big problem ball python need help

[ghostwolf]

So I have a pastel ball python around 7 months I work at a vet hospital I'm a vet tech and my little buddy has fluid up under his skin and it's all wrinkly I had the vet look at him and we think it is a retrovirus do any of y'all have any suggestions on how to help him we gave him two antibiotics and a steroid and giving him some fluid and sugar in feed tube

[Tsubaki]

Do you have any pictures? Does he eat? How is he being kept now?

[ghostwolf]

I don't know how to post a pic on here

[ghostwolf]

The dr told me to try a uv light to see if that might help he has not been eating so tomorrow were making a pinky in to soap and type feeding him

[Rattlehead]

reply the rest of the questions at least, it could give us some clues.

[shaunyboy]

Do you have any pictures? Does he eat? How is he being kept now?

^^^^^
you really need to answer the above,for people to give you an educated opinion mate


cheers shaun

[Will0W783]

You can post a picture by attaching the file under "go advanced" in the reply section here. Or you can link a picture from Photobucket or DropBox by clicking the icon on top of your reply box that looks like a mountain in a yellow square. Copy/paste the direct link for your picture in between the code that shows up when you click the mountain icon.

If you're still having trouble, you can PM me a photo and I will upload it for you. Without seeing a picture of your snake, it's going to be hard for us to guess.

My personal experience is that wrinkly skin and fluid buildup are usually due to too moist of an environment. When the snake is constantly damp, it can get water blisters under the skin, which can cause wrinkling, oozing, and infection. Antibiotics are the way to go, but you will also need to correct the living environment if this is the case.

A picture of your snake's enclosure, with descriptions of current temperatures and humidity will go a long way towards helping us help you!

[ghostwolf]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pfhf4lvzscpyjot/IMG_20141209_215245.jpg?dl=0

[ghostwolf]

I think I might have got it

[ghostwolf]

And u can see that he dose not move the tail half of me it just hangs down

[Aaron_S]

So I have a pastel ball python around 7 months I work at a vet hospital I'm a vet tech and my little buddy has fluid up under his skin and it's all wrinkly I had the vet look at him and we think it is a retrovirus do any of y'all have any suggestions on how to help him we gave him two antibiotics and a steroid and giving him some fluid and sugar in feed tube

Seriously? You're a vet tech and that's what you do? You THINK it's something and you begin pumping him full of antibiotics and steroids. Especially because as you know this helps build resistent strains of viruses and bacterias.

I sincerely hope a culture is being done to find out what it could be.

That's about all anyone can really tell you. You haven't given any husbandry about the snake so for feeding issues we can't help.

[ghostwolf]

Well there not really a test to see if it is IBD so we are treating it as worst case. I was just asking if y'all have had a snake with it or any ideas on how to help.

[Cmwells90]

Ghost, as it's been stated, we need the facts. When you tell us what YOU think it is, but provide us with no information so we can make an educated answer of our own, then we only have your opinion to go on, which doesn't help much. Providing the temps of the warm and cool side, the humidity, how they're messured, and the last time he ate will give us much much more info then you just telling us what you're doing and why.

Also, this may just be me, but I'm not able to see the picture.

[Aaron_S]

Well there not really a test to see if it is IBD so we are treating it as worst case. I was just asking if y'all have had a snake with it or any ideas on how to help.

We don't know what "it" is so how can anyone give an idea? You said what you THINK it is. You didn't even tell us what antibiotics or steroids are in use.

As mentioned, there's a lot of fact and detail missing for anyone to help with. You also haven't really listed any other symptoms.

Usually a virus in ball pythons has to do with the respitory system. You're saying "water under the skin". That's all we have to go on and that's just not enough information.

Also, we can't see the pic.

[MH4C]

If you right click on the picture and 'copy image URL' to you address bar you can at least see the picture in a new window...doesn't look good, and also not like anything I've ever seen.

I agree with everyone on the husbandry details, but from what I can see on the picture this doesn't look like something that can be fixed by improving husbandry... Good luck with treatment at least!

[Aaron_S]

If you right click on the picture and 'copy image URL' to you address bar you can at least see the picture in a new window...doesn't look good, and also not like anything I've ever seen.

I agree with everyone on the husbandry details, but from what I can see on the picture this doesn't look like something that can be fixed by improving husbandry... Good luck with treatment at least!

Thanks for the pic tip!

You're correct. Those won't be corrected purely with husbandry. I was asking about feeding as well. However the snake looks to be OKAY outside of those...whatever.

A real vet would have taken a biopsy or a culture if they are liquid. Those are far into development and certainly not an overnight thing. Are they soft? Does the snake look hurt when you touch them?

[ghostwolf]

Ok here we go I don't have 500$ to spend on a 40$ snake I got at Repticon plus there not a test that would give us an answer why all this was happening y'all haven't been help I have never done these form before don't know what u all want plus I'm trying to do all this while I'm at work so forget it I'll do what I been doing it helping him and he look and cells a lot better.....

[shaunyboy]

Ok here we go I don't have 500$ to spend on a 40$ snake I got at Repticon plus there not a test that would give us an answer why all this was happening y'all haven't been help I have never done these form before don't know what u all want plus I'm trying to do all this while I'm at work so forget it I'll do what I been doing it helping him and he look and cells a lot better.....

we can.t be much help with out a picture

your hot end temperature ?

cool end temperatures ?

humidity level ?

feeding practices ?



cheers shaun

P.S.I,m NOT being cheeky...

When you take on a live creature we owe it the best life and chance at life possible..

personally i spent around £400 in vets fee's and operations on a £50 Jaguar Python

[Aaron_S]

Ok here we go I don't have 500$ to spend on a 40$ snake I got at Repticon plus there not a test that would give us an answer why all this was happening y'all haven't been help I have never done these form before don't know what u all want plus I'm trying to do all this while I'm at work so forget it I'll do what I been doing it helping him and he look and cells a lot better.....

Done. Absolutely done. You have no care for this animal. Please stop being a vet tech. You actually don't care for animals lives that are "worthless" in your eyes.

We told you what we wanted. I asked how they felt. You didn't answer. I don't know how to be more clear than that. We don't have the snake in front of us or the enclosure so we can't help more than we have. Do you want us to freakin' mind read or something?! We aren't magicians.

I can guarantee there's a test that will tell you what those are but you prefer to spend money on antibiotics and steroids and pray it helps. All I know is you will have killed this snake.

[ghostwolf]

He died yesterday so it don't matter

[Aaron_S]

He died yesterday so it don't matter

It does matter actually. If you're a vet tech wouldn't you want to know what it was to see if it was contagious? Maybe something new that could harm or wipe out full collections.

There's a woman, she goes by "Pink lady exotics". She had what every knowledgable vet thought was a severe, deadly RI virus. A new kind of Paramyxovirus.

However, after extensive research it turns out that it's something new. It has been named the Ball Python NidoVirus (BPNV). She is a cvt. So it mattered to her to find out the truth, even almost a decade later. For the future and betterment of everyone's hobby.

Here is a link to her page for all those who want a good read about viruses and RI's in snakes. Also how CRUCIAL it is to NOT blindly treat illnesses in snakes.

https://www.facebook.com/thecrazypinkcatlady/posts/10152646734644234

[Mikoh4792]

It does matter actually. If you're a vet tech wouldn't you want to know what it was to see if it was contagious? Maybe something new that could harm or wipe out full collections.

There's a woman, she goes by "Pink lady exotics". She had what every knowledgable vet thought was a severe, deadly RI virus. A new kind of Paramyxovirus.

However, after extensive research it turns out that it's something new. It has been named the Ball Python NidoVirus (BPNV). She is a cvt. So it mattered to her to find out the truth, even almost a decade later. For the future and betterment of everyone's hobby.

Here is a link to her page for all those who want a good read about viruses and RI's in snakes. Also how CRUCIAL it is to NOT blindly treat illnesses in snakes.

https://www.facebook.com/thecrazypinkcatlady/posts/10152646734644234

Thanks for sharing.

Ghostwolf, why does it matter how much your snake cost? It's a life that you chose to take under your care. You are responsible for it's well being.

It doesn't make sense either that you don't "have $500 to spend on a $40 snake". If the snake was cheap, you'd have more money left over for vet bills than compared to a very expensive snake.

[shaunyboy]

It does matter actually. If you're a vet tech wouldn't you want to know what it was to see if it was contagious? Maybe something new that could harm or wipe out full collections.

There's a woman, she goes by "Pink lady exotics". She had what every knowledgable vet thought was a severe, deadly RI virus. A new kind of Paramyxovirus.

However, after extensive research it turns out that it's something new. It has been named the Ball Python NidoVirus (BPNV). She is a cvt. So it mattered to her to find out the truth, even almost a decade later. For the future and betterment of everyone's hobby.

Here is a link to her page for all those who want a good read about viruses and RI's in snakes. Also how CRUCIAL it is to NOT blindly treat illnesses in snakes.

https://www.facebook.com/thecrazypinkcatlady/posts/10152646734644234

that was a great read mate

more vet's should have access to stuff like this,most of my local vet's just throw Baytril at every RI,unless you insist on cultures


cheers shaun

[Little Wise Owl]

I'm genuinely confused on how someone who can't even form proper sentences is a vet. tech...

This thread was incredibly frustrating to read. Don't buy animals if you don't want to take care of them properly if they get sick.

[Aaron_S]

I'm genuinely confused on how someone who can't even form proper sentences is a vet. tech...

This thread was incredibly frustrating to read. Don't buy animals if you don't want to take care of them properly if they get sick.

Whatever Shannon! Goes to show YOU don't know how to "hobby".

Instead of $500 on vet bills for a meaningful life of a "cheap" snake just buy 12 $40 snakes! Toss one away every month!

[Aaron_S]

that was a great read mate

more vet's should have access to stuff like this,most of my local vet's just throw Baytril at every RI,unless you insist on cultures


cheers shaun

Yeah it's pretty sad. I'm incredibly spoiled by having Guelph university about an hour away from me. They have a top notch herpetology department that does see the public at times.

[Wyldrose]

So sad to see people like this who don't care at all about animals... Now that he died you can go get another $40 snake and when he dies another? No respect for the animals at all. I personally have put hundreds of dollars in animals I got for free. Why would I do such a thing? Well it is because I have something called compassion, I love animals and it fills me with great pride to see those animals thrive.

[Minkness]

Agree 100% with Wyldrose!

I have taken in many horses for rehabilitation, and horses are NOT cheap! I can't any more and it sadens me every time I see yet another free horse ad or one that's for sale for like 100$.

I have thus far been lucky with my reptiles and not needed a vet, but if I should, I know where to go and would be prepared to pay the bill, or should a worse case senario happen either relinquish ownership or euthanize.

Same for my other critters. I brought home a 'free' cat that was surrendered to the vet clinic I worked at. Everyone BUT me chipped in on the bill to get him better, but I was the one to take him home and deal with all further vet expenses, including an operation of almost a thousand dollars that resulted in him loosing a limb. The story behind that is that even though I brought him home, he became my mom's cat and she was going to put him down (tearfully) because she put a 'value' on his life...thank god I had the money at the time, and my mom is VERY greatful and learned her lesson of an animals true 'worth'.

As I suggested to another user in here asking about the worth of store baught or breeder snakes, I told them to get what they wanted cheap if they liked, but treat it as if it was a 500$ investment. ...minimum!

Sorry for the rant but as soon as I read 'he's dead so it doesn't matter'and being told the OP is in a vet clinic, just....UHG! Even when I worked in the clinic I got my mom's cat from, I was just a kennel associate but paid attention, cared, and did EVERYTHING I could to learn and further help any animal I possibly could. No schooling, no title, just love and care for all animals!

-end rant-

[shaunyboy]

Yeah it's pretty sad. I'm incredibly spoiled by having Guelph university about an hour away from me. They have a top notch herpetology department that does see the public at times.

ive got the royal school of veterinary studies based at Edinburgh University 35 minutes drive away,they take on things from the members of the public,but are quite expensive,that said they have state of the art equipment,so can get to the bottom of and solve most problems


i had a great local vet that ended up taking a full time job at Edinburgh Zoo,i miss him.he grew up in South Africa and really knew his reptiles,he kept all sorts of reptiles himself and used to do talks once a month at my local reptile shop,also he waved his fee's charging only the very bare minimum anytime i saw him...

he told me he'd make a crap businessman as he hated taking money off people

if your going to keep exotics then imo it's a must,having access to a good vet


cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

So sad to see people like this who don't care at all about animals... Now that he died you can go get another $40 snake and when he dies another? No respect for the animals at all. I personally have put hundreds of dollars in animals I got for free. Why would I do such a thing? Well it is because I have something called compassion, I love animals and it fills me with great pride to see those animals thrive.

agree completely mate.....


there's no better feeling than seeing a snake come back from the brink of death,to go on to thrive and reproduce :):)


cheers shaun

[SoPhilly]

It does matter actually. If you're a vet tech wouldn't you want to know what it was to see if it was contagious? Maybe something new that could harm or wipe out full collections.

There's a woman, she goes by "Pink lady exotics". She had what every knowledgable vet thought was a severe, deadly RI virus. A new kind of Paramyxovirus.

However, after extensive research it turns out that it's something new. It has been named the Ball Python NidoVirus (BPNV). She is a cvt. So it mattered to her to find out the truth, even almost a decade later. For the future and betterment of everyone's hobby.

Here is a link to her page for all those who want a good read about viruses and RI's in snakes. Also how CRUCIAL it is to NOT blindly treat illnesses in snakes.

https://www.facebook.com/thecrazypinkcatlady/posts/10152646734644234

Wow, this is really good to know. This was a painful thread to read, but I'm gonna focus on having read this article as the take-away. Absolutely gonna print this out and bring it to my vet if one of my snakes ever get RI (or other) symptoms. Thanks for the link.

[Aaron_S]

Wow, this is really good to know. This was a painful thread to read, but I'm gonna focus on having read this article as the take-away. Absolutely gonna print this out and bring it to my vet if one of my snakes ever get RI (or other) symptoms. Thanks for the link.

You're welcome. I hope you never have to use it!