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OK, I saw an interesting case at the Vet's Office a couple of weeks ago. Lets see if anyone else can guess what was wrong with this boa.

This snake was about 4 feet long, give or take a few inches. It was on the thin side, but it wasn't an animal that was " severly under weight" or anorexic. This animal was 7 years old and it ate twice a month. It had normal sheds and passed urates and stools with no problems. It showed no signs of respatory problems. It did show signs that "appeared" to be a neurological disfunctions. When turned on it's back it was able to right it's self, but not as quickly as most snakes would have. One of it's eyes was more dialated than the other, but both were dialated more than normal. Neither eye had a normal response to light. This snake didn't slither around like a normal boa would. When confinded it would do a "cork screw" motion back on it's self. When not confined it would slither with it's head "tilted" a bit. This snake wasn't in any way shape or form lathargic. It was actually very alert. The abnormal way it slithers is something this snake has done for the past 6 years. This was a new Client and they had brought their boa in for a "well snake check up".

So...... Going by the info I've given, what would anyone here think was wrong with this snake?

Sounds like a ear infection...??? LOL... or something to throw it's equalibrium off. Gotta be something really unusual for it to be going on for 6 years.

M/

>>OK, I saw an interesting case at the Vet's Office a couple of weeks ago. Lets see if anyone else can guess what was wrong with this boa.
>>
>>This snake was about 4 feet long, give or take a few inches. It was on the thin side, but it wasn't an animal that was " severly under weight" or anorexic. This animal was 7 years old and it ate twice a month. It had normal sheds and passed urates and stools with no problems. It showed no signs of respatory problems. It did show signs that "appeared" to be a neurological disfunctions. When turned on it's back it was able to right it's self, but not as quickly as most snakes would have. One of it's eyes was more dialated than the other, but both were dialated more than normal. Neither eye had a normal response to light. This snake didn't slither around like a normal boa would. When confinded it would do a "cork screw" motion back on it's self. When not confined it would slither with it's head "tilted" a bit. This snake wasn't in any way shape or form lathargic. It was actually very alert. The abnormal way it slithers is something this snake has done for the past 6 years. This was a new Client and they had brought their boa in for a "well snake check up".
>>
>>
>>So...... Going by the info I've given, what would anyone here think was wrong with this snake?
>>
>>

Can it be IBD???
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Sylvain Ouellette

Sorry, posted a response and didn't finish it...

I say IBD (Inclusion Body Disease), this virus that can be carried for years by the snake before showing (a bit like AIDS for humans) typically involves neurological disfonctions... Some of the visible symptoms are difficulty to righting himself when the snake is on it's back, asymetrical dilatation of the pupils, paralysis and regurgitation...

It's a very serious illness that can get a hole collection infected if there's no proper isolation... usually, if IBD there is, euthanisia is suggested
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Sylvain Ouellette

It's not IBD. This is a, technically, healthy snake.

Hey... nice story! I never thought that the snkae might b blind!
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Sylvain Ouellette
Montreal,Canada

Just thinking more about this....since it was eating well, shedding well and normal bowels...everything seems pretty normal except for the signs you indicated....was it blind?

M/

Yes, this snake was BLIND!!!

I talked to the owners after the exam. It all happened about 6 years ago. This snake ate a HUGE rat. Something happened to the snake a few days later and it regurged. It could have been the temps that caused a regurge. They did't have it on a thermostat back then. It could be it had a heat stroke. Of course, they said it was a HUGE rat for the size of the snake. They were surprised he even got it down. It could have just been too big.

Anyway, after the regurge the boa just didn't look right. They took it to a Vet back in 2000. This was a dog/cat Vet. He felt the snake had suffered a head injury. This little guy continued to refuse food after that first regurge. The owners continued offering food weekly. The "apparent" neurological disfunction got worse and worse as the weeks passed. They were new to boas as pets, but they had been doing a lot of reading. They feared that their first boa ever might have IBD, so they took it back to the same vet they had taken him to before. Now remember, this was a dog/cat vet. He examined the snake again and made a few phone calls. This "non-reptile" Vet assured the owners that their boa didn't have IBD. He told them to offer smaller food items.

They continued to offer him frozen thawed rodents until they ran out. By this time 6 months had passed and he still hadn't eaten. They were going to have him euthanized the following week, but decided to offer him food "one more time". They bought a live mouse from a pet shop. They killed it just before they offered it to him and HE TOOK IT!!!! They contunued to offer him fresh killed mice for the longest time, thinking he would only eat mice. Then someone gave them a small rat for the snake. They killed it and he took it just as quickly. Now he's not that coordinated and it does take him a while to get the rodents down, but he still does it on his own. BTW he's never regurged since that first time.

To make a long story short, about 2 years later, they took him back to the same Vet again. This Vet did a "well snake checkup" and when he checked the eyes he said, "he's blind". He wasn't sure if there's was any brain damage, since that can't be checked for. He remained their Vet until they moved. They believed that any other Vet would think he had IBD or something.

They relocated this year and decided to get their snake a "well snake check up". They just wanted to get to know the Vet and see how good he is. This snake is healthy. It's just blind.

BTW he was the coolest "special needs" snake I've ever seen. It was so gentle and the owners really love him.

Yeah!!! What did I win?? LOL!! Very cool story...thanks for giving me something besides work to think about this afternoon.

M/

I guess there's not really a prize. Of course, it did take your mind off work for a while.

Also you looked beyond the obviuos disfunction this snake has and saw a healthy animal.

I'm glad the owners didn't give up on him. He really is a special boa. I'm sure he'll be around for a very long time.

since this has been happening for 6 years I think it must be a harmless disability. I am looking forward to the answer.

caden

Yes, it is a harmless disability. I posted the answer above.

Very interesting story. Thanks for the mini-education!

Caden

meningitis

No, it's not meningitis. This snake is, technically, healthy. I posted the answer above.

I have an amelanistic corn snake who is fully blind in one eye and 50% blind in the other. He was born like that and I actually got him for free from the store i worked at because no one would buy a snake that was blind. His eyes are really cool, a light opaque pink. Im guessing the boas eyes are like that from nerve damage because you didnt mention his eyes being opaque or anyhting.