Boa too skinny?

[Mr.Anderson]

Hey guys,

I purchased a baby Suriname Redtail boa from underground reptiles late may (Though i highly suspect he's a mix between a BCI and BCC.) I've had him for just over a month now. I waited one week before feeding him the first time but he regurgitated his first meal a couple of days after the feeding. As per instructions i waited 2 weeks and started him on fuzzies which are smaller than regular sized meals for another two weeks and slowly he graduated to eating small mice as per underground reptiles instructions. He's a voracious eater but I still think he's underweight. The main bulk of his body is triangular shaped and i can feel his spine when i'm handling him. He has some loose skin as well. I'm wondering what i should do to rehabilitate him or if there's anything wrong with him. I attached a couple of pics of him for reference.

[Minkness]

He should probably be on rat pups if that's the case. Also, try raising the temps just a bit. Looks thin to me. Also, you may want to get a fecal done. I have heard stories of people getting reptiles with them that have parasites, which would also be a reason for being thin.

[travesty]

Also, you may want to get a fecal done. I have heard stories of people getting reptiles with them that have parasites, which would also be a reason for being thin.


From what I've heard pretty much all of their animals are wild caught.

[zactay22]

Definitely thin, unfortunately underground reptiles is known for this. I hope he pulls through.

[SnoopySnake]

From these pics the spine looks visible, definitely underweight. Feed smaller meals (About the width of his biggest part) more often, and get a fecal done. If he is eating well but not gaining and looking like that then something is up. Switch to rats ASAP. He should look like a loaf of bread, not a triangle or a circle :)

[Mr.Anderson]

Thank you guys. I scheduled a vet appointment for thursday the 7th. Hopefully whatever it is, they can help. Also i've been buying his frozen mice from my local pet store and they don't carry rats. I've looked online and the cost for shipping is super high. Where would you suggest i get rat pups?

[Mr.Anderson]

This is what i feed him every week(small mouse) now that regurgitation isn't an issue. This was today.

[serpentgirl123]

Despite your boa being a bit too thin, he is definitely quite gorgeous! I have no doubt that he will pack on the weight soon.

I don't know where you are located. But if online shipping is too much, especially if you only have 5 or less snakes, I would suggest to see if there is a local reptile expo near you.

I usually pick up feeders there if my online feeder places are low or out on inventory/feeders that I need.

[macandchz]

maybe you could increase his feeding to a couple of times a week. mac's not a boa but i feed him approx. 2-3 times a week depending on his climbing around looking for food. the mice are med.-large depending on what petco has. he rejects them if he wants but i usually guess right that he's hungry.

[bigsnakegirl785]

At his size, mice are appropriate, and will be more nutritious than rats. I wouldn't switch until he's eating jumbo mice that are 25-30+ grams, then get him on weaned rats.

Do not feed more than once a week, getting a fecal done and feeding properly will get him back up to weight. Feeding him a bunch of food multiple times a week or feeding larger prey items can shock his system. Feed appropriate prey items every 7-10 days and he will gain weight with time.

If the fecal comes back with parasites, he isn't going to gain any weight until you get rid of them.

[Mr.Anderson]

Update: Today he regurgitated his food from yesterday again. That's the second time he's done this in the past month and a half. At this point i'm worried about his survival. I contacted underground reptiles but they won't respond until tuesday. I don't know what i'm supposed to do at this point.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Update: Today he regurgitated his food from yesterday again. That's the second time he's done this in the past month and a half. At this point i'm worried about his survival. I contacted underground reptiles but they won't respond until tuesday. I don't know what i'm supposed to do at this point.

Judging by the feeding photos I'd go down a size, BC(C) aren't supposed to eat as big of meals as B(C)I. He probably regurged because the meal was too large, this species is very delicate when it comes to prey size. Whatever you feed him shouldn't leave any bulge.

What you need to do now is give him 2 weeks before offering any food and you should order some NutriBAC and coat his next 3-4 meals with it and each time you increase the prey size. The NutriBAC should help him increase his gut flora a bit faster.

[Albert Clark]

From what I've heard pretty much all of their animals are wild caught.
Negative! That's not true. I have sold Underground Reptiles some of my captive bred hatchlings in the past. They definitely have a breeding facility and do produce and buy captive bred animals.
Definitely thin, unfortunately underground reptiles is known for this. I hope he pulls through.
Also not true. They do have some unfortunate occurrences in the past with dissatisfied customers but they will work to make things right based on their terms of service. I know Rian and he will definitely work to make sure a customer gets satisfied. Underground has a very large inventory of animals and there is inevitably going to be things that go wrong.

[Andy_G]

Underground reptiles deals with everything from CB bred by them all the way to drop shipment imports. That is why they have had issues. Always ask about what you're getting. Not a "bad" company from what i've heard because as Albert said they do have great TOS and will work with you but not first place I'd go if I lived in the U.S.

Those meals are much too large for a BCC. Follow BSG's advice..the only thing I would change is to wait 3 weeks rather than 2.

[Ian of Oldham]

Your boa look great and hope he is well,

[Mr.Anderson]

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely look into it. I contacted underground Reptiles and sent them photos and they claim my boa is perfectly healthy... I'll try outlining the issues for them. Happy 4th!

[brandonh]

vet visit tomorrow? let us know how everything goes!

[Mr.Anderson]

I just came back from the vet. In his regular examination, he didn't have any physical illnesses or injuries but the doc said he was definitely underweight and she gave him a 3/10 in terms of physical condition. She suspects parasites. Cryptosporidium to be exact. She gave me a prescription of metronidazole and also I sent a stool sample and the results will be live in 24-48 hours. Hopefully the treatment will work. She suggested I feed him earlier than 2 weeks after regurgitation but a much smaller meal, like a small pinky.

[Andy_G]

That suspicion as well as the treatment doesn't make a lot of sense here. Is your vet very familiar with exotics? What kind of testing was done for them to come to this assumption? Fecal, swab, anything? I absolutely hate whenever something is prescribed without some kind of C&S involved. I also strongly disagree with feeding so shortly after a regurgitation takes place and wouldn't do that even if it was a vet's advice.

Cryptosporidium is a water bourne parasite that will primarily be introduced to it's host by means of infected drinking water or contact with contaminated feces. There may be other vectors but I am not certain. It is not treatable to my knowledge with reptiles to the point of reaching a cure and would require lifelong treatment and isolation from all other reptiles just to keep it's number at a somewhat controlled level. Most people who have had the misfortune of dealing with it just throw everything away that has been in contact with the animal and aren't up for the lifelong treatments and quality of life becomes questionable in those cases. If you have anything else in yor collection and you've even used the same feeding tools you could be in for a world of hurt. I hope that you have quarantined this critter from the start.

I hope your vet was incorrect in their assumption. Almost anything else would be much less sinister, and if the "blind" treatment works then it's probably not crypto. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject can chime in as I am only a long-time hobbyist and breeder.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Yeah totally agree with Andy here, from what I inferred from your post, the vet hasn't even done any testing yet. They gave you a diagnosis before sending in the samples, and you're waiting on results. Crypto is a rather serious condition to just declare out of nowhere before any testing.

Unless the tests come back positive with crypto or another parasite, the more likely culprit to his skinniness could be constant regurges. They can seriously take a toll on their bodies, and he's regurged at least twice in your care from what I can tell. He could also have been underfed, or wild caught and underweight.

And again, I agree with Andy, do not feed your boa early. Wait the 2-3 weeks and then feed, and I seriously advise ordering some NutriBAC.

[Mr.Anderson]

Yeah I highly doubt it's crypto either seeing as Mr. Anderson is my only pet. I declined the vet's proposal to do a crypto test because it requires a stomach flush for which Mr. Anderson isn't physically prepared. He's top frail. Also as you said it's rare and untreatable. It does match up with all the symptoms of my snake though, that's why she suspected it but then again so do other parasites. I just went with the fecal exam for which the results should be ready in 48 hours or so. I did research before I took the metronidazole and it doesn't harm the snake, though I plan to wait the 48 hours for the results of the fecal before administering anything. Thank you for your response, it's very reassuring to know I did the right thing by not getting the crypto test. Also yeah I wouldn't feed him earlier since he's so fragile now. The vet is an exotics expert but admittedly she didn't seem to have much experience with boas. She mainly compared then to BPs and there are a lot of differences there.

[Mr.Anderson]

Also the NutriBAC is in the mail �� I'm doing all I can to ensure Mr. Anderson's recovery

[bigsnakegirl785]

Good to hear! Vets are knowledgeable, but unlike dog or cat vets, they have to learn a little bit of a whole host of different species. So, often the story goes they have a tiny bit of knowledge of a handful of species and don't become experts on one or a couple. So, while they're a valuable tool, you have to also do your own research to check their info.

[Mr.Anderson]

One last note, the vet didn't declare out right that it was crypto, she suggested that it could be. However i highly doubt that it is. Even if it is, I can't do anything about it and since he's my only animal the most I can do is provide for his comforts. I think it's a worm from what I've seen of the feces. I'll update you guys on the results of the tests!

[Albert Clark]

Consider triple checking your husbandry also bc the incorrect temperatures can lead to regurging and inappetance before any parasitic infestation. Not saying yours is off , but it will certainly be a differential. And you may be surprised.

[dannybgoode]

Any updates on Mr Anderson? He's a lovely looking snake and I'm hoping he's coming on nicely...

[DLLNP]

Any updates on Mr Anderson? He's a lovely looking snake and I'm hoping he's coming on nicely...

I was wondering the same thing!

[Mr.Anderson]

Hey guys, so it's been 3 weeks since i took him to the vet and he's been doing a lot better. The results of the fecal came in negative, however the vet insisted that i try the metronidazole perscription and so i did. one dose a day for three days and then two weeks later, repeat. I just finished giving him his last dose. I started seeing change in his behavior 2 days after the first dose. He was suddenly more active and inquisitive than before. He used to just sit under his hot spot and bask all day without moving or even acknowledging my presence and wouldn't put up any struggle when being picked up. He is now a lot more curious. He's actually using the climbing branch i put in his enclosure for the first time! he climbs up the often and perches on the branch and looks around. After the metronidazole he's a lot more responsive too. first time i fed him after his regurgitation a month ago, he actually struck at the thawed mouse very aggressively. He now tracks me when i enter the room or move around and flickers his tongue. I still don't know what disease or parasite it was but the metronidazole worked. I'm very happy and excited to see him being active and alert. He's still a sweetheart when being held but his grip is stronger and although he is still underweight (we're working on that), it is obvious that he's exerting more pressure than before when he felt limp. What do you guys think the problem was if it was solved by the metronidazole?

[Selena_23]

Sorry, but What is Nutribac? Alive bacteria for a gastrointestinal tract?

[Albert Clark]

Metronidazole is the generic name for Flagyl. It's a very versatile drug that is bacteriocidal,trichomonacidal and amoebocidal. The term cidal, when used medically,refers to something that kills rather than suppresses (static). It's used in a variety of doses to target specific anaerobic, or flagellates or protozoan infections. If the boa had a negative fecal he may have had a different organism that was susceptible to Flagyl.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Sorry, but What is Nutribac? Alive bacteria for a gastrointestinal tract?

Pretty much that, it's a probiotic for reptiles.