BRB Losing Scales? - Page 4

Albert Clark · 10-07-16, 09:52 PM

Man! Just when things seemed to be on track. Well, I hope you can get to the bottom of this soon. I would rethink the euthanization until I get info from the exotic vet. That's just me though.

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-07-16, 10:01 PM

Yeah definitely gonna wait on the vet, and at least see if he's competent and confident enough to handle this. Really depends on what both say. I'll call him on my lunch break Monday and maybe I'll get ahold of him this time. Last time I called at that hour he was out, but I can call again Tues before work if that doesn't work.

Albert Clark · 10-08-16, 04:19 AM

Hopefully this will be a distant memory soon! Good luck. My fingers are crossed for Morzan and you.

RAD House · 10-08-16, 08:05 PM

How long does he keep the meal down before he regurgitates? You probably already said this, but I don't feel like rereading the whole post.

SnoopySnake · 10-08-16, 08:10 PM

Is there any particular reason the temp is that low? I thought I recall seeing Dave say he keeps his hot spot closer to 82, just wondering if maybe it'd help him keep meals down? Although 78-80 still would be warm enough to digest, just curious if maybe the snake isn't agreeing with it for some reason......just a thought really...not sure if that's something that's been mentioned or thought of before but maybe worth talking to others about?

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-08-16, 10:28 PM

He usually regurges within 4 days, about 2-3 days after eating.

78F is when the heat tape is turned off (Hydrofarms have a 2 or 3 degree differential that you cannot change), and 81F is the hot spot temperature that I aim for, so that is where the heat tape maxes out at. With heating elements like RHPs and CHEs, the temps continue to rise for a few more degrees after being shut off, so the difference in temperatures would be even greater, but that doesn't seem the case with heat tape.

I'm going to raise his heat tape to 85F and see that helps, but I cannot offer any more food until the 21st. Ambients in the room are usually in the low to mid-80's but the moist bedding lowers the temps in his tub by a couple degrees. The temps are dropping at night now that the nights are cold, but once it gets much colder I'll be kicking up the strength of the heater and it will warm back up. Sanji and Morzan are by the window, so they'll still be colder than the rest of the collection, though.

Dave Colling keeps his babies' hot spot at 78-79F and his adults up to 82F or 83F iirc. (Not sure if that's the Dave you're referring to.)

RAD House · 10-08-16, 10:48 PM

I was going to suggest you raise the temps as well. It can help jumpstart his immune system if he is sick regardless of feeding. I have a ball python that seems to regurg with a hotspot any less than about 92, even though below that is well with in the suggested range. With elevated temps he does great, hopefully this will help.

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-08-16, 11:11 PM

I did originally have his set to 83F like Sanji's, but I thought it was causing his regurges so I set it lower. I can raise it again, but a little higher and see if it helps. I will offer him another fuzzy on the 21st and see if he keeps the next few meals down. It will be rather close to his next shed cycle but maybe the higher heat will help him out or something....

In the meantime I'm going to call the vet's office again and see if it's worthwhile to take him out there. I'm less worried about skin infections, RIs, that sort of thing, since treatments are pretty universal but complicated issues like this I'm a lot less willing to trust a vet if they don't seem fairly experienced. Seen too many stories of vets suggesting people to do things at the cost of the snake's life, that were obviously dangerous to the experienced keeper. If he continues to be difficult to get ahold of, or won't talk with me over the phone, or something else is off, I'm not going to take him in.

I didn't bother him, but went into the snake room a few minutes ago and he was out and about, crawling around his tub.

Snakesitter · 10-13-16, 02:36 PM

I agree with raising the temps a bit -- n higher than 82F, though.

The lack of righting himself does worry me a bit. Hopefully he was just being lazy!

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-13-16, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakesitter

I agree with raising the temps a bit -- n higher than 82F, though.

The lack of righting himself does worry me a bit. Hopefully he was just being lazy!

Yup put it up to 85F.

It worried me too, but I'm 99.99% sure he just didn't have the strength. No sign of being uncoordinated or lack of muscle control, just weakness. He's crawling around at night no problem.

Snakesitter · 10-14-16, 07:00 PM

85F is a bit high...I'd lower a bit (the "o" was missing from "no" above). Otherwise sounds good.

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-14-16, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakesitter

85F is a bit high...I'd lower a bit (the "o" was missing from "no" above). Otherwise sounds good.

Ah ok. lol Well his ambients are the same temp since they're room temp, just upped his hot spot, shouldn't affect his ambients. It's just a small part of his tub off to one side, maybe 1/3 at most so he could easily escape the 85F area. Afaik 85F is fine so long as they have a way to get away from it. He still seems to use the hot spot like normal, too.

I can lower it I'd just like to see if a slightly warmer than average hot spot helps him first.

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-22-16, 12:39 AM

He ate a 3 gram fuzzy earlier, now we wait.

dave himself · 10-22-16, 02:07 AM

Fingers crossed for you he keeps it down poor wee guy

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-24-16, 10:54 PM

Day 4 and no regurge yet! We're almost in the safe zone! Usually he doesn't regurge on Day 6-7 so hopefully he continues doing well here. Last I checked on him, his bulge was already starting to dissipate.

I've had to roll up a blanket underneath the window to block off the bottom of the plastic we put over it because cold air was coming out and making him and Sanji too cold, but it's done the trick!

We also got a new space heater for that room, a quartz heater, and it heats quite well without making the whole room feel like a sauna in certain pockets. It even heats the corners quite well, whereas with the other one we'd have pockets where it was in the low 70's while the rest of the room was 85-88F.