Stressed little girl...

[Helifreak]

So my new baby lesser had a really bad shed. Actually, it was probably partially my fault - as I just got her 8 days ago - and wasn't handling her or really messing with her during her adjustment week and didn't even notice she was in shed. Well a couple days ago, I decided to try and feed her (again, not knowing she was in shed) - and well, she ate like a pig! The next morning, I look in her viv, and notice she had shed around her head, but the rest of her shed is still stuck on her body.

So after giving her a good 24+ hours to try to work on it herself - without any obvious progress - decided last night to soak her in a tub and work on it some through a washcloth. She didn't complain one bit and noticed that for a while, we were both working together to try and get it off. I got a bit off, but didn't want to stress her out so put her back in her house.

Tonight, I decided to have some more "spa" time - and things were going pretty good. Again, it felt like she was working with me - pushing her body hard against the wash cloth, through my fingers, and also along the edge of the table I was working above.

Things were going great - I had about 90% of it off her - and then got to her vent - at which point she promptly urinated on me, and then almost immediately struck at my arm.

I put her down to let her calm down, but she started repeatedly striking at me and any movement I made. Crazy. She went from weaving through my hand and the wash cloth to completely stressed in a matter of seconds. I felt so bad.

I was able to use the wash cloth to wrap around her without giving her another chance to hit me - and got in her in viv - but as soon as she was in she started striking at me again through the glass.

Is it possible that I hurt her somehow? Are they usually sensitive to messing around their vent area? Or did I just reach a threshold of "dude, enough spa time"?

I am worried because she has been such a sweetheart until this episode.

Oh... and I'll take getting struck at by a ball python any day of the week compared to, oh, say trying to give my cat a bad tasting pill - my arm is currently completely shredded from a cat that I am having to give antihistamine pills to daily.

[decensored]

Soaking is very stressful to BP's even when its helping them LOL. Its possible that she was in a bit of pain the vent area is pretty sensitive. I've never had any experience with being struck although I was pee'd on for the first time yesterday (gross). Try raising the humidity in her enclosure and giving her some more time before you try and soak her again. The thing with animals is they won't hold a grudge so once she calms down your relationship will still be intact.

Goodluck!

p.s. sorry to hear about your cat. When we got our two kitties we had to force cream in their eyes twice daily for a month. There's nothing more heart breaking than trying to care for a sick animal.

Cheers.

[Helifreak]

Yeah - so I had always wonder if animals could get colds... Well, I found out last week that, yes indeed, cats can get a "cold" - actually an URI - upper respiratory infection. It's caused by a different virus than those which cause colds in humans, but too me, it looks and sounds like a cold, just in a cat. I feel so bad for the cat. I know she is just miserable - coughing and sneezing, snot running down her nose, and just, well, miserable. The antihistamines help a lot (it's actually just Chlor-Trimeton) - but they taste REALLY bad - I know - I tried one myself.

[decensored]

Yeah - so I had always wonder if animals could get colds... Well, I found out last week that, yes indeed, cats can get a "cold" - actually an URI - upper respiratory infection. It's caused by a different virus than those which cause colds in humans, but too me, it looks and sounds like a cold, just in a cat. I feel so bad for the cat. I know she is just miserable - coughing and sneezing, snot running down her nose, and just, well, miserable. The antihistamines help a lot (it's actually just Chlor-Trimeton) - but they taste REALLY bad - I know - I tried one myself.

LOL why did you take one?? Yeah URI's on pets are not fun. Thats what mine had but it spread to their eyes and nasal cavities. Took forever to get rid of.
Good luck! hope kitty feels better soon.

[Helifreak]

LOL why did you take one??

Interesting question... So I get migraines. And sometimes they can be treated with a cocktail of ibuprofen + decongestant + antihistamine. I usually know by how it starts and how it feels. Anyway, one of the antihistamines I use is chor-trimeton - so I had some on hand and noticed that is what the vet gave my kitty - and after her violent reactions to me giving her a pill, decided to try and taste one myself. They are super-duper bitter. She usually takes pills with no problem - but with these it is all-out war - with my arm showing the battle scars.

[decensored]

Interesting question... So I get migraines. And sometimes they can be treated with a cocktail of ibuprofen + decongestant + antihistamine. I usually know by how it starts and how it feels. Anyway, one of the antihistamines I use is chor-trimeton - so I had some on hand and noticed that is what the vet gave my kitty - and after her violent reactions to me giving her a pill, decided to try and taste one myself. They are super-duper bitter. She usually takes pills with no problem - but with these it is all-out war - with my arm showing the battle scars.

A trick I learned from my vet is to crush the pill really fine, mix it with a little bit of water and get one of those medicine syringes that are meant for oral medication and that way you can get it in the cat easier. It worked great for us! we would just hold the kitties like they were babies and put the syringe in the corner of their mouth. Their instinct is to open their mouth and when you push down on the plunger the cat will swallow instinctually - that way there is no pill to force down - and if your really good with your aim you can get it in he back of their throat and they don't even taste the meds.

Cheers.

[meowmeowkazoo]

Good luck with your baby. I doubt you hurt her if you were being gentle and careful. I would give her some time alone, maybe provide a damp hide for her so that she doesn't need a bath. Sometimes with stressed snakes I put a dark towel/blanket over the enclosure to help block out light and noises.

[Helifreak]

One interesting thing I noticed was that after putting up the stressed little girl, I proceeded to do basic cage maintenance on my other vivs, and noticed that all my snakes were in a heightened state and were striking at me. Even ones that had never done that before.

I wonder if the urine from little girl had some kind of pheromone in it that other snakes picked up on to cause this reaction? Weird... Something triggered all my snakes to be on edge.

[Jeo123]

Well, from my personal experience, my girls never struck at me(doubt I could get her to if I tried) but I know that after a shed, she's a lot more nervous about things going on around her. She normally doesn't care if I pet her on the head while she sheds, but after she's done, she doesn't want me anywhere near her head.

I think it's probably due to their vision improving after the shed. Mine also tends to get a feel for when I'm trying to help her and will be much more tolerant of me if I'm trying to help her shed or get substrate out of her mouth.

[wytchling]

They are super-duper bitter. She usually takes pills with no problem - but with these it is all-out war - with my arm showing the battle scars.

Ask your vet about a pill pusher. It is going to look something like this:

http://compare.ebay.com/like/2608414...=sbar&_lwgsi=y

Believe me they make a WORLD of difference.