Ok, here's the first email I sent the day I recieved the snake and noticed these problems
jesus,
man, i'm so sorry. one of my employs used a shipping box and packing material that we received a snake in yesterday. he didn't think any thing about reusing the box. i just pulled out the anery boa that came in the box and he was covered. i'll make it up to you. it's my fault. i should have check the box before it went out and i didn't.
they won't hurt him and are easy to get rid of. if you go to the pharmacy in your walmart, and get a can or RID or equate head lice bedding spray it's the same thing as prevent-a-mite. simply take him out of his cage, spray the bottom of the enclosure and let it dry. it will kill the mites in less than 72 hours and last for 30 days. it's great stuff and only about $4. just don't spray it on the snake or in the water bowl.
as for the scales that's nothing at all. just where he was coiled up so tightly in the bag. they'll lay down tomorrow and he'll have new ones where he was coiled tonight. he has had no signs of uri while we've had him so i'm sure it's just form the stress and cold pack during shipping. but it's better to be too cool over night than to get too hot for a second. just keep him warm and he will be fine.
keep me posted on him and let me know if you're looking for any thing else and i'll send it to you well below cost.
sorry again man,
On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 6:48 PM, pitbull292006 <
[email protected]> wrote:
Hey Bill this is Jesus Blackman. The male albino tiger retic you sent me was covered in mites and has a lot of damaged scales that bend outward from the body of the snake. How can I fix these ? Thank you.
Here's the second one
ok,
let's try and fix the snake.
did you get the product that i told you about? how many days has it been since you first applied it?
the scales are not damaged. on larger snakes, their scales crease when they are coiled for long periods of time. if you mark the scales that are creased today w/ a marker, you will find that the ones that are creased in two days are most likely a different row.
the black on the scales is the ink from the news paper during shipping.
let's lower that humidity for a few days. it would be ok if he were wild caught and use to a rain forest but he's use to captive conditions so it's a little high.
describe the cage set up to me. type of enclosure, heat source, lighting, bedding, etc...
is he being kept in the same cage w/ your other snake? i would not let them come in contact w/ each other for at least 30 days after receiving a new snake.
let's give him time to recover form shipping and shed his skin. that will allow the ink to come off and should be the end of the wheezing as well.
On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 2:12 AM, pitbull292006 <
[email protected]> wrote:
Mr. Albright, you sold me a sick snake. The mite infestation is still a heavy problem, the snake is still wheezing, and the damaged scales are very unattractive. These are all problems that I should NOT be having to deal with. Your website claims that AHPEXOTICS.COM is the one stop shop for investment quality exotic animals. Is this what you call quality, because I certainly do not. I'm combating the mite problem, which also invested my other albino tiger retic, with the method you and other people have recommended. I keep the retics hotspot at 95 degrees and the cool side at 85 with a humidity level of 70-75%, maybe 80 if I just misted him. Now I come home today after work to find him bubbleing from the mouth, which is a sign of URI. And as for the damaged scales, the scales are still protruding from his body. Some are black at the tips and he also has what looks to be bite marks from live prey. I love this snake only because I love all animals, but I am very displeased with the quality. Something needs to be done to rectifiy this situation. I gave you my last $400 for a snake that is not a quality, as your website claims you sell/breed
Jesus Blackman
Here's the third:
i did not mean to imply that shedding the skin was a cure all, but, for what ever reason, a snake w/ a mild respiratory infection brought on by stress does seem to show no further signs of u.r.i. following the post stress shed.
i was not questioning your ability or knowledge, only trying to hasten the snakes recovery.
i'm on my way to fl to pick up animals and then go to a expo. i'll be back one week form tues. i don't want to ship him back to me already stressed. it would only make him worse. if he is still showing these signs when i return you can ship him back to me and i will gladly replace him for you.
On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 5:19 PM, pitbull292006 <
[email protected]> wrote:
The cage is a 4x2x2 melamine heated by a radiant heat panel and the bedding is now newspaper. I spoke with my vet and he told me that if the snake is bubbleing from his mouth, that's an early sign of URI. Therefore lowering the humidity in his enclosure would only make it worst. True, he may be a captive born and kept snake, but we as keepers try to replicate the animals natural envoirnment. He never came in contact with my other snake but I didn't know that the snake you sent me had mites. So when I went to change my other snake's water I had to move her and must have transfered a mite or their eggs to her or her bedding. And just for the record, shedding his skin will not cure, or "fix" as you say, his breathing problem or the bubbly mucus coming from his mouth. Right now I'm at work so when I get home my next email will include pictures.
snake. All of those were problems that I should not have to be correcting. I paid for a healthy snake and I should have gotten one. Point blank. It's easy to place the blame on someone else, it's even easier to make an empty promise knowing you have no intention of upholding and fulfilling it. I find it funny how he can post new snakes up for sale on kingsnake this month but can't return the email I sent a couple days ago. I don't know about you but If I sold you a sick animal, making the situation right would be the first thing on my mind.
