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

[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.