The New IBD Blood Test - Predictions?

[Mephibosheth1]

You'd be surprised the number of Demodex cases we see at animal shelters (and vet clinics) that are past the treatable stage.

Besides, if there is a large increase in the IBD incidence rates, there will be more effort placed on getting it under control medically. There are already groups that have started work on it...I'm sure they didn't have a cure for Demodex when it first was isolated either.

Anoter suitable example would be Streptococcus pyrogenes that lives on our skin. Most of us have no issue with it: we get a cut, we heal. Most of us even have the pathogenic form living in our throats. It's only certain people or certain environmental triggers that cause Strep Throat or Necrotizing Fasciitis; otherwise people aren't running for the hills over these things.

Either way, we will have to wait until it happens to react to it

[Marrissa]

I'm so confused now. I thought IBD was a death sentence to a collection. I thought that boas suppress it better and that pythons will die of it in months. So now pretty much those are myths and we really don't know anything about it? And that a lot of those wipe outs of collections have come from other things and that many animals have it and don't spread it or express it?

I'd like to get my new boa girl tested just because. I'll have to look into if it's offered close by.

[Skiploder]

You'd be surprised the number of Demodex cases we see at animal shelters (and vet clinics) that are past the treatable stage.

Besides, if there is a large increase in the IBD incidence rates, there will be more effort placed on getting it under control medically. There are already groups that have started work on it...I'm sure they didn't have a cure for Demodex when it first was isolated either.

Anoter suitable example would be Streptococcus pyrogenes that lives on our skin. Most of us have no issue with it: we get a cut, we heal. Most of us even have the pathogenic form living in our throats. It's only certain people or certain environmental triggers that cause Strep Throat or Necrotizing Fasciitis; otherwise people aren't running for the hills over these things.

Either way, we will have to wait until it happens to react to it

People are so accustomed to certain ways of thinking that they never look at alternative possibilities. Some people may look at an answer to the asymptomatic carrier question as potential a death knell for the boid portion of the Hobby, but I beg to differ.

The question may not be "What percentage of the boid population is asymptomatic?" but rather "Why do some snakes carry, but are never affected by the disease?" What if THAT question can be answered?

The more animals that are tested, the faster we will get answers to many many questions. I no longer have pythons or boas, but if I did, I would test them and hope that the data goes towards a database being built to better understand this disease.

Doesn't matter - I'm calling my shot again, here and now: no big breeders are going to rush out to have their animals tested.

[bcr229]

Doesn't matter - I'm calling my shot again, here and now: no big breeders are going to rush out to have their animals tested.

How about resellers, importers, and drop shippers? Places like Outback, LLL, Big Apple, Underground, Reptiles by Mack, etc. have a different level of risk than a breeder.

[Skiploder]

How about resellers, importers, and drop shippers? Places like Outback, LLL, Big Apple, Underground, Reptiles by Mack, etc. have a different level of risk than a breeder.

Nope, nope, nope and nope.

[John1982]

How about resellers, importers, and drop shippers? Places like Outback, LLL, Big Apple, Underground, Reptiles by Mack, etc. have a different level of risk than a breeder.

The majority of larger operations will probably just ignore it until their sales take a big enough hit to warrant the risk. We'll know who the good guys truly are when we see who cares enough about their own animals and the welfare of their customer's collections to get the tests done before pressures mount.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

I wonder how much this test will cost. I think that will be one of the largest factors. If it costs 100 dollars for the first animal and then 10 dollars for additional animals I'd have my entire collection tested. But, if it costs 200.00 per animal, then that is a LOT of money.

[bcr229]

I emailed and asked for pricing. While the research center has prices for various services and tests listed, there wasn't one that jumped out at me as IBD screening. Or if it's an easy test as the article stated, maybe it's something local vets can do in-house.

[bcr229]

Cost is $100 per sample plus whatever your vet would charge to draw blood and ship it to the lab. The lab fee includes both the H&E and the IHC blood tests.
http://labs.vetmed.ufl.edu/sample-re...ions/boid-ibd/

Based on the fee I don't see mass testing becoming the norm, unless someone is trying to clear a collection due to a suspected IBD diagnosis and/or death of one of the snakes in it.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Cost is $100 per sample plus whatever your vet would charge to draw blood and ship it to the lab. The lab fee includes both the H&E and the IHC blood tests.
http://labs.vetmed.ufl.edu/sample-re...ions/boid-ibd/

Based on the fee I don't see mass testing becoming the norm, unless someone is trying to clear a collection due to a suspected IBD diagnosis and/or death of one of the snakes in it.

Thanks for looking into that. I agree, at that price it's still too high. Although I would imagine the bulk of the cost would come from the vet who would likely charge 200 or so do draw the blood and mail the sample