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View Full Version : Indo Trea Boa acting weird--shedding? dehydrated?


modglila
01-01-08, 02:35 PM
Our Indonesian Trea Boa is acting weird. I just noticed it this morning and it's New Year's Day. I have the card for a vet that services reptiles, but I have never been in to visit them. His service provides the number of another vet whom I have called, but does not service reptiles. They told me to find a reptile vet. Just so you know I've tried the obvious of calling the vet first. The store where I got him isn't open today either.

He has a gekko in his cage with him so we haven't gotten him out much in the past week. The gekko stays at the very tip top of the cage and the snake can't get up there.

Yesterday, I noticed the snake change positions about three or four times. He doesn't do much, but I still check on him just to see what he's up to. I didn't notice anything odd yesterday, but maybe I just didn't see it.

Today, he was coiled up on the bottom of his cage, which he does sometimes, but I noticed that his skin looked a lot lighter in color. When I got closer, I thought he "didn't look too good" for lack of a better description. He is 18 inches long and I'd say his head and about four inches down are the normal color and look, but the rest of his body is ashen.

I have to admit, I'm afraid of him so I had my daughter get him out of the cage. His body is kind of stiff and isn't supple like usual. He didn't care for her getting him out of his cage at all. He usually reacts very calmly to her.

He has a water dish and I did notice that the level was going down more quickly than usual, but the temperature isn't higher than normal in his cage. In case he was dehydrated, I got a larger dish and my daughter put him in it. He left a few inches of his body in the dish, and when I checked on him, I noticed white fluid coming out of a whole near his tail and he smells awful.

I cleaned his cage, wet it down and put him back in, trying to put him into the shallow dish, but I missed and his body kind of stood on end. He didn't squirm or move for a few minutes.

The on-call vet suggested that he was shedding, but when I looked online, it says they shed from the head to the tail. He has some of the other symptoms I saw like the funny color and being a little more irritable than usual.

We have had him for about six weeks and he hasn't shed. We have noticed that his underbelly is getting really shiny and thought he was shedding a little at a time instead of in a complete shed like he's supposed to.

So, have a provided enough details to tell if he's dehydrated or just shedding? I don't know that I can get him to a vet before tomorrow and I'm afraid he will die.

modglila
01-01-08, 04:25 PM
We've been squirting him with water periodically and he has climbed back into his tree. The last time I checked on him, he was draped across the tree with the tip of his nose touching the water in his water dish. He does that once in awhile and I wonder if he is getting a drink. Who can tell? His color is still lighter on the back end than on the front end, but he does look better. We took his food out of the cage so we don't have to worry about it escaping.

We're still new at this and it's definitely different than having cats and dogs!

DaemoNox
01-02-08, 08:32 AM
Can you describe his setup, what temps hes kept at? Do you have any pictures of the snake? Is he wild caught? These are definatly not symptoms of shedding and this is definatly not a good species for someone still new in the hobby (especially if its wild caught). What is a gecko doing in there? Food?

I strongly recommend having him checked out by a vet who is experianced and knowledgeable in reptules

RIBBIT
01-03-08, 08:31 AM
can I see a pic?

treeboa34
01-05-08, 02:36 PM
the gecko will be completely terriefied even if it is food it shouldnt be put through that kind of stress rodents are much better as food and probably cheaper and safer(frozen/defrosted) The tree boas of the candoia prey on lizard in the wild so if the gecko is just a cage mate id remove it sharpish hope you dont think im being awful and i dont want to come across as preachy its just advice and i genuinly hope the boa is ok good luck with it all the same