Quote:
Originally Posted by kuester
Why? She said since its kind of a chronic thing disinfecting the cage will only reduce his immune system
|
These kind of threads are always a bit difficult, since there tends to be a strong temptation toward providing an "Internet diagnosis" of the condition, which--without ever having examined the animal in person--can be very hit or miss for even the most medically-experienced keepers. Based on what you're describing, it sounds like the boa is susceptible to respiratory infections. This can either be a consequence of husbandry conditions or it may be genetic. Assuming that we can rule out the former, here is how I have dealt with snakes that were susceptible to developing respiratory infections even under the most ideal husbandry conditions:
- provide 24-hour heat, especially in the Winter
- avoid/minimize stress factors, such as having the enclosure in a high-traffic area
- keep the enclosure sparkly-clean to minimize unwanted exposure to pathogenic bacteria
- keep appropriate antibiotics on hand & treat aggressively and thoroughly when needed
With regard to the proper way to disinfect the enclosure, I would grab some F10SC and call it good. Alternatively, I would not hesitate to use a 10% bleach solution to spray down the enclosure, briefly let it sit, wipe it dry, and then let it air out. Depending on the size of the enclosure, the entire process takes less than an hour.
As for the idea that using a disinfectant would further compromise the animal's immune system, that type of statement by a licensed veterinarian would seriously challenge me to keep a straight face. While it certainly wouldn't be a good idea to raise animals in a completely sterile environment (not even labs do this), an animal that presently has a bacterial infection already has a compromised immune system, and must therefore not be exposed to any additional pathogens. The advice of just using hot water to clean the enclosure is analogous to being told to eat a cookie when you're thirsty--not only is it pointless, but it actually could make things worse.
Hybrid Mode
