Traveling with snake a few days too stressfull?

[CakeLike]

I want to take my snake to a vet soon for a routine check up and poop examination. But the exotic vet is one and a half hours away from my home and I dont trust the local pet clinics because of negative reviews.

This vet mentioned above is very near my parents home and I visit my parents every week for a few days so I thought maybe I could combine thse two things to safe gas and time. But I would have to keep my BP with me for a few days in a travel bin out of his enclosure.
I am not sure if this would be very stressfull for him since he is still a baby and I have only had him for 4 weeks.
What do you say? Is it fine or should I spare myself the trouble and just make the extra trip?

[Bogertophis]

I've moved across country for days with snakes separately cloth-bagged & sharing "ice chests" (no ice, duh- just for insulation) with no trouble. However, none of them were newly-acquired or young- & none needed higher temps. (like BPs) to stay healthy. Since your snake is still "settling in" & you are also new to keeping snakes, I'm not sure this would be a good idea for you & yours.

It really depends on your skills & planning, to ensure his temps. & sense of security aren't adversely affected.

Remind me (us), how many times has he eaten for you so far? Any difficulties feeding? I don't blame you for wanting to combine the trips, but this could backfire, or it may not...I have no "crystal ball" to foresee the future.

[CakeLike]

I've moved across country for days with snakes separately cloth-bagged & sharing "ice chests" (no ice, duh- just for insulation) with no trouble. However, none of them were newly-acquired or young- & none needed higher temps. (like BPs) to stay healthy. Since your snake is still "settling in" & you are also new to keeping snakes, I'm not sure this would be a good idea for you & yours.

It really depends on your skills & planning, to ensure his temps. & sense of security aren't adversely affected.

Remind me (us), how many times has he eaten for you so far? Any difficulties feeding? I don't blame you for wanting to combine the trips, but this could backfire, or it may not...I have no "crystal ball" to foresee the future.

So far he is a great eater. I have fed him every week and he never refused.
I do have an extra heat mat I use for his cage cleaning bin.
But on the other hand I am an angsty keeper and I am worrying as well if I do take him with me that I will keep on worrying about him the entire time I am away and that would stress me out as well. But gas prices are no joke where I live xd .
Eather way it´s a bit of a dilemma for me.

[Bogertophis]

So far he is a great eater. I have fed him every week and he never refused.
I do have an extra heat mat I use for his cage cleaning bin.
But on the other hand I am an angsty keeper and I am worrying as well if I do take him with me that I will keep on worrying about him the entire time I am away and that would stress me out as well. But gas prices are no joke where I live xd .
Either way it´s a bit of a dilemma for me.

So he's eaten 3 times for you? IF he's a reliable eater & IF you can maintain his "travel tub" to closely approximate his home (temp. & privacy-wise) once you get there, considering gas prices & hassle of making 2 trips, I'd lean towards taking him, BUT ONLY IF he has a discernable issue, which apparently he doesn't. I know you're a worrier & ultimately the decision is yours, but vet visits are stressful anyway, there isn't much the vet can "see" (snakes are very stoic) and personally, I don't advise "routine check-ups" for asymptomatic snakes.

What I'd do instead is explain to the vet you'd like to avoid the stress (for the snake) of a trip at this time (as your snake appears healthy) but just for peace of mind, you'd like to have his stool checked- will he do that? However, it does have to be fresh...so there's that too. Ask them how fresh would still be useful, if you go this route?

Remember that stress can lower the functioning of a snake's immune system- & he's still new with you. Assuming this trip doesn't adversely affect his appetite, it still might not be harmless.

[GoingPostal]

Snakes don't need routine exams imo and unless there's something odd in his poop or behavior I'd skip the vet trip altogether or simply bring in a feces sample if there is an issue. Otherwise it seems more likely that all the moving around and travel would cause problems in your snake from the stress or temp/heating changes.

[CakeLike]

So he's eaten 3 times for you? IF he's a reliable eater & IF you can maintain his "travel tub" to closely approximate his home (temp. & privacy-wise) once you get there, considering gas prices & hassle of making 2 trips, I'd lean towards taking him, BUT ONLY IF he has a discernable issue, which apparently he doesn't. I know you're a worrier & ultimately the decision is yours, but vet visits are stressful anyway, there isn't much the vet can "see" (snakes are very stoic) and personally, I don't advise "routine check-ups" for asymptomatic snakes.

What I'd do instead is explain to the vet you'd like to avoid the stress (for the snake) of a trip at this time (as your snake appears healthy) but just for peace of mind, you'd like to have his stool checked- will he do that? However, it does have to be fresh...so there's that too. Ask them how fresh would still be useful, if you go this route?

Remember that stress can lower the functioning of a snake's immune system- & he's still new with you. Assuming this trip doesn't adversely affect his appetite, it still might not be harmless.

Well the stool sample I will send in anyways to check for parasytes and stuff but I also asked a question about my snake yawning frequently here and a few people confirmed that it can be an early sign of an RI, that´s the main reason for this idea to be honest. He does not have any other symptoms but I am still unsure.

He actually ate 4 times already. 4 mice in total and yesterday he seemed like he would have wanted a second one . I am really proud of my little snoot.

[Waterman]

Leave him home. Take a fecal sample and drop it off if you want. But yawning with no other symptoms is not really much to go on. My male anaconda use to yawn all the time. Still does fairly frequently. Ironically usually when he’s getting up and around. I just got a burmese python that’s yawned a few times as well. If you have no mucus, no snot bubbles, clear nostrils, no open mouth breathing, not holding his head tilted up for long long periods, the snakes eating fine, pooping fine, then your fine.

[Bogertophis]

Well the stool sample I will send in anyways to check for parasytes and stuff but I also asked a question about my snake yawning frequently here and a few people confirmed that it can be an early sign of an RI, that´s the main reason for this idea to be honest. He does not have any other symptoms but I am still unsure.

He actually ate 4 times already. 4 mice in total and yesterday he seemed like he would have wanted a second one . I am really proud of my little snoot.

Yawning 'frequently' is a little unusual, but snakes are not robots, "all the same", any more than we are. As I told you previously, snakes re-align their jaws by yawning- & in the absence of other (RI) symptoms, I wouldn't worry about it. It's possible he's doing this for no reason, or because a tooth is out of whack, but I SURE wouldn't risk him getting stressed on a several day trip to a vet+ , risking him going off eating because he's still pretty new with you. Eating & keeping stress low so a snake's immune system functions at it's best is really what you should focus on. You're a new snarent, & so far, he's eating well- so don't mess it up. Don't invent trouble that isn't there.

[CakeLike]

Yawning 'frequently' is a little unusual, but snakes are not robots, "all the same", any more than we are. As I told you previously, snakes re-align their jaws by yawning- & in the absence of other (RI) symptoms, I wouldn't worry about it. It's possible he's doing this for no reason, or because a tooth is out of whack, but I SURE wouldn't risk him getting stressed on a several day trip to a vet+ , risking him going off eating because he's still pretty new with you. Eating & keeping stress low so a snake's immune system functions at it's best is really what you should focus on. You're a new snarent, & so far, he's eating well- so don't mess it up. Don't invent trouble that isn't there.

yeah he does it right after eating. But he also does it when he's out at night. And I'd say at least once a day sometimes I see it a few times a day and when you say it's unusual I get worried of course 😅.

[Bogertophis]

yeah he does it right after eating. But he also does it when he's out at night. And I'd say at least once a day sometimes I see it a few times a day and when you say it's unusual I get worried of course 😅.

Maybe you're just boring him? And I said it's a little unusual...stop trying to make so much out of it.