Posted by:
Hoppy
at Thu May 19 10:23:07 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Hoppy ]
I commend your attempt at trying to save that poor neglected animal. I missed the being of your string of posts so I am not sure exactly how you came across it but it is always worth the effort to try and save a sick animal unless…….
Here is some advice in regards to keeping or trying to save sick animals that you may want to consider. It is hard for a person to turn their back on a sick or dying animal, but there are many draw backs to taking one in.
A sick reptile has the ability to infect other reptiles in your home. Even some of the most careful precautions are not fool proof. Mites can be transferred on your person from a quarantine tank to a healthy tank, even from another room. Viruses can be airborne and pasted by your air conditioning system in your home. Hooks, tongs and all the other equipment that you normally use can pass the illness over too. IBD (if that is what the Boa was infected with) could easily whip out your entire boid collection (if you have one).
So, although it is humane nature to try and rescue sick animals it could also cost you the lives of the animals that you already have.
Now with all that being said, I saw that you were going to attempt a BCC for your next Boa. I would strongly recommend that you learn on a nice Colombian before trying to take on a more difficult animal like a BCC boa. BCI/Colombian Boas are more forgiving of keeper’s mistakes. If your temps are off, you have equipment failure or other problems that may go unnoticed for a few days, a BCI Boa is going to be able to withstand that much better then the more temperamental BCC Boas. I would hate to see you get turned off of Boas completely by being disappointed in a BCC boa that may be too aggressive to handle, or just difficult to properly maintain.
Whatever you decide though, please feel free to contact me with any questions, A person that has that much compassion to take in a sick or dying animal deserves all the help they can get.
Thanks
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com
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A vailant effort but some advice....more - Hoppy, Thu May 19 10:23:07 2005
