Lethargic and Im fearing the worst

FinishingFlight · 09-12-16, 09:15 PM

So I spoke a while ago about one of my females just not eating for me and loosing weight. Well after putting her in a tub she started eating better and I charted her weight. Well today I went to check for poo and take her out for her monthly weigh in. I don't know if she is going to make it through the night until I can take her to a vet in the morning.

She normally is my grumpiest hoggie, hissing and bluffing if I touch her, or mess with her bedding too much. Today I didn't even get a hiss when I went to move her. She didn't move much at all. She was stiff and didn't curl around my hand or anything. She was always very active and flighty. I turned her upside down and she didn't right herself. I had to turn her back over 40 seconds later.

I weighed her and she now weighs 47g, when I got her she was 72g. She ate a very small fuzzy three days ago and seemed to be her hissy self. Looking at her closely now it kind of looks like the mass from the mouse is still in the front half of her body, farther up than normal and it hasn't moved since she ate. I'm soaking her on a warm damp washcloth (with very little water as I don't want her to drown). She had some fecal material leaking from her cloaca. So I wonder if it's a blockage.

If she had been fine before and isn't now I'm really wondering what I did wrong. She was very stressed and a problem feeder the first two months. So I moved her into a tub with aspen chips, a hide on both ends and a small water dish. The hot side is 87* on top of the aspen and 94* underneath, with the cold around 77* on top of the aspen. I've tried to keep her eating every four days for weight gain but she has been inconsistent. She does not get handled except for bedding change and weight checks since she gets so stressed out.

I'm short I'm at a loss and hope that she can make it through the night so I can go to a vet tomorrow. If anyone has any advice of something that can help her now I would appreciate it.

Albert Clark · 09-12-16, 10:18 PM

Sorry to hear about the hoggie FF. The first thing, is the animal captive born and bred? The first thing I think of in a snake with inappetance and weight loss is parasites. All snakes live with low numbers of protozoa and parasites but then there are things that happen to the snake that makes those numbers increase and the animal gets in trouble and becomes symptomatic. It could be husbandry related or plain stress that kicks the parasitic loads into overdrive. So that has to be ruled out. There will be a need for you to collect a stool specimen, so don't go to the vet until you secure that. In the meantime bumping up the temps is always a initial treatment to boost the animals immune system.

FinishingFlight · 09-12-16, 10:37 PM

I am pretty upset over her condition as I had hoped she was finally on the upswing when we got her eating again.

She was captive born and bred. It would make sense that the amount of stress and lack of eating could cause an immunity weakness. She was very stressed when I got her.

If my thermostat is set at 96* what should I bump it up to?

What is the best way to collect a stool sample? Should I remove bedding and have her on a paper towel or without bedding?

Albert Clark · 09-12-16, 10:55 PM

Thermostat at 96f and then your warm side is 87f then I would bump the thermostat setting up to 100f and monitor my warm side and keep it at 89f or 90f as the tub temperature. Hot spot or basking should be in that range also.

Albert Clark · 09-12-16, 10:59 PM

The stool sample, if you can get it should be collected and double ziplock bagged and refrigerated until the vet appointment. It will be cost effective and save time to have the sample but if she is really that bad off then take her in w/o it.

FinishingFlight · 09-12-16, 11:33 PM

Thank you Albert, but it appears that she will not make it. I just went to check on her. She is barely breathing but coiled up and mouth agape, but is not moving or upside down like I have seen for playing dead.

I wish I would have noticed sooner, I wonder if the vet could have helped. She was fine for her feeding three days ago and then stayed buried the past few days when I checked on water.

SnoopySnake · 09-12-16, 11:44 PM

So sorry to hear this-I don't really have much to add as far as what could be wrong, but if she doesn't make it and you want answers (necrospy)....sorry if this sounds insensitive but do not put her in the freezer, make sure to only refrigerate as freezing damages tissues. I hope she pulls through.

Albert Clark · 09-13-16, 05:34 AM

Man, this is upsetting. I am so sorry you are going through this. It seem as if similar issues are going around with animals expiring lately. Do you think you can be seen as a emergency life and death case at the vet? Is it too late for that?

macandchz · 09-13-16, 06:26 AM

sorry you have to go through this. i never realized how lucky i am to have a vet that specializes in reptiles in walking distance. so many on here are so far away from help.

**Andy_G** · 09-13-16, 08:31 AM

Sometimes with our captives we can do everything right and problems can still occur. It sounds too late for a vet. What you had mentioned in the past wasn't a lot of weight loss...but the one mentioned here is a drastic weight loss and it sounds parasitic. This is a shame to hear and I am sorry you are dealing with this.

SnoopySnake · 09-14-16, 09:05 AM

Any update?

SnakeyJay · 09-14-16, 11:31 AM

Just read this and I hope that she's pulled thru in a perfect world....

If not then I'd get a necropsy done, as has been said... I took on a boa a while ago that was in a state... Nursed it as much as I could but eventually it had to be PTS.. Refrigerated and then a necropsy done just for peace of mind that 1 I'd done everything that I could, and 2 to make sure the rest of my animals were OK.

Hopefully you can get closure on this and find out the root cause of it all...

I wish you the best of luck with it all.

JellyBean · 09-14-16, 11:51 AM

Oh no! I am hoping for the best, and fearing the worse...

So sorry!!
Please update is when you can ((hugs))

FinishingFlight · 09-14-16, 12:04 PM

She did not make it through the night. I looked into reptile vets but there was nothing open I could find.

I called the vet in the morning and talked about what happened. They said from what it sounds like it was a parasite problem with the stress of moving. Says obviously they are not sure on anything and it needs to be confirmed but with said that it isn't cheap to run the necropsy. (Though they didn't tell me the price, maybe I should have asked anyways) Just to keep on eye on the male that she came with and a close eye on the others. I was thankful the vet would just talk to me about it, think I found one I will use in the future.

Magdalen · 09-14-16, 02:01 PM

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you can get a fecal done on the male to be on the safe side. I've also heard necropsies aren't cheap either.