My Duchess is sick :(

[neithersparky]

Hi all, I don't post here much, but I have a female ball that I've had almost a year now. The guy at the reptile shop where I got her didn't know much about her, but I bought her anyways because I wanted one so badly and there were no others available anywhere in town (it was right after Christmas). I know that was a mistake. The second mistake was waiting until last month to take her for a full exam and bloodwork. I admit both of these up front.

Duchess has parasites and an elevated white blood count. I'm taking her for her parasite shot on Wednesday and they're going to set me up on a 21-day-long antibiotic treatment. Since she does not eat reliably it's going to be injections. Luckily, I am a diabetic and an old hand at giving myself injections so I should be able to handle it. However I have no one to help me if she gets snarky so I would appreciate tips on how best to safely restrain her (a pillowcase?) when I give her the shots. She's a bit over three feet long, and though she's a nice enough snake, I don't handle her on a regular basis so I imagine she won't be as docile as one used to being handled more.

She was also diagnosed with a third ailment that I can't really repeat because the vet didn't give it a name (probably because she knew it wouldn't mean anything to me!). She said it was basically uncurable but "hopefully" Duchess would fight it off in time.

I would like to use this thread for Q&A as I think of them during Duchess' treatment. If anyone wants to tell me what a horrible snakemom I am here too I wouldn't argue. But I would still appreciate help, for Duchess' sake. Let's start with how best to administer the injections? Any tips?

[ladywhipple02]

Snakes don't feel injections like you and I would. I actually had to give my 5'5'' boa injections for an RI and had absolutely no problems with it. She acted like she didn't even feel it---which I don't really think she did. Just make sure to get the needle in between the scales and into a muscle. You can usually find a muscle running on either side of the spine. The hard part is just keeping them still long enough to stick them.

[Shelby]

First don't be so hard on yourself.. ALL snake keepers make mistakes! You took your snake to the vet.. that's something that a lot of half hearted snake keepers won't do.

I have given a lot of shots to snakes. Generally, they don't mind it much. I've given shots to my 5.5' hogg island boa, and my 7' 21 lb dumerils boa by myself. Generally you give shots in the first third of the body on either side of the back bone. I just support the snake from below where I am going to inject, and be sure to go between the scales, as you can break a needle on a scale! Just do it quickly, and you should have no trouble. If she's really feisty, restrain her behind the neck so she can't bite, and inject as usual.

[Jeanne]

How about getting a tube of some sort and letting her crawl into it, then by holding the tube at the bottom with her in it, you should be able to give her her injections. Saw it on animal planet..hehe.

[Shelby]

Jeanne.. I tried the tube thing once with my cali king when I was trying to sex her, but she was pulling so hard to crawl through the tube, she came out the other end before I could probe her.

[Jeanne]

Actually, the one I saw, the one end was capped off with screen and a rubber band.

[Shelby]

Ah.. yes well I suppose that would help.

[recycling goddess]

i have no advice to give. all i have to say is... everyone makes mistakes and that's not really what matters... what does matter is whether or not we admit them, do something to correct them and learn from them. sounds like you are scoring 100%

[neithersparky]

Thanks you guys I appreciate it. I didn't want to mention that I'm also upset at the guy who sold her to me - first for giving me the entirely WRONG temp range, causing Duchess to get an RI the first week I had her, and secondly for owning the only exclusively reptile store in my area and dealing with "breeders" (if she was really domestically bred) and not making sure he gets all the information about the animal he should from them (he could tell me nothing about her).

[ladywhipple02]

Just out of curiousity, where are you from and what shop is this ( if you don't mind saying)?