Need help- NOW- please!!

[mischevious21]

OK so I had JUST filled all of my snaes water, and right after putting in fresh water in the last cage, I herd this strange, coughing/gagging noise comming from one of my balls enclosure (Jager, my male pastel), and he was like.. Convlusing, and he had his mouth open and he was above the water bowl- his head dipped down into it as he was doing it, and then he pulled it out and slitherd away like all was well- of course, its not. Also in the water was a clearish, segmented, long, stringy thing... I saw the posts before with simlar things on here (but I can find them now so if you could, please post them), but this looks differnt. THose were all a bunch of little skinny, stringy thing- this was one, thicker thing with, as I said before, a segmented body..

Anyway, I called my vet immediatly, and they recommended me to a more exsperianced vet a couple more miles away-that I will probably now go to for my herps-but any way... The problem I have is that with both my vet, and the other vet, they do NOT do billing, which is a problem at the moment. I just had quite a few unexspected events come up (hospital, doctors, car, dog needed unexspected surgery), and can not afford to take him until Monday. (No credit card, either). I begged the vet to let me bring him in any way, and for maybe him to stay until I payed or whatever, but he wont. None that I called will.

I dont know what to do- I am so worried about him and I feel like complete *** and bad 'mommy' for not having the $ now, but that doesnt change anything. He had a fecal done (like all my snakes), as soon as I got him last August. He eats like a champ, is getting huge- but whatver it is thats in there I need to get out of him NOW!!

I live in Livona, MI- if any of you know of a good herp vet that could work with me please, PLEASE let me know!! I tryed the vet in Canton, and some in Westland, but none do billing (and it neve matterd- but now it does)...

Please, anyone, help me out

[Toraelle]

I'm still new to snakes as well as this site, but what you described there sounds like something this person experienced: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=70485 It sounds like the snake expelled tapeworms. I wouldn't call you a bad owner for not having the funds; things like this could happen to anyone. I wish you good luck in being able to get treatment for your snake!

[mischevious21]

Thank you very much- this is the thread I was lookin for.. The only thing is that it doesnt look like thhat- what kind of parasite is segmented, what could be in snakes?

[Shadera]

Tapeworms are segmented.

Do you have any pictures of what your snake coughed up?

[mischevious21]

One sec I will try to get a picture on to here..

[mischevious21]

OK, heres some really bad pictures that I just took with my cell phone. I put "it" in a ziplock baggy to take to the vat and took the picture through the bag. Its a bit folded over on itself, and it ripped into two sements while I was using the tweezers to get it out of the water...

http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...urrent=Ew2.jpg

http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...urrent=Ew1.jpg

Im sorry for the really horrible quality, but my camera is broke right now

[python.princess]

I'm guessing tapeworms. I don't think it'll be a prob if you can't get in until Monday. You're snake has had it this long... I wouldn't put if off any longer than that if you can help it, though! How many snakes do you have? I would ask the vet about getting enough meds to treat them all just in case.

[mischevious21]

Yea, I'm hoping he'll be OK- it just really freaked me out. I have five snakes.. The one I would be really worried about is one of my girls, who's enclosure is closest to his.. But I will definatly ask- if theres any chance of any more of them having it, then I want to know so I can treat them, too. I think I'm going to call and ask if I can bring some stool samles of the rest of them (if any go over the weekend- if not, then when they do).

[python.princess]

Yea, I'm hoping he'll be OK- it just really freaked me out. I have five snakes.. The one I would be really worried about is one of my girls, who's enclosure is closest to his.. But I will definatly ask- if theres any chance of any more of them having it, then I want to know so I can treat them, too. I think I'm going to call and ask if I can bring some stool samles of the rest of them (if any go over the weekend- if not, then when they do).

Yeah, I'd be worried about cross-contamination. If you don't wash your hands between filling each water dish for instance. Sounds like you have it under control! Good luck!