FaunaClassifieds - View Single Post - Info Ashley Caspillo-SakaraGT4/Sakara *Possible Buyer Beware!*

12-01-2010, 07:53 PM

I'm going to come out in the open here and explain my situation here for a minute.

People most commonly seem to think that IBD ravages through collections quickly. In some cases it does, and in some cases it doesnt. From my own observations with my own snakes, quickly is not the case.

I had one of my favorite boas die in March 2009. She had a sudden severe case of pneumonia and stomatitis, and that is even what her necropsy/pathology results stated, but they also confirmed inclusion bodies (IBD) found in the liver and intestinal tissues tested.

I am not positive as to which snake was carrying the disease or how long it has been brewing, but even my strict quarantine protocols taking place in a building completely seperate from my reptile building was not enough to keep a snake from sneaking the disease into my collection, even after quarantining each new animal for over 6 months.

Since nearly two years ago, I have lost 6 snakes, two of which were voluntarily euthanized myself, and one of which I just lost this evening. I am still battling the disease.

First was the initial boa (died March 2009) that tested positive for IBD. Next was a subadult female ball python (died winter 2009-2010), my adult male blood python (died June 2010), another female boa (euthanized Oct. 2010), a male boa (euthanized Oct. 2010), and this evening (Dec. 1st) my female suriname boa. The male boa, even though he still ate and drank normally, began to severely become anorexic and lose all muscle mass over time since the death of the first initial boa. He had also developed a large tumor, which is also a side effect of IBD. He eventually became skin and bones like you wouldn't believe, and so I put him out of his misery. The same was for the other female boa (not the initial). She also became anorexic, and also had a slight odd head wobble.

In some of my other boas and a python currently, I will often see them stare straight up for long periods of time. They don't arch over their own bodies or flip over like in some more severe cases of IBD. My snakes will just stare up and will be completely unaware of my presence when I walk around the room or wave my arm at them. I will even bang my fist hard on the side of the enclosure a few times and they will be unresponsive, and it takes quite an effort to get their attention, even when opening the enclosure door. Sometimes they respond when I bang on the side of the enclosure, but much of the time it takes effort, or I even have to touch them to get them to snap out of the blank staring. Other than that, they act otherwise normal, get anxious when they smell food thawing, and eat normally.

I do not have the heart to euthanize my entire collection, so the entire reptile room is under it's own lockdown and strict quarantine. The only time snakes leave the building is if they either die or are euthanized, and any snakes that become physically/visuall ill are euthanized. I still have 5 pythons, but a couple are not the same as they were nearly two years ago, so I am keeping an eye on them. I don't even enter any of the snakes' enclosures except to clean water bowls, clean enclosures or feed them. A new pair of latex gloves are used inbetween each enclosure, for cleaning water bowls, cleaning enclosures, and feeding them. For smaller prey items I use disposable chop sticks, one new pair of chop sticks for every enclosure. For the larger prey items for the big snakes, I just use the clean pair of gloves. I use diluted bleach and Nolvasan out the ass for cleaning/disinfecting all tools and surfaces and for even washing my hands and arms with inbetween each enclosure.

In my case of IBD, it is not as severe as some other cases are. IBD has different strains that all work differently.

12-01-2010, 07:53 PM	#26
Adrya	I'm going to come out in the open here and explain my situation here for a minute. People most commonly seem to think that IBD ravages through collections quickly. In some cases it does, and in some cases it doesnt. From my own observations with my own snakes, quickly is not the case. I had one of my favorite boas die in March 2009. She had a sudden severe case of pneumonia and stomatitis, and that is even what her necropsy/pathology results stated, but they also confirmed inclusion bodies (IBD) found in the liver and intestinal tissues tested. I am not positive as to which snake was carrying the disease or how long it has been brewing, but even my strict quarantine protocols taking place in a building completely seperate from my reptile building was not enough to keep a snake from sneaking the disease into my collection, even after quarantining each new animal for over 6 months. Since nearly two years ago, I have lost 6 snakes, two of which were voluntarily euthanized myself, and one of which I just lost this evening. I am still battling the disease. First was the initial boa (died March 2009) that tested positive for IBD. Next was a subadult female ball python (died winter 2009-2010), my adult male blood python (died June 2010), another female boa (euthanized Oct. 2010), a male boa (euthanized Oct. 2010), and this evening (Dec. 1st) my female suriname boa. The male boa, even though he still ate and drank normally, began to severely become anorexic and lose all muscle mass over time since the death of the first initial boa. He had also developed a large tumor, which is also a side effect of IBD. He eventually became skin and bones like you wouldn't believe, and so I put him out of his misery. The same was for the other female boa (not the initial). She also became anorexic, and also had a slight odd head wobble. In some of my other boas and a python currently, I will often see them stare straight up for long periods of time. They don't arch over their own bodies or flip over like in some more severe cases of IBD. My snakes will just stare up and will be completely unaware of my presence when I walk around the room or wave my arm at them. I will even bang my fist hard on the side of the enclosure a few times and they will be unresponsive, and it takes quite an effort to get their attention, even when opening the enclosure door. Sometimes they respond when I bang on the side of the enclosure, but much of the time it takes effort, or I even have to touch them to get them to snap out of the blank staring. Other than that, they act otherwise normal, get anxious when they smell food thawing, and eat normally. I do not have the heart to euthanize my entire collection, so the entire reptile room is under it's own lockdown and strict quarantine. The only time snakes leave the building is if they either die or are euthanized, and any snakes that become physically/visuall ill are euthanized. I still have 5 pythons, but a couple are not the same as they were nearly two years ago, so I am keeping an eye on them. I don't even enter any of the snakes' enclosures except to clean water bowls, clean enclosures or feed them. A new pair of latex gloves are used inbetween each enclosure, for cleaning water bowls, cleaning enclosures, and feeding them. For smaller prey items I use disposable chop sticks, one new pair of chop sticks for every enclosure. For the larger prey items for the big snakes, I just use the clean pair of gloves. I use diluted bleach and Nolvasan out the ass for cleaning/disinfecting all tools and surfaces and for even washing my hands and arms with inbetween each enclosure. In my case of IBD, it is not as severe as some other cases are. IBD has different strains that all work differently.