Belly Rot or Coloration??

Alright.... For me... it is extremely hard to tell if my boa has belly rot or not.

My only boa is a Hog Island Boa and his ventrals go from whitish to a deep pink at his tail (where lots of pink is prevalent) . I got worried because how am I supposed to tell if he has belly rot or not? He has been this way sene I got him... but I just saw a picture of a retic with belly rot and it looked odly similar.. but there has been no problems really.

The conditions he lives in right now have been changing constantly. I have had to spray his area because (yes its bad) he is in a 20L gal aquarium until i get either a boaphile or an animal plastics cage at NARBC. Humidity has been an issue in the past.. but recently I have moved from paper towels and spray bottle to cypress and "humidifier". This change has only been within the past month. His pinkish belly has been this way sence I purchased him...... and it just gets so deep pink at his tail.. I thought it was coloration.. could it really be belly rot? He has been living with me for about 6 or 7 months

Looks like normal coloration to me. I've only seen 1 case of belly rot and it looked like red spider webbing from the chin to tail with " infected " pink coloration around it. considering the amount of time you've had it , 6 - 7 months , if it was belly rot the snake would be in piss poor condition right now. Since you didn't mention it I'm guessing its eating fine. One symptom of sick animals is a refusal of food. If its eating then its doubtful its anything but healthy.

With some animals having alot of color and being bred for color its harder to determine some illnesses that show as skin discoloration. Blood poisoning showing as pink blotches on the skin for example on a pink / red / orange boa would be overlooked as a visual sign by even the best of us. The only true way to tell in colored boas is having proper testing done by a qualified vet.

One way you can get around the constant spraying is by using a moist hide. Take a tupperware bowl or even a sterilt / rubbermaid of appropiate size , cut a hole big enough for the snake to pass thru easily ( slightly larger than the snake is good too ) add cypress or bed a beast , moisten and ya got a moist hide. Don't forget to put the lid on it too. If your using a screen top on the 20 gal you can cover half of it or more to retain ambient humidity as well.

Nothing wrong with that belly. It looks just fine to me.

I won't regurgitate what Bryon has already covered, but was curious if there was some other reason that made you think along these lines? Usually belly rot is brought on by bad living conditions. Being too moist and/or leaving the feces/urates in there to manifest and harbor bacteria.

As long as you are covering those basics, you shouldn't have a problem with belly rot.


Rick

Originally Posted by BryonsBoas

Looks like normal coloration to me. I've only seen 1 case of belly rot and it looked like red spider webbing from the chin to tail with " infected " pink coloration around it. considering the amount of time you've had it , 6 - 7 months , if it was belly rot the snake would be in piss poor condition right now. Since you didn't mention it I'm guessing its eating fine. One symptom of sick animals is a refusal of food. If its eating then its doubtful its anything but healthy.

With some animals having alot of color and being bred for color its harder to determine some illnesses that show as skin discoloration. Blood poisoning showing as pink blotches on the skin for example on a pink / red / orange boa would be overlooked as a visual sign by even the best of us. The only true way to tell in colored boas is having proper testing done by a qualified vet.

One way you can get around the constant spraying is by using a moist hide. Take a tupperware bowl or even a sterilt / rubbermaid of appropiate size , cut a hole big enough for the snake to pass thru easily ( slightly larger than the snake is good too ) add cypress or bed a beast , moisten and ya got a moist hide. Don't forget to put the lid on it too. If your using a screen top on the 20 gal you can cover half of it or more to retain ambient humidity as well.

Wow thats a great idea.... Thanks, I think i'll do that.. I just feel more comfortable with him on paper towels than cypress (mainly because I can't see his feces right away..but mostly because he is in a room where its easy to get small bugs and wood would not be a good idea. I have plastic hides, leaves and other things to keep it safe) ... and to have a humid hide would do him some justice without me being paranoid.

Rick, I saw the thread about the sick reticulated python in the BOI with belly rot.. and the color looked the same to me.... the funny thing is... I usually am there every time my boa drops feces because I bathe him when the time comes. I put him either in a tub of lukewarm water and swim him around for exercise and then he just goes. Or I let him swim him around in the sink (when he is older i'll do this in the bathtub).... and when I see him bulging for using the bathroom I take him and put his tail over the toilet and let him... go where everyone else goes (makes sense to me, I just have two snakes so I time it really well.. its harder for the cornsnake seeing as mine is a pooping machine). Therefor I usually witness each bowel movement (ew... haha) and make sure where it goes each time. Yes... I have both my snakes using the toilet! Then I towel him off really good, let him do his roaming on my arm and such for a while and he goes back.

And..I have never had a problem with regurge, not feeding, or listlessness. They both love to eat. but.. I have had a problem with slight RI with both my snakes (figures.. they are in the same room).. and it hasn't gone away.. but it hasn't gotten worse.. I'll be taking them to the vet again.

Respiratory infections are infections...Not virus's. One snake does not catch it from another. Respiratory infections are "caused" through environmental conditions and/or poor health. If one is suspected, a Vet should be seen. But make it a herp Vet so it's diagnosed properly.

What kind of equipment do you use to measure your temps, humidity with? For around $12 at wally world, you can get one of these...




I place them on the cool side with Dbl sided tape on the back, and run the probe over to the hot spot. It allows you to read the hot spot, cool side and RH in one glance. I have one in each set up, and two in the large cages. Indispensable, and the snakes deserve it IMO. A back up reading so to speak, and more accurate than what most pet shops have for sale.

I usually am there every time my boa drops feces because I bathe him when the time comes.

Does your Boa need the soak to defecate? Some do that when there is a problem, or it's been a long time, but I never heard of anyone giving them a soak because their time came. I admit to a bit of confusion over that one.


Rick

Originally Posted by crotalusadamanteus

Respiratory infections are infections...Not virus's. One snake does not catch it from another. Respiratory infections are "caused" through environmental conditions and/or poor health. If one is suspected, a Vet should be seen. But make it a herp Vet so it's diagnosed properly.

What kind of equipment do you use to measure your temps, humidity with? For around $12 at wally world, you can get one of these...


I place them on the cool side with Dbl sided tape on the back, and run the probe over to the hot spot. It allows you to read the hot spot, cool side and RH in one glance. I have one in each set up, and two in the large cages. Indispensable, and the snakes deserve it IMO. A back up reading so to speak, and more accurate than what most pet shops have for sale.




Does your Boa need the soak to defecate? Some do that when there is a problem, or it's been a long time, but I never heard of anyone giving them a soak because their time came. I admit to a bit of confusion over that one.


Rick

Rick,
I use the standard petshop digital therm/hydrometer from zoomed, that will change one I go to the NARBC. I have no idea what a wally world is....

and I bathe him because its just easier for both him and I to go for a swim, a good workout, and poop. He does not need any real assistance. He has defecated in his tank before with no problems, like I said- it kills two birds with one stone. Plus it leaves no chance for urine or feces to go unnoticed (I still check, in case you were wondering)

The only reason I think the RI showed up is because I left the city for a week (7 days) and told the neighbors to take care of them. It did not work out so well (no heating, no change of water, no change of bedding with feces and urine, etc) and I could hear their breathing plus a bit of a pop noise if I put them up to my ear really close. So I immediately went to a vet whom of course sees snakes and has two exotic pet specialists on staff, as I would never do otherwise, and said beyond the pop noise they were in perfect health. She gave me an antibiotic for me to administer (she walked me thru the steps and let me 'practice' with IV fluids the first time) we are due to see her again.

Wally world = Walmart

Thanks!

Ah Ok. I was wondering about the soak thing. Now I got it.

Sounds like you got things in order. Good luck and keep us posted. I'm pretty certain there is no belly rot. If you're seeing a vet for the other, than that's what's important. Probably couldn't hurt to raise the temps a few degrees while treating. If you haven't already.


Good luck
Rick

Originally Posted by crotalusadamanteus

Ah Ok. I was wondering about the soak thing. Now I got it.

Sounds like you got things in order. Good luck and keep us posted. I'm pretty certain there is no belly rot. If you're seeing a vet for the other, than that's what's important. Probably couldn't hurt to raise the temps a few degrees while treating. If you haven't already.


Good luck
Rick

Thanks alot for your help and insight, Rick, I really appreciate it.

Hm... I just can't wait to get his new cage.