new boa has mites

yesterday after the soak it seemed to be smaller and it looks even better today i think it might of just been dried fecal but it does seem to be backed up felt like a knot right above the opening and even that now feels alot smaller im going to give it another day with a soak and see how it goes
the snake is alot more active so thats a good sign
i picked up today a new dragon and snake so a whole new batch of problems to deal with lol
the snake is fine beautiful jag carpet looks like a coastal
but the dragon has one eye shut looks like dead skin all around i have the terramycin coming in the mail so should be and easy fix if it wasnt someone i knew i would of never taken them on but i know whats going on with them and it was best this way
everything else seems to be doing fine and i havnt seen another mite yet
so it all seems to be getting better the red tail is still my #1 priority
even all my eggs look to be doing great i can candle them and start to see what looks like tails and bodys
should be a fun next few weeks cant wait to get these guys back to 100% and out of quarentine
sometimes i know i take on too much but i work very hard to get them 100%

Is the blockage solid? Have you palpated it to see if it has the consistency of fecal matter, or if it seems to be something harder? Is it squishier then fecal matter, like possibly an internal organ trying to prolapse?

Steve Jordinaise (sp) dealt with a ball python that had a blockage which he was able to work out with a little lubricant and some agile fingers. You might consider finding that thread and or getting with him, just as an extra measure. That was some time back though. You might have to search hard for it.

Originally Posted by allreptiles1966

Lol on me Shadow! I wasn't thinking about the vaseline being on the outside.Now i can see
that.I was worried the stuff would get into its nostrils.
Thanks for clarifying.

Originally Posted by crotalusadamanteus

I spray PAM, RID or equate into a rag liberally, then wipe the entire outside of the cage down. Done once a month, it works quite well as a preventative. I'm sure Vaseline will work, but it's not something I would ever use around them, simply because it is a petroleum based product, flammable even.

Just saying.

I'm not sure about the particulars of petroleum jelly and reptiles, but I purchased a snake a few years ago that arrived with belly rot. While also debatable, several people told me about treating with betadine (povidone-iodine) and triple antibiotic cream (TAC).

TAC has a petroleum base with small amounts of either bacitracin, polymixin, gramicidin or neomycin. I applied liberally on his belly daily until his next shed. Everything healed up but he would get the stuff everywhere. I did, however, put him in a sterile enviornment consisting of a clean tub lined with paper towels.

I figured, for the same reason mentioned above, that it would clog his nostrils if mixed with substrate particles so the substrate was replaced with paper towels that would catch any excess.

Not that this relates much to running into a glob of petroleum, and maybe I got lucky, but it didn't do him any harm and he healed perfectly.

Originally Posted by crotalusadamanteus

Steve Jordinaise (sp) dealt with a ball python that had a blockage which he was able to work out with a little lubricant and some agile fingers. You might consider finding that thread and or getting with him, just as an extra measure. That was some time back though. You might have to search hard for it.

I'm pretty sure that Steve injected fluids into the obstruction, and did terramycin soaks to prevent infection (terramycin was involved somehow - not positive if that was it, though)

Please post if you find a link (I tried to search). Thanks.

I havnt had a chance to check him out today I woke up late for work but I did see in the cage that he took a poop so I'm hoping to come home and it's mostly cleared up I have Terramycin on the way I ran out when I went to use it yesterday for the dragons eye that I just got i don't know if I can use it on the snake for this problem but I'm just glad to see that he went to the bathroom

That's a good sign for sure.

It looks alot better no more knot feeling thing in him still looked like a little dry fecal but alot better gave him another soak and still no signs of mites hoping I got all the eggs thank you guys for all your help now time to work on the dragons eye but atleast I knew about this when I took him from my friend the carpet python I got from him is doing great just a little nippy strikes at everything but me lol I pick him up no prob but anyone comes close he strikes at them or if they go to pick him up it's kinda funny

If you're worried about vasoline, you can also get double-sided tape to put around the outside circumference of the tubs in your rack. This only works if the top of the tubs do not come in contact with the top or sides of the rack (then the mites can bypass the barrier). The double sided tape will trap and kill any mites that try to escape the cage.

Be very careful using Reptile Relief. It kills mites by dehydrating them, but will also severely dehydrate your snake if you're not careful. Even after following the bottle's label, several of my snakes had shriveled scales for a few sheds. The degree to which this is a problem varies upon age and size of the snake. The bigger the snake, the less of a problem it is.

That caveat aside, Reptile Relief worked well to get the snake as clean of mites as I could get it prior to treating the cage.

1. Treat the snake. Place aside.
2. Treat the cage. Let sit until fully dry.
3. Repeat number 2 once a week for the first month, then once or twice a month for the second month, then as a preventative every once in a while.

I have had great success with PAM. I'm sure the other methods work as well. Despite some people's paranoia over commercialism, I tested PAM myself and I was pleased. If PAM didn't work as described it would no longer be a popular item. Open market principles apply here, regardless of commercialism. For those who are that worried over advertising then go ahead and make your own noxious compounds. Just don't come crying back here when they don't work and end up killing your animals.

I didn't read where anyone was making noxious compounds?
Eradications must be swiftly dealt with,standing on one foot holding a pitcher of grape kool-aid while applying patented elixirs . . . . . . . . .

Originally Posted by snowgyre

For those who are that worried over advertising then go ahead and make your own noxious compounds. Just don't come crying back here when they don't work and end up killing your animals.