Hogg Island Boa hasn't eaten in 9 months

[RandomMistakes]

I'm hoping someone out there can offer some advice/diagnosis for my boa. I've taken her to two different vets for bloodwork and x-rays but they can't pin down any real ailment. I'll put quick stats at the bottom, but you can read the longer story right here:

I had her for around a year before she stopped eating, which has lasted for 9 months now. A month ago, she was force fed at the vet's office, so I'm not as worried about her starving to death, but nobody seems to know why she won't eat. She has loose skin and is certainly not as full looking as she should be. She is still active around the cage (which is set to the perfect temperatures and humidity which are both controlled digitally) and a beautiful color. By appearance and feel, the Vets say she's healthy but skinny.

The bloodwork that was done came back with extremely high levels of calcium, phosphorus, and protein. The Vet assumed that she had a problem with birth and might have some sort of calcification that would need surgery. After getting X-rays done, the Vet was once again stumped because there was no sign of anything being wrong other than some air bubbles in the intestine. The x-rays will go to a cardiologist next in case the Vet missed something.

Also, today at the Vet's office after being handled she seemed to open her mouth slightly every 30 seconds or so to breathe. It wasn't a defensive or hissing action, it seemed like she needed to do it to breathe. In the meantime, the Vets have suggested I visit a zoological veterinarian that would have more experience with exotic animals, but these trips are becoming quite costly and I'm not sure what else they can test. If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

TLDR:

Snake:
Hogg Island Boa
Female
3-4 years old
~7lbs

Problem:
Hasn't eaten in 9 months
Occasionally needs to open mouth slightly to breathe

Bloodwork:
Very high calcium levels
High phosphorus levels
High protein levels

X-ray:
Vets saw nothing unusual
Some small bubbles of air in the intestines
I can send photos of the X-rays if anyone wants to analyze them

[Snakesitter]

I wish I had some suggestions, but that one stumps me.

One unrelated thought: rather than force feeding, tube feeding would be less invasive, plus you can add meds and supplements if needed.

Good luck, and please keep us posted!

[Will0W783]

If the snake is opening her mouth to breathe, she might have a mild RI. I would suggest raising your temperatures slightly and upping the humidity a bit as well.

What food items have you been offering- f/t or live? Sometimes with a very picky feeder, if you can find a live African soft-furred rat or hamster it will spark them to eat again. Chicks are also very enticing.

I really don't know; there are many reasons why a snake might stop eating, and the bloodwork indicates that something is wrong. It could be viral or autoimmune or metabolic....really hard to say. The high calcium and phosphorus in the blood could indicate that the snake's body is breaking down its own bones for nourishment. Any animal in starvation mode will eventually begin to do this; it's one of the main reasons why people with eating disorders are so prone to osteoporosis. The high protein in the blood could be an indication of dehydration- has she been drinking enough?

You might want to give her some soaks, and talk to the vet about getting subcutaneous fluids.

[RandomMistakes]

Sorry, it was not force feeding, it was as you suggested; a tube feeding with nutrients.

As for food, she has always had frozen rats her whole life. After a while of not eating, I attempted fresh kill, and then live mice but she was not in the least bit interested.

I've recently raised the humidity and temperature and will give her some soaks. She started to shed today, so it's possible that the breathing was because her nostrils were blocked by shed?

Also, the radiologist got back to the Vet and suggested that theres a possibility he saw something in the x-rays that could indicate enlarged ovarian follicles, but he's not positive. I guess the next step is a zoo veterinarian.

[EL Ziggy]

I hope your boa makes a full and speedy recovery Random.

[xSerpentGoddess]

I agree with willow that the breathing is characteristic of a RI. Did the vet say anything about it? Snakes with RI's typically go off food also.

[sharthun]

I hope your boa makes a full and speedy recovery Random.

^^^^^^^Ditto!

[RandomMistakes]

I agree with willow that the breathing is characteristic of a RI. Did the vet say anything about it? Snakes with RI's typically go off food also.

The vet didn't say anything about an RI, but the breathing is much more recent than the entire issue, and maybe started 2 days ago. She doesn't seem to be doing the open-mouth breathing anymore. I mentioned in a comment above that she just shed yesterday, so I think she might not have been able to breathe if a shed was stuck in her nostril. She seems fine now, except still not eating.

[Snakesitter]

Stuck shed can definitely mimic an RI.

I assume they palpitated her to screen for soft masses?

You may want to consider another tube feeding, just to give her extra calories, as it has been over a month.