okay time for a trip to the vet

Scheduled a visit to the vet for my albino male. He's a late 2005 about 3'-3 1/2'...some things got me worried.

1st...I told the vet that he is an albino boa constictor...he responds....you mean burmese. A boa would cost like $25k he says....I reply...well I must've got a "heck" of a deal then. His doubt of the trade and abundance of these animals worries me a bit.

2nd....he says that albino boas are known for "crypto"...so I look it up. Found out that its a parasite.....He has stopped eating for about 2-3weeks right now. BUT he's housed with another small female who eats like a hog.

Cryptosporidium:Snakes with moderate to severe cryptosporidiosis exhibit anorexia, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, lethargy, midbody swelling, weight loss, and regurgitation.

but why did you schedule the appointment?

Originally Posted by hhmoore

but why did you schedule the appointment?

well...he hasn't eaten which concerns me....he has a black mark on his nose...also concerns me and has problems shedding on his head. I figured a "well check up" never hurt.

nope - a well check up never hurt...but you might consider finding a vet that is a bit more professional. Disputing the animal you have aside, to suggest off the cuff that Cryptosporidia is a likely factor, would make me have second thoughts - unless there were problems/symptoms you haven't told me about. I have known of people that had Crypto in their collections, and it is not a minor deal. It is contagious and easily transferred, and treatment takes 30-45 days (+ extended quarantine afterwards).

How long have you had the snake? (As you probably know, there are a whole host of reasons for a snake not to eat, so I won't go into all that unless you want to). Having difficulty shedding suggests some possible husbandry issues, which would be the first place to look for feeding problems...and I think most here would suggest that if you have any concerns over a snakes health, or it is not feeding, it should be housed alone.

I bought them as a pair and they were said to be housed together during the time the previous owner had them. He got them from his friend who needed cash. (basically the story I was told)

Female that resides with the male eats like a pig...I am pretty sure she will eat whatever is placed in with her. Stool looks similar to my burms I had roughly 6 years ago. I had them checked by another vet throughly them as a check up. My other female will only eat mice.


From my understanding cryto is a parasite.....so it is not morph based or inclined...Soooooo if nothing is already infected.....where does it come from? Their food? If so, I breed my own rats and no incidence there with the others eating from the colony. Is the vet just trying to pump up the bill is it an honest concern? Sorry the visit today caught me off guard and crypto being pushed as a genetic ailment or tendancey brought me here for some unbiased answers.

It's kind of strange that the vet was doubtful that you have an albino boa. It seems like he/she is working off of a lot of old or incorrect data. I've never heard of albino boas being "more" susceptible to crypto. I would be very cautious with this vet, especially if he/she is being pushy about treatments.

Good that you are willing to take your snake to a vet, that is more than a lot of people will do. However, a snake not eating for a few weeks is not usually a cause of concern unless they start behaving differently. The black spot may be a concern, though it may or may not be related to the snake not eating. Several of my snakes will occasionally go a month without eating, just for giggles, apparently, especially the males.

Good luck, and just make sure that your vet understands that you are not a person who knows absolutely nothing about snakes. Hopefully, if he/she recommends strange treatments or talks down to you, you have another herp-friendly vet in your area, I agree with HHmoore that the attitude seems a little "off" from what you've posted so far.

Did you go to the vet yet? If so, how did it go?

respiratory infection....2 injection meds.

He looks great right now. Black on his nose came off in a shed.

He's eaten twice and looking for more right now. I'll try to post some pictures of him tonight.

That's great news!