R.I.P. Majik and Mystery

[Will0W783]

Last night was a sad night for me. I had the pleasure of owning two incredibly docile, wonderful male emerald tree boas for the last 5 years. These two boys were happy and healthy and great snakes to work with, until about two years ago when Mystery stopped eating. I wasn't terribly concerned about it, until Majik also stopped six months later. I had them to my vet and we ran tests to look for parasites and bacteria. We couldn't find anything conclusive, but the snakes seemed lethargic so they were given a course of Panacur and Amakacin. They perked up but neither ate. A year later they were given Tylan, also to no avail. I began forcefeeding in an attempt to keep some weight on them and help them survive, but they continued to lose weight and waste away. They also started to bloat up with gas, almost to the point of looking like ovulating females, although both were confirmed male. Probiotics and Reglan were given, also to no avail.

Last night, after almost two years of the struggle, I knew it was time to end their suffering. They had almost no muscle and I couldn't bear to try any more. It was breaking my heart to see my sweet boys so miserable. I took them back to Dr. Terry and he agreed. We'd tried everything, he'd contacted all the emerald experts he knew and the zoos that kept them and we'd both read everything we could find....nothing fit. How could they live for two years with a bacterial or parasitic infection that didn't show up on any tests? They should have succumbed long ago if it was that. It was almost as though they just both decided they didn't want to live anymore. We peacefully put them to sleep last night. I'll miss them terribly, but I know they are not hurting anymore and they are at peace. I'm done with arboreal booid snakes....I couldn't bear to see another animal go through a slow decline like this, and apparently it's not all that unusual with ETBs and GTPs. At least I have great memories and photos of these two I can keep with me. Rest in peace, my big green machines.

Majik

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/Arboreal%20snakes/IMG_2474.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/Arboreal%20snakes/IMG_2461.jpg


Mystery

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/Arboreal%20snakes/IMG_2476.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/Arboreal%20snakes/IMG_2478.jpg

[Wildside]

Sorry for your loss. That is really strange though.

[infernalis]

My condolences.........

[MoreliAddict]

Sorry for your loss, Kim.

[aaron_cg]

Wow, my condolences are with you. Beautiful snakes from the pictures.

[Will0W783]

Thanks everyone. I was very attached to these two....the whole situation was bizarre. I'm done with arboreal boid snakes...no more GTPs, ETBs, ATBs....they're just too delicate and I couldn't bear to go through something like this again.

They were in rough shape when I got them; the seller sent them covered in mites and ice cold. I kept them because I couldn't stand the thought of sending them back to someone who'd let them get like that, and they came around and were wonderful snakes. I don't know if there was an underlying problem from the poor care they got before me, or if they were just old (they were LTC snakes).

[Lankyrob]

So sorry for your loss willow, it was seeing pictures of these guys when i first joined that planted the seed about owning arboreals for me. :(

[TragicTaste]

Its never fun to hear about close pet losses like this, but you are a great keeper for investing so much in these little guys and being sweet enough to end their long suffering.

[Zoo Nanny]

Willow I'm so sorry, what a heart breaking loss for you I'm sure. Always keep in mind that these boys lived their last years in a home where they were loved and well cared for by you. Very beautiful fellows.

[Donnie]

Sorry to hear of your loss :(

[Little Wise Owl]

I'm sorry for your loss. At least they lived out their last years in a wonderful home.

[BarelyBreathing]

This is sad. I'm sorry.

[DragonsEye]

My condolences. :(

[Jay]

Bummer, sorry for the losses. How old were they when you acquired them?

[Will0W783]

I honestly don't know Jay. He said he'd had them for several years and that they were both brought in as babies. I wouldn't have really trusted his word on the age anyway, considering the horrid mite infestation and stuck on shed all over them when they came.

[Jay]

That's sad, remember you did all you could for these guys.

[Will0W783]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. It means a lot to me. I feel pretty badly today, wondering if I could have done something different to prevent them from ever getting ill in the first place. I just don't know...cage was large, temps were great, big thermal gradient, plenty of humidity...and they thrived for over 2 years before going downhill.

[CK SandBoas]

I am so sorry Kim! My thoughts and prayers go out to you while you deal with the loss of your beloved Majik and Mystery..... :(

[alessia55]

RIP Majik & Mystery... I'm so sorry Kim :( I wish I could go over to your house to be with you during this tough time :( they were wonderful...and you know how much I loved seeing them. You did what was best for them, though. Hugs

Majik
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_7962.jpg

Mystery
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_7952.jpg

[cossiecraig]

My sincere thoughts & condolances to you Kim

[Rogue628]

My condolences, Kim. They couldn't have had a better keeper than you.

[sprice]

I'm sorry for your lost, at least you have your memories and pictures to remember they by.

[Snakewitch]

My condolences wiilow.

[Will0W783]

Thanks, and thank you for the pictures Alessia! You always take awesome photos....in that one, you can see how Majik (it's spelled wrong on purpose) was getting thin already....that was about a year after he'd stopped eating. :(

[Missster Snake]

I'm really sorry to hear about this. You did the right thing putting them down. Things happen and your pets are all gona eventually die. When my first snake died it made me not ever want one but after a little time I realized I couldent let it stop me from having something I love so much so don't let it ruin anything and make you not want any arboreals you already have a nice set up after a little time I think you will have a new member to your collection :)

[Will0W783]

Misster Snake, thank you for the kind words. I think I'm going to stick with the arboreal vipers rather than the boids. I had trouble with my green tree python for years (although he came to me not perfectly healthy) and the emeralds just made me not want to go through that again. My Cryptelytrops, Atheris and Tropidolaemus are doing wonderfully though, so I'm happy to continue to keep them. My eventual goal is to build up a varied collection of the rarer arboreal pit vipers (Viridovipera, Popeia, Cryptelytrops, Trimeresurus) and help my friend establish solid breeding lines in the US.

I just don't think that arboreal pythons and boas are for me, sadly.

[millertime89]

Really sorry for your loss Kim. They were gorgeous. I too wonder if there was some root problem festering inside or perhaps they were just old? Anyways, they're at peace now.

[Will0W783]

I have no idea Kyle...it broke my heart to see the slow decline and feel so helpless with no answers. They are such a frustrating species at times, but I was lucky to have had two such sweethearts of ETBs for a while.

[SpOoKy]

My condolences KIm, very sorry for your loss.