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Star-gazing

E

Eden Exotics

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I have one boa that's doing it, but only at night. I've had it for about 6 months so far, but it's only recently showed it in such an obvious way. Of course IBD is what I'm freaking out about (I was trying to sell some boas earlier, and thankfully no one bought them). It's eating fine and isn't regurgitating. Are there any other reasons it could be doing this? Also, how does one go about getting IBD tested?
 
Are you sure it's true "stargazing"? Mine will often contort themselves into some silly positions, especially if I'm thawing feeders for other snakes since they can smell it. I would think that if the boa had a true illness or neurological issue then it would be showing symptoms all the time, not just at night.

If you're concerned you can have your vet send blood samples sent to the Univ of Florida for testing. They recommend having two samples taken 90 days apart done as you may get a false negative. Your vet can contact the lab to find out the requirements for the sample, get submission forms, the fees they charge, etc.

http://labs.vetmed.ufl.edu/sample-requirements/zoo-med-infections/
 
Great, thanks. Yeah the thing is, there's not really anything it's looking at (i.e. no movement or anything), and it does it for quite a while. I kind of neglected them for a while, and the enclosure was pretty dry and they didn't eat for a couple weeks (I'm in university, so sometimes things get pretty hectic), so I was kind of wondering/hoping that that could be it...
Is there anyone on here who's had experience with IBD?
 
A lot of boas or snakes in general will sit with their heads up and it can be scary if one doesn't know why. However there are a lot of things that can cause actual neuro issues (virus, bacteria, over-heating) as well as it may just be the boa being weird or looking for food or having an RI.

Does the boa right itself when placed on it's back? If so, that's a good sign that there's not really anything wrong. As Melinda said, there are now blood tests that can be done, so if you are really worried, that is the route I would suggest.

I had an IBD scare, I detailed it in this thread (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239951) and there's a youtube I did showing the loss of motor control, it turned out to be a bacterial infection that reached her brain, it flared up because I missed filling her water bowl and she got overly dehydrated. Necropsy done showed no inclusion bodies. Since then any adult boa that died here has gotten a necropsy/pathology testing done to ensure there's no IBD and all have come back clean (thank goodness). It's very scary!

Rich detailed some issues he had here, some good info in that thread:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448123

Good luck! I hope it's nothing!
 
Since the animal only does it at certain times, I strongly suspect it is behavioral, not pathological. IBD -- or any of the items that are not as serious but can mimic its signs -- would cause stargazing during the day as well.

As April said, there can be other causes. In addition to the ones she listed, certain chemicals can cause neurological damage that can look like IBD.

The University of Florida, which someone else suggested, is a good bet. Note your animals need to be large enough to draw enough blood, weighing at least 100 grams as I recall (them, not the blood!).

Good luck!
 
Alright, thanks everyone for the detailed responses. yeah I'm hoping it's just because of environmental conditions. I live in Montana, and it's insanely dry here, so I need to water the enclosures like I water plants to keep the humidity just at the bare minimum (it dried out completely within a couple days). I'll try to do some research on respiratory diseases...I would think they'd be easier to treat.
And yes, it can right itself up when upside down. I was watching all the youtube videos I could, and it looks like what people would do would kind of hold them but the tail and the snake couldn't climb back up...I tried that and it was fine. PLus I've had it for six months, and I would think it would have shown more severe symptoms by now.
That's another question I have--How long does it take for symptoms to develop? I know boas can go a long time without showing symptoms, but what's the longest they can go?
 
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