Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sooooo....I have asked my vet many many times if they see reptiles...each time they tell me "Yes, Dr. ****** sees reptiles". Last week I called about the ball python we rescued from the pound, and they said to go ahead and just bring the snake in. Great.

I get there. I wait 45 minutes. I see the Dr. He says "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't treat snakes." And I go "But they told me many times that you treat reptiles" To which he replies "Yes, reptiles...iguanas...lizards...not snakes"

Golly sir, aren't snakes like, half of reptiles? (okay, maybe a third...there are those turtle things...hahaha...oh...and crocodillians too...BUT YOU GET MY POINT!)

I then explain to him that I have a fecal sample, and whether it's a snake, lizard or heck, even a llama (maybe...who knows), if ya throw dem droppings under a microscope, ya can tell if there's paracites in there!!! And, I wouldn't be suprised if the paracites that occur in snakes are similar to that in lizards! He goes "Oh, yes, I can take a look at that".

Um...isn't it the vet's job to think of that...not MINE!!! LOL.

So, he looks at it, says there were paracites present...but not harmful ones and it would be just fine. Uhhh...yeah, that doesn't sit well with me. Maybe there ARE some internal paracites that aren't really harmful...and even though he's not displaying symtoms that would point to negative paracites, I still want to know exactly what is going on in him before exposing my healthy snakes to him. So, they refer me to anouther vet out in Van Nuys who could see me today, who treats snakes. At least Dr. ***** told them not to charge me for the visit or the fecal.

Great.

So, I get to the other vet. Someone in the lobby asks me whats in the bag. I say a snake. A bunch of women gasp and hug their little yappy dogs closer to them. So annoying. ANYWAYS...

So, I pay 40 bucks for an "exam". An exam where they felt his belly (I did that allready), looked for mites (yup, did that too), checked inside his mouth for mouth rot or any inflamation (yup, Jenner did that the day we got him) and looked at his eyes. Well, mam, he looks pretty healthy. Wow, I just paid for something I could and did do myself. Neat. I then bring up the paracites. I say the other doc mentioned seeing something but wasn't verry specific. He said they could send out the fecal sample and get me results by tomorrow at noon. That would tell them exactly what is in there, if it requires treating, and with what. Of course, that's anouther 40 bucks. I should have just brought in the fecal! LOL!!! They offered to house him overnight at no extra cost since I didn't want him around my snakes tonight. Fantastic. I checked their tank set ups...they were fine for a night. I love how medical issues with animals always cost more than the animal did themselves. I will soon own the most expensive, normal, probably farmed ball python ever! Hahahahaha. That doesn't bother me though...I love him. I don't mind. I knew this getting into it.

So, that's where it stands at the moment. Luckily for me, I have books on paracites and what medications they use to treat the specific ones...and which medications are prefered and which to avoid. So, when they tell me what type of paracites are present, I'll be ready for them. I want to make sure he gets what he needs. I don't like that it feels like so many vets want to just blow reptiles off. "Yeah, yeah, he looks fine".

So, have any of you had experiences with internal paracites? I expected them to be present, and it was a STRAY SNAKE. He's eating great, no regurges, and his feces looked fine...so, I'm not hugely worried...but still, he's not comming near my snakes till I know he's healthy.

*end rant*
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- JENN ROSE -
www.jennrose.com

0.1.0 classic corn~ "Pumpkin"
1.0.0 leucistic texas ratsnake~ "Worm"

vets suck.....

all for puppies cats and $$$$$$$$$$$cash

.....anyways........cheaper to get panacur and treat for pinworms yourself........amiglyde treats gram negative and gram positive bacterials in the gut...and treats other internal bacterials if injected subcutaneously.(respiratory too).......if you know there are tapeworms present use droncit.....albon for coccydia........and flagyl for flagylated protazoas......

......you could just use amiglyde injections and then orally to treat alot of stuff and panacur for the worms....

......

most snakes are healthy as they are........

........like you said..cheaper to let them die if they do and buy new ones.........

sucks but true........
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JYReptiles

Scales-N-Tails Reptiles ltd........Pa

Well, it turns out it's a roundworm...so panacur would do the trick. I'm going down to the vet right now to see if I can just get some, treat him myself, and get anouther fecal done in a couple weeks.

How are roundworm transmitted from snake to snake? Is it a fecal thing? If so, as long as they are in seperate parts of the house, and I am thuroughly showerd in between handling...the others shouldn't get it, right?
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- JENN ROSE -
www.jennrose.com

0.1.0 classic corn~ "Pumpkin"
1.0.0 leucistic texas ratsnake~ "Worm"

rodents eat bugs and invertibrates and plants with eggs in/on them and then can give them to each other (due to the fact they eat each others feces) and give them to reptiles

anyways......

yea......from contact.....

wash alot and let them touch no other snake nor snake furniture(bowls etc)..

..panacur it..........

......
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JYReptiles

Scales-N-Tails Reptiles ltd........Pa

A lot of the parasites are from feeders and apparently a lot of rodent colonies have them. I know my vet told me that tapeworms are very difficult to transmit from snake to snake and almost surely come from feeders. I think roundworms are the same but am not sure. I do remember once he found roundworms in a new snake and told me there where a rodent specific type and would clear out naturally in the snake. There are also some that are highly contagious between snakes so best to play it safe and quarantine and treat but don't be surprised if your rodent source keeps re-infecting you with some other types.

Well, I always feed F/T mice to my snakes, and have never had paracite problems.

This ball was a rescue from the pound. He was a "stray" snake if ya believe it or not. So, he spent time out loose, plus, who knows what the husbandry skills were like of his previous owners (who either didn't secure him well enough or just let him loose)..but they could have been feeding live. The pound was feeding live...and only feeding him pinkies for that matter!

He accepts F/T mice though without any hesitation, so I'm hoping if I can keep him on that, I won't have a problem again.

But yes, right now he is in a different room, being given time to settle. He wont' really be handled or allowed into my "snake room" until the worms clear up. Nothing being used with him is being used with my other snakes...and I'm scrubing down to the point of showering before interacting with my other snakes (which is mostly just water changes, since they've BOTH decided to be grumpy and in blue at the same time!). So, I don't expect to transmit anything to them. From what I've read, it would be transmitted through saliva or feces. So, as long as it's not an airborne issue, I have to assume it isn't difficult to contain.
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- JENN ROSE -
www.jennrose.com

0.1.0 classic corn~ "Pumpkin"
1.0.0 leucistic texas ratsnake~ "Worm"

Have you had the frozen thawed eaters actually tested to be sure they don't have parasites? I'd be interested to know how fail safe that method is but I guess it really wouldn't help breeders as you can't feed a large breeding ball collection frozen thawed like I could with corn snakes.

If you need to find a vet that treats herps you can go to the association of reptile and amphibian veterinarians web site (www.arav.org) and find one in your area. It is better to establish a good relationship with a vet instead of trying to treat things yourself. You may get away with it for a while but eventually you will end up in trouble and then have a REALLY sick snake and no vet to help fix any additional problems that you may have caused. There is A LOT of bad information out there. For example from the previous post- amiglyde has very poor activity against gram positive bacteria, is a poor choice for use in GI tract infections and is poorly absorbed when given orally. Not to mention that it can have very serious side effects (especially in sick animals). All vets don't blow off reptiles, and vets don't all suck.
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Michael McFadden, M.S., D.V.M.