Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have my female Hypo Motley here who has been acting weird recently. As long as I have had her she has never turned down food except when in shed. She's a garbage disposal, as of the last month, she is turning down food. Her cage is still almost 90 degrees at the hot spot at about 80 cooler, which is what it always is, so thats not changed.

However for some reason she wont even look at food. I know it is normal for some females to just decide to reject food when they become sexually mature, which this is the first year for that with this girl, shes an early 2007 at 6.5' and 16lbs, but has not seen any males, so she's not gravid.

Then today, I just happened to be trying to feed her again (which shes refusing) and I noticed a spot on her I never noticed before..... Looks like a small white spot, about 1/4" of little white scales. I suppose it IS possible its been there and I overlooked it, but its rather noticeable and I really dont think I would have. I think its new.

A few days ago she had that part of her body submersed in her water bowl, so maybe its some kind of water mark? She has never had any mites or ticks or anything, so I dont know why she was laying with that section of her body in the bowl, thats when I noticed she was acting weird and I have kept an eye on her since. Shes still very alert, flicks her tongue smelling everything, and strength is good as always. Just no food and this new white spot.

Here is a few pics I took from my cell phone, crappy pics but you get the idea. Anybody have any ideas or insight? Has me concerned. I appreciate any info in advance

I just made an in depth post it disappeared into thin air
Start over

This sounds like the bad rat problem to me.

I still believe that pretty normal looking rats in some cases
have high levels of fat in them.

That causes a bacteria bloom in the Boa I think.

Then the skin color leaches out and gets worse after a shed

I know now if it happened to me again I'd administer amakacin immediately but . . . .

You should get a stool sample have it cultured. If high numbers of pseudomonas, Klebsiella,proteus,Proteus mirabilis,even E coli occur in high numbers
( Vet and Lab will know what normal parameters should be)
but if in high numbers you should treat the Boa with antibiotics like Amakacin

Also a blood sample could be useful.

I'll tell you right now if you find a spot , an area in the cage that looks like basic mucous ,
like if some one spit up alot of mucous- (a goupy pile of spit).

Within 24-48 hours of mucous discharge the animal will pass.

I can't know that's what's happening with your girl, I only
know my bad experience in '08

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

Well I have not noticed any mucous or anything, only the spot so far and the lack of appetite. everything else seems to be normal. However she seems to show interest in food. I forgot to mention this in the last post. I throw a rat in, she smells it for a while, pokes around and checks it out for several minutes before moving away. There has been a few times I was convinced she would eat, but then much to my surprise, did not...... Did yours do anything of the sort?

I don't remember any of my ill Boas (in '08) showing interest in food at all.

She / yours could just be sexually mature and in follicle mode

AS far as mine and breeding behavior

Mine don't lay off food for a long time, just a short time
before they prepare themselves to ovulate ,
some will show appetite loss

I would try to get some Vet time some cultures ,
something to ease your mind.

I'm just a little paranoid and gun shy after what happened in '08

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

Found a vet that specializes in exotics. I figured I would rather be safe than sorry, so made an appointment for 7 tonight (soonest they could see me). I don't have a recent stool so I requested having blood work done. The woman over the phone said we might be able to still get a stool out of it, the Dr will make a judgement call when I get there.

Thanks for the input, I will keep posted. Im keeping my fingers crossed, its one of my favorite females, and I dont know too many people who have breedable hypo motleys het albino...

Good luck hope all is well.

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

I used a supplier YEARS ago that my boas would turn down their rats (the rats smelled RANCID but I didn't know any better at the time). This is also the same supplier that caused my boas to shed off their color as well as many other boa keepers experiencing the same thing and they have been connected to numerous boa deaths because of their rats.

Don't post it here as it's against the TOS, but feel free to PM me.

jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

np

I've seen posts like this here before but I haven't seen anyone post actual lab reports from a necropsy as proof showing the feeder rat was the cause of death. You must have one since you are making the claim so please post it.

Personally I can't see a certain type of rat affecting boas in such a bad way but then be ok for other kinds of snakes. I would think if it killed one kind, it would kill many others. Snakes just aren't built that way. I would bet most boas die as a result of (gasp) keeper error.

So please post lab reports (ON THE SNAKES NOT THE RATS) so I can learn from them. Thanks

I will gladly post my results when I have them. My snake has not died, (hopefully will not), but I have a vet appointment tonight to have some bloodwork done and possibly some stool samples. I plan to post my results when I have them. This is my first experience with the possibility of "bad rats" so I cant speak too much on the topic. But I will definately post my results when they come in.

I honestly do not have paper copies of my results from my vet

She gives me my results over the phone , if I felt I needed a
paper copy I could always get one I suppose

The fact of the matter is you cannot directly link the problem I and jb are speaking of ,
to rats with any forensic Pathology.

You can how ever test all kinds of things water dishes,
cage interiors etc.. and narrow down the list.

You can make the correlation between 8 years worth of feeds no problems and
then within a three week period several Boas have bad sheds
and behave lethargically

and then test results from fecal samples and Necropsy Pathology
show bacterial problems I listed several of those types above .

So its more of a circumstantial type of evidence

There is no way to prove beyond a doubt that "X" Rat caused "X" problem

Its speculation from all of us

But enough of us have had certain bad experiences related to certain types of rats and in other cases
Rats that come from a specific place.

I firmly believe Boas do not tolerate fat or at least a
certain type Fat well.

That's the speculation that's been made . When Boas are kept
clean cared for properly and a bacterial problem happens
something is wrong.

Believe me if I had slacked on cleaning and something bad happened
the last thing I'd do is come on here and talk about an
issue that could have possibly been my fault.

It would be entirely mis leading and a dis service to other people
to come on a forum and say rats caused my problem when it could've been bad husbandry , which bad husbandry was
definitely not the case

Believe me , I took months going over everything before I said anything about this to anyone.

By opening my mouth I understood just how much was at stake,
that's why so many people keep their mouths shut

If I made a premature declaration and I was wrong about the
answers I would've destroyed my standing in the hobby

If I would have blamed it on my supplier without knowing the facts I could jeopardize his business standing.

In my case I've made it clear it really wasn't his fault , it was the type of rat, Pythons can eat those , Boas can't.

If a rat is not all White or looks too plump I won't use them

Since Aug '08 I have shipped entire rat shipments back when an
employee got the order wrong

I hope I've made myself clear

. . . Lar M

Below is the Link to an in depth post I made elsewhere about my problem
Rabbits vs XXXL Rats....

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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

Above post response to "mandyandalex", N/P
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

A 3 year old female that's 6.5' and 16 lbs has never wanted for food a day in her life like her wild counterparts would. This is the breeding season so like you hypothesized, she could just be in the mood and is avoiding eating in case she gets the opportunity to breed.

The white spot could be troubling. A vet visit to a qualified reptile vet is definitely in order.

jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail