The dreaded IBD

I've seen hepatic lipidosis in leopard geckos that don't re-absorb follicles/eggs properly. I assume this is possible in snakes too...? Could that be an issue?

*sigh*
i very well could be quilty of over-feeding. if my babies eat and seem like they want more, i give it to them (i tend to feed smaller rodents than my snakes can handle, i hate seeing my babies struggle to get something down, so they get two if they want it)- they are all healthy body weights.

as far as my feeders go, they are on a high protein diet. top quality feed is all they get- healthy rats make for healthy snakes!


....except in this case i suppose lol!

FWIW...In my opinion, most reptiles in general have issues with hepatic lipidosis. A lot of the necropsies I have seen or assisted with, there have been issues with fatty liver. Unfortunately, I now work at a clinic that only sees cats and dogs, so it's been a little while since i've been involved with reptilian internal medicine, but I do know Mader has a good section on it in his Reptile Medicine book. I'll have to look it over at some point.

ive been in the understanding that although fatty liver disease has been considered "common" in reptiles, particularly reptiles that that go days between feedings (ie, snakes), that the liver and other digestive organs have adapted to this over the years of their being around. everyday eating reptilel (ie, lizards, tortoises, etc) can be subjected to fatty liver disease if they are not eating when/how they are supposed to (excluding hibernation for those species).
in my experience in reptile/amphibian medicine, snakes generally do not get fatty liver disease unless they are predisposed to an underlying issue causing them not to eat, when their bodies need to. since hepatic lipidosis is the result of animals not eating regularly (as we see tons and tons of cats in emergency and internal medicine that get fatty liver as a result of an underlying issue causing them not to eat (ie, fiv, felv, infection, etc), the only way i can really see snakes getting fatty liver is if they have underlying issues and the snakes arent eating the way their bodies need and require them to.
keep in mind also, there is still a lot unknown about ibd. did it miss it, was the snakes organs actually submitted for ibd analysis ??

i have also heard of some lizards that have re-absorption of yolks leading to fatty live, i suppose that could be an issue in pythons and colubrids, however, not in this case as they are 2012 babies

ryan- you say it has to do with them not eating as they are supposed to- could that mean eating too much as well? because all three of these snakes were fantastic eaters. never had a problem with them refusing meals. so if it could mean over-eating, that very well could have been a helping factor. BUT- they were fed every four to five days.

i dont know. just throwing around ideas!

fatty liver is the result of not eating normally or regulary, what your body requires

fatty liver disease is usually the result of an underlying disease causing the animal not to eat.

for example, its more prevelent in cats than dogs in small animals. usually because of an underlying disease or behavior issue, the animal stops eating, and stored fat from the peripheral areas of the body are sent to the live and stopped and stored there and the liver becomes "infected" with excess fat and then that continues the animal to not want to eat and its a downword spiral. animals that eat as infrequently as snakes, true hepatic lipidosis is unlikely here

So is this the 'bacteria' that the report is talking about?

well, i lost another snake last night. same exact way the others went. i got him out to feed, he was moving around and acting normal, i put him in the tub with a feeder, left him for about 30 mins with it, and he was dead when i came back.

this snake was especially devastating to lose, he was the first one i bought when i decided to start a collection. if anybody has any insight as to what is REALLY going on here, please let me know. or even if there is a way to save the others. i have TWO babies left out of everything i bought.

help

I was about to respond, but I see that Dr Porcher is viewing this thread....no sense in me trying to deal with it, when the DVM is in

Haha, well maybe he can provide some insight!