used Reptile Relief before, and it does kill the mites, but not the eggs, and about 30 days later, I had mites again. Provent-A-Mite is YOUR best friend, and mites' worst enemy. One treatment of Provent-A-Mite and I was mite free.


It's now routine operating procedure for me now, whenever I add a new animal to my collection - their enclosure is pre-treated with P.A.M. and I also go ahead and do a treatment to all my exisiting animals' enclosures as well. I just don't want to risk unknowingly carrying an egg on my clothing to my established colony.

[J.Vandegrift]

Honestly, after a month I don't think you can be 100% sure the mites were there when you bought him. I would not call the breeder to complain. Maybe call to ask if he has had any problems with mites, but I would not accuse him of anything. As for the non feeding issue, it could just be off feed for the winter but many snakes go off feed at between 750 and 1000g for a while. I think it is because almost all captive snakes are overfed especially as hatchlings/subadults and they shut down for a while to keep from getting too overweight. That is just my theory but many snakes do shut down for a while at around that weight whatever the reason. If I were you I would get the PAM to get rid of the mites, and try to feed a small live rat and see if it takes it. I would not worry too much about eating though, at 750g it will be fine for a long time without eating.

[bigballs]

actually i am 100% sure that the mites are not from another snake in my collection. i understand that sometimes you can never be sure of anything but in this case i am sure of something.

thanks for the responses guys. i have been reptile-reliefing the tubs for now until i can get some provent-a-mite. the infestation has not been bad but it has moved to a couple other tubs. it seems to be declining but im sure once i get them all sprayed with PAM i should have nothing to worry about!

i haven't contacted the breeder because i dont know exactly what that is going to solve but i will let him know next time i see him.

thanks again!

[Freakie_frog]

thanks for the responses guys. i have been reptile-reliefing the tubs for now until i can get some provent-a-mite. the infestation has not been bad but it has moved to a couple other tubs. it seems to be declining but im sure once i get them all sprayed with PAM i should have nothing to worry about!

i haven't contacted the breeder because i dont know exactly what that is going to solve but i will let him know next time i see him.

thanks again!

Make sure to follow the PAM instruction to the letter.

Also contacting the breeder about an animal not eating is a big deal the longer you wait the less you can prove that the animal is not eating because of the breeder and not something you are doing or not doing. If it was an animal I have sold I would want to know by the 2nd or third week of it nor eating. Plus a good breeder will want you to be happy with the animal you picked and have that animal be problem free so you can enjoy it like you wanted to when you shelled out your hard earned money for it.

Mites can cause an animal to stop eating. If you don't mind me asking who did you get it from. we might be able to offer you a little guidance as to what that person's reputation is like when it comes to animals.