Star Gazing? is this it?
Cleo has almost always been the type of snake who sometimes while at rest will 'look up' it is never really on a 90 degree angle or anything, she just curves her neck upwards. I never worried much, until when we took her for her fecal because she regurged (it was NEGATIVE) btw (and she had a large poop to test) the vet mentioned that Boas are the main carriers of that disease.
Well I didn't think anything of it then either until I read this off a website:
"Signs of infection in boas include central nervous system disorders such as paralysis, being unable to right itself when turned over, "star-gazing", inability to strike or constrict. Other signs include chronic regurgitation, extreme weight loss, respiratory infections, and dysecdysis due to the inability to control body movements enough to rub off the old skin. The disease is rapidly fatal in young and juvenile boas, typified by rapid onset of flaccid paralysis."
The part that concerns me is the shedding part. Her last shed, she didn't really do anything, the skin was hanging off her like an old sock. I had to help her out with that shed. by itself it could be nothing but with the looking up I am now worried.
when she is out, she is normal, and she thermoregulates normally, and when she is in her hide she relaxes normally. only when she is outside the hide does she 'look up' like that.
Should I be concerned? especially since a fecal was done just last week? that one part of the explanation of the disease really is freaking me and my boyfriend out...
Any advice would be appreciated. if she does it again tonight, I'll get a picture to show you all...
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If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?"
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