! Gravid boa death.

I just checked on my female Hog Island Boa, DeeDee, who was gravid, and saw that she didn't move when I opened the lid to her cage. I touched her - and found that she is dead.

She was fine this morning - I've been checking on her 3 and 4 times a day because she was near her due date. I went out to do a few errands and checked her when I returned.

I am horribly saddened, this was my first attempt at breeding.

Question - sounds gross but should I bother seeing if there were any viable young that were stuck? She had spread urates around the cage but there was no other fluid. She is still soft (no rigor - I think this happened only shortly before I got home), it feels like there is something hard right near her vent though. The rest of her "pregnancy" weight is soft, I feel no wriggling or anything. I just don't want to put her in the fridge (she will definitely be necropsied) if there is a possibility that there are living young still in there.

Please advise.......

Here is a picture of her as of a few minutes ago.


I am completely devastated.

I answered your other thread but thought I would bump this one so you can get more advice.

I just spoke to an emergency exotic vet - she said that rigor (and eye-glazing) takes a while to occur in snakes, so she may have been dead for several hours, and that even if she was only dead for an hour, the young will be dead if there are any. I'm so upset about all of this, she was fine this morning. I feel like I should have been watching her every minute now, maybe I could have done something....

You wont lose anything by trying though, so I would try. At least then there wont be any what-ifs...

Originally Posted by liquidleaf

I feel like I should have been watching her every minute now, maybe I could have done something....

Sometimes these things just happen. Don't blame yourself, you couldn't watch her 24/7

Just got back from the emergency vet. There were no heartbeats detected at all, so if there are babies, they have all passed as well. The vet said that unborn boas will die within minutes of the mother dying, because they do depend on the mother for oxygen. So if I would have cut her open immediately, there would have been a chance.... I wish I would have been at home when she went into labor.

I knew there were risks in breeding... I'm just so sad and disappointed that it happened on my first try... I raised DeeDee from a little baby, too. Thank you for all the condolences, and I'll let you know what the necropsy says when it is performed next week.

That really sucks Lauren.

Such a sad thing to have happen to you. I feel bad for you Lauren. I hope you don't let this unfortunate experience deter you from future endeavors.
I think I would be devastated if that happened to me. I have a few I raised from babies. One for 8 yrs this month, and I worry about her every day.

Don't let it keep you down. Gotta go forward.


My condolences
Rick

That is so very heartbreaking to hear. I'm sorry for your losses but please , please don't give up. Its devestating to get hit with that lind of loss and you find yourself doubting your abilities and sometimes asking why you would want to stay in it. Been there a couple times myself but I keep plugging away at it and usually find different reasons to stay with it. Hopefully you'll keep plugging away too and find those reasons to stick with it.

im SO sorry to be reading this.... especially it being your first breeding with her too... Poor thing...

Dont take it out on yourself though, youve been a good snake mom! I send you my condolences hon...

Just dont stop going.

All the luck in the world to you for next time! - Alicia