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12-22-2007, 05:22 PM
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#11
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Geckogrl,
Keep us posted so we can best help you.
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12-22-2007, 09:00 PM
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#12
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He is still clear, still hasnt shed. temps are reading at 72-74 on the cool side, and the warm side is at 84-86, with a spot right above the UTH where the glass reads 92. Humidity is at 80 and holding after I've been spraying all day.
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12-23-2007, 11:35 AM
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#13
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He has now shed last night, as well as produce a quite large defecation. I'm now thinking perhaps he was slightly constipated. I have heard of snakes being constipated before, could this explain his food refusal?
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12-23-2007, 11:56 AM
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#14
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Most likely the shed IMO. A lot of snakes, if a shed is coming on, will hold their pooh until afterwards. I have a Salmon who does it every time.
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12-23-2007, 10:23 PM
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#15
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Well, it's now been 2 weeks since his last meal. He is active, has shed, pooped, and refused the hopper again, though I'm thinking the mouse now may be too large since his stay of execution has been long enough for him to grow to a small adult size. I'm thinking I'll try to offer a smaller hopper one more time, and if that doesn't work, maybe it's time for a vet visit? If so, what would be the goal- I mean, what sort of tests would he need, what are possible causes of a well-feeding boa suddenly going off food. In light of the recent humidity dip, which has now been fixed, would it be prudent to give him a week more to re-hydrate? Of course, given the holiday, it would be several days before I could get him in to be seen anyway.
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12-23-2007, 10:45 PM
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#16
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I wouldn't rush to a vet just yet if I was you. If all the signs say healthy Boa, active, alert, tongue flicking, pooping, etc. than I'm sure he'll be up to eating in no time.
Just to ease your mind, I've never had a BRB, but I've had other Boa and Pythons. I've had newborns who refused to eat for the first month and a half of their lives, and once they started, all was good. I've had Ball Pythons fast for 9 months with no ill effects.
Point I'm making is 2 weeks really ain't that long for a snake to go without food. It's us humans. Our minds say he's hungry and needs to eat. In the wild, they may eat once a month if they are lucky, maybe even only a few times a year. Or maybe twice a week on the rare occasions that something comes by more frequently, than 6 months without a bite.
What kind of equipment are you using to measure things with? You mentioned "the glass reads 92°". Are you using one of those sticky aquarium temp guages? If so, they are really quite useless for herps. More designed for tanks full of water. I've had poor luck with those dial types being consistent as well, and have gone digital myself.
Glad to see you care enough to go to a vet, but I just have my doubts it's needed at this time. Give it some more time. I'm sure someone with more BRB experience will come along and get things straight for you. Probably just something simple, yet over looked.
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12-24-2007, 05:12 PM
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#17
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Thank you for that- I thought it was a premature for a vet visit myself. The poor guy was stuck in a 5 gal his first month or two with me due to some very advice I got (see prev posts in this forum). Got moved to his new digs, a 20 long, just a few weeks ago, a bump up on prey size, then sustained a short humidity drop, and a resultant extended shed period. It's a lot for a little guy to go through. He does seem outwardly healthy, so I will just keep offering prey items for a couple more weeks, and I think once he de-stresses and stabilizes some more, all will be well. And as far as the vet goes, they are good with my leos, but I've never brought a snake there, so I'd rather rule out the obvious myself first.
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12-25-2007, 05:12 PM
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#18
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My apologies Richard- I am using a temp gun for my measurements. The glass reading 92 is what the glass on the floor in reading directly above the UTH, as opposed to the 82-84 I quoted as the hot side, and is what the substrate is reading.
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12-25-2007, 09:08 PM
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#19
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Once again,
No more than 82 ever ....no less than 76. Humidity at 90% at least 90% of the time. More... cypress mulch or paper with a lightly wet spahgnum moss hide on both the cool and hot side. No Lights unless it is a non- visable red, black, or purple. Measure temps with a temp gun where the snake is and if the snake is mostly on the cool side lower the temps 2 degrees. Wait 2 days and repeat the temp and adjust then.....snake on hot side 2 days bump up temp 2 degrees. Provide a fresh bowl of water that the entire snake can soak in. Try to feed again in 2 days from the last manipulation of it's environment. Offer a live hopper under supervision.
Keep up the good work.
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12-25-2007, 09:39 PM
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#20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunshines2day!
No more than 82 ever ....no less than 76
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And when the temps in Brazil reach above 82°, which they often do, what happens to the wild population? You make is sound as if anything above 82° is a detriment to the snakes health. I can pert near guarantee it ain't.
One thing I've learned about keeping snakes, is there is no "blanket" rules for keeping them. They are every bit as individualistic as humans are, and some require adjustments based on that individuality. Health care sheets etc are merely "guidelines" to get you in the right area. The rest is all about adjusting for the individual snake.
I'll back off for now, as I've never had a Rainbow Boa. But I've kept boa constrictors, pythons, colubrids and croatalinae for quite some time. There is always exception to the rules. It's just up to us to adjust for the animal.
My 2¢
Rick
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