And then there was six...

sattva · 05-25-17, 09:11 AM

I pick up this little girl for $20.oo off craigslist last night... An Albino California Kingsnake... She has health issues that he didn't point out until I drove an hour to pick her up... I almost did get her because of it but I could leave her with him... He seemed like a nice enough guy and all, I just don't know if I can trust what he told me... He said he had taken pictures of her, {and he wasn't 100% sure it is female} posted them on a snake forum and I guess they all came to the conclusion that it was a fatty deposit caused by over breeding... It feels liquid filled to me... The two puncture wounds he said he hadn't seen them before... They look to far apart to me to be from her biting her self... Now he had another common Kingsnake he was also sell for $20.oo which I never took a look at... My mistake... I never saw the habitat because he brought the snake out from the back of the house... I wonder if he had them housed together and she had been bitten by the other one ... He told me he has had the snake for about a year and he has no idea how old it is... He said that she has had this problem every since he's had her...

I don't mind tell you I was a little disappointed on the drive home last night... I'm a little OCD on the the health of my animals and to start off in the hole doesn't feel comfortable to me... Like I said I almost turned her down because of it but I knew I could give her the best chance at a good life... The only reason my wife took her foot of the "snake brake" is that she was only $20.oo but now I might be looking at vet bills... I was starting to have regrets when I fell in love with her this morning...

Anyway I'd love some feed back on her health issues... Here's a video of her...
https://youtu.be/f6D8s_lIvC0

**EL Ziggy** · 05-25-17, 09:24 AM

I'm not sure what's causing that swelling but those puncture wounds look like bite marks to me. If that swelling doesn't improve I'd definitely take her to a vet. Sometimes we have to listen to that little voice of caution. If you get a bad feeling sometimes it's best to pass. She's a beautiful snake and I hope she's ok. Make sure to keep her in a strict QT for a few months.

sattva · 05-25-17, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

I'm not sure what's causing that swelling but those puncture wounds look like bite marks to me. If that swelling doesn't improve I'd definitely take her to a vet. Sometimes we have to listen to that little voice of caution. If you get a bad feeling sometimes it's best to pass. She's a beautiful snake and I hope she's ok. Make sure to keep her in a strict QT for a few months.

Ya that's about like what I was think also Ziggy... I want to wait and see if it changes... I don't run to the doctors for every little thing and so my animals don't get to either... My dog has a couple of lipomas; Hell, I have a few lipomas. It's only fitting that I have a snake with one... If indeed that's what it is! But the bite mark are suspicious...

You said I should have listened to that little voice of caution! Well my head was saying NO; My heart was tugging at me bad, and my gut! ...well I was hungry, I hadn't eaten yet... so ya I can't trust my gut... So you know who won...

You want to hear something weird? I'm 66 years and 6 months old and this will be my sixth snake... It's a good thing I'm not the superstitious type...

**EL Ziggy** · 05-25-17, 11:58 AM

LOL @ 6666 Noel.

dannybgoode · 05-25-17, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sattva

Ya that's about like what I was think also Ziggy... I want to wait and see if it changes... I don't run to the doctors for every little thing and so my animals don't get to either... My dog has a couple of lipomas; Hell, I have a few lipomas. It's only fitting that I have a snake with one... If indeed that's what it is! But the bite mark are suspicious...

You said I should have listened to that little voice of caution! Well my head was saying NO; My heart was tugging at me bad, and my gut! ...well I was hungry, I hadn't eaten yet... so ya I can't trust my gut... So you know who won...

You want to hear something weird? I'm 66 years and 6 months old and this will be my sixth snake... It's a good thing I'm not the superstitious type...

Being ill is your choice though and not one you should necessarily impose on your animals. That's not good care and you should get it checked out If there is suspicion of illness or injury.

Imo, ymmv etc apply

TRD · 05-25-17, 12:13 PM

Not sure, somehow this snake doesn't quite strike me as a cali king. The head just looks very off compared to the getula spp. I keep. Poor thing, though.

**Andy_G** · 05-25-17, 01:34 PM

- That's not a king snake. Looks like a pink phase snow corn snake to me.

- Sometimes colubrids will develop fatty deposits called "hips" right by their vent if they have been fed too much. Even after a diet, the "hips" tend to stay. It has nothing to do with breeding unless someone is overfeeding/powerfeeding their snake to breed it at a younger age...which is unfortunately common.

-That looks like an abcess that someone has tried to drain from the puncture wounds. It looks atypical for the aforementioned "hips". I strongly advise veterinary intervention in this case. This isn't some "little" thing because it can be an infection that can go septic and slowly kill the snake from the inside out.

**Aaron_S** · 05-25-17, 02:46 PM

I agree with Andy on his diagnosis.

I first thought the puncture wounds were caused by a bite but I can't fathom what would leave two "fang" marks like that. If it were true I'd consider an impacted or lost tooth in the wound is causing the swelling.

Andy's idea makes more logical sense and a vet visit would be ideal to get an idea of what you're dealing with.

I also agree it isn't a king snake. The pattern and colour are indicators of this. Other than the current issue seeking vet attention I think it looks like a good snake just needing a diet!

sattva · 05-25-17, 06:28 PM

Ya... You guys are probably right... I want to wait a couple of days to see if it changes; That will give me some time to hunt down a vet who knows his/her stuff... This guy assured me that she had this for the last year that he's had her... I wouldn't' think he would invite me into his home and then lie to me about it... That would be a dumb thing to do... She seems to be acting ok, active and all, so I don't think it's an emergency...
Is there anyway for a good vet to tell her age? I can live with it not being a kingsnake but I would like to know it's age and sex...

sattva · 05-25-17, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

LOL @ 6666 Noel.

I know, scary huh!

jjhill001 · 06-01-17, 02:21 PM

I'm not going to judge but remember, when you bring in a sick snake you put all of your other reptilian pets at risk. If I had been at this guys house I not only would have left, but I would have stripped my clothes down in the garage before entering my house and the clothes would go right in the washer. This seems like a more localized infection type thing but you just never know. I wish you luck on this snakes recovery.

Albert Clark · 06-01-17, 04:25 PM

Absolutely unacceptable to even give the snake away in this unhealthy condition much less ask for 20.00. It is a beautiful animal by all accounts. I feel sorry that you got taken advantage of bc you fell in love with the snake. The condition at the vent can certainly be different things but it looks to me like possible infected scent glands. In any case I wouldn't trust anything this seller told me and treat this snake as a emergency. Exotic vet without a doubt. Center for avian and exotics is one of the best in the country. Hope this helps sattva.

**Andy_G** · 06-01-17, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Absolutely unacceptable to even give the snake away in this unhealthy condition much less ask for 20.00. It is a beautiful animal by all accounts. I feel sorry that you got taken advantage of bc you fell in love with the snake. The condition at the vent can certainly be different things but it looks to me like possible infected scent glands. In any case I wouldn't trust anything this seller told me and treat this snake as a emergency. Exotic vet without a doubt. Center for avian and exotics is one of the best in the country. Hope this helps sattva.

I totally agree that this snake should've been given away and not paid for.

Since the scent glands are located at the base of the tail and this bump appears to be before the vent, I am not confident that it's the culprit as the location isn't right but I suppose it's possible, I have seen it manifest like that. What makes this alarming to me is how close this swelling is to the kidneys and the possible pressure it may be putting on them...kind of an important organ...

Any update Sattva?

Magdalen · 06-01-17, 04:39 PM

Have you found a vet yet? I know of a few places in our area that you can call if you PM me.

Albert Clark · 06-01-17, 04:52 PM

Right Andy. Very possible. The red spots could indicate a septic process already. Hope the animal can get the treatment it needs ASAP.