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Old 02-08-2003, 06:16 PM   #1
trdhrdr007
Fat Deposits-long

I have a late '99 model female snow corn, I use a fairly conservative feeding schedule & last year was her first year breeding. She laid 23 eggs in her first clutch, & then she clutched again & laid 13 more(all infertile). I didn't put her in with the male for a second clutch, & wasn't trying for one.
Anyway, she was very thin after that, so I increased the amount of food she was getting. I feed every six days, she was getting 1-2 medium mice, depending on their size. My supplier recently had a special on rats, so I had rats that were about the size of a large adult mouse, & was feeding her 2 every six days.
I noticed right before I put all my snakes into brumation(Dec. 16) that she had developed what appear to be fatty deposits right in front of her cloaca. These deposits seem to be right under the skin, are soft & squishy and protrude about 1/8" from her body. Today I did my weekly check, & noticed she had a few more very slight bulges within six inches of the ones I saw before brumation. These are very small, as embarassing as it is to admit, I may have missed them when I put her into brumation. She still feels very muscular, & was pretty active when I was examining her, even though it was only 55 degrees in the garage.
From everything I have heard and read I am pretty sure that these are fat deposits. I haven't introduced any new animals into my collection for over 18 months, none of my other animals have a problem, & I haven't changed rodent suppliers. The only thing that had changed was that I fed her twice what she normally ate for about two months.
My local vet is pretty good, but he doesn't know much about reptiles. When I have a problem I figure out what the possibilities are & the tests needed to narrow it down. I take that info to him(in book form), he does the tests, we discuss the results & he administers the medicine or performs the procedure. It works great for parasites, & he was able to handle the one incidence of dystocia(sp?-egg bound) I had with success(tried the labor inducing drug, ended up aspirating the offending egg).
The problem is I don't know what to do, or if there is even anything I can do. The only information I have found says that fat deposits can cause a problem with egg laying. Should I take her in & have a sample taken from one of the deposits? If I did, what exactly should I have the vet look for? If it is fat, will reducing the amount fed eventually get rid of the deposits? Will I be able to breed this animal again? Any & all help will be greatly appreciated.
 
Old 02-08-2003, 10:48 PM   #2
Willis Wildlife Enterprises
I really haven't got much experience with the sort of problem you're discussing, but your vet should be able to take a needle aspirate of one or two of the "lumps" and look at it under the microscope. If it is just fat deposits, your vet should be able to tell you this, or if they are something more. (I'm a certified veterinary technician with over 20 years experience.) If they are just fat deposits, time, diet and excercise should slim your female back down. And if your vet decides they are not fat deposits, he/she should be able to recommend your next step.
 
Old 02-08-2003, 11:57 PM   #3
WebSlave
If you feed your snakes live mice, what you may be seeing is a subcutaneous parasitic worm. It would probably be worthwhile for your vet take a look at her. Medication normally clears it up pretty quickly, though, so it's not a real big deal. One of the risks we all take when feeding live prey to our snakes.

Rich Z.
 
Old 02-09-2003, 01:56 PM   #4
trdhrdr007
I considered that it may be some sort of parasite, but I only feed frozen/thawed & assumed that killed most parasites. I guess the best thing to do will be to take her in to the vet & let him take a sample. Any opinion on if I should pull her out of brumation immediately? I probably should have taken her in before I started brumation, but it seemed like such a minor deal & I had been feeding her a lot more than usual; I double checked her card & found I had tripled her usual amount(my memory sucks, but the cards don't lie). She's been at 50-60 degrees for almost 2 months, will it be a shock to her system if I don't warm her up gradually & should I then keep her warm or put her back into brumation for the last month? Thanks for the info & any more advice offered is appreciated.
 
Old 02-14-2003, 06:26 PM   #5
cowboyway
-4 degrees farenheit for 7 days

Freezing fish at minus 4 degrees farenheit = minus 20 degree celcius, for 7 days will kill parasites and prevent illness, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A sushi site claims that In commercial freezing, a temperature of -40 °F kills any parasite in 15 hours and that in a home freezer, at 0° to 10°F, it can take up to five days to kill all the parasites, Which the raw fish people are probably right about

I assume this would also apply to parasites on / in mice

There is no problem in commercial freezers. Unfortunately, household refrigerator freezers generally cycle between 5 and 10 degree farenheit, so you got to crank your home freezer down low, according to the F.D.A..
 

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