Posted by:
LSD
at Tue Nov 20 11:12:04 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by LSD ]
Is this your only boa?
How long have you had her?
Do you feed live, fresh killed, or frozen/thawed?
Does she soak alot?
Has she ever regurged?
Are the scales "coming off" or are they just "bent"
Do you have a male boa nearby?
How often do you clean her cage?
OK, if this is your only boa, you don't have to quaranteen. If it isn't then you should quaranteen her immediately. This is just a precaution for "just in case purposes".
If you've only had her for a short while, less than 6 month, you might not be familiar with her shed cycle. Some boas shed more often than others. My adult boas shed every 6 to 12 weeks. For my boas, this is normal.
The type of food you give them makes a difference. Live or Fresh killed can sometimes have internal or extrenal parasites. You can check for external parasites. You'd need a vet to check for internal ones. Frozen thawed is the best way to go, if your female will take them. That way you "shouldn't" have to worry about parasites.
Some boas just like to soak. Others soak for a reason. Sometimes it's the humidity. Other times it's parasites. Parasites can cause a boa to shed more often. If your boa likes to soak. Check the water bowl for "little black specks". If you see any.... Then you could have mites. Mites will cause a boa to shed more frequently.
If your boa has regurged recently, that could cause her to go into a shed cycle. Especially if you didn't wash off all the digestive juices that comes with a regurge. That could also account for the problem with the scales.
Sometimes, and I don't know why, boas will have bent scales. Maybe it's a sign that they have a little extra fat or maybe it's just the way the were laying. Maybe it's a humidity problem. I just know that they can get bent scales sometimes. If the scales are actually coming "off". What do you mean by coming off. Are you getting scale shaped flakes in your hands? Are the scales coming off and she's bloody, red, or swollen where they're coming off. If it's scale shaped flakes coming off in your hands..... The only time I've seen scale shaped flakes coming off a boa was when "oil" was put on them. It was vegetable or mineral oil. It caused this weird flaking. It also cause the boa to go into shed. If that area where the scales are coming off is red or swollen. Take her to a VET!
If you have a male nearby.... That could cause your female to have a shed cycle. Especially since it's breeding season. My boas always go into a shed cycle during breeding season. My males do too. So, if you have a male boa hanging around, it could be a hormonal shed cycle.
Anyway if you think she's sick you should take her to a Qualified Herp Vet. If she's not your only snake, you should quaranteed her. Especially since you're not sure what wrong with her.
BTW she looks pretty darn good in those pictures. She's a beautiful boa.
[ Hide Replies ]
- Sick Suri? - alex_reid33, Mon Nov 19 22:55:21 2007
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RE: Sick Suri? - LSD, Tue Nov 20 11:12:04 2007