Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I sell some of my extra mice to a reptile shop in town. I also traded them a young gray banded king and amel corn for a rosy boa. I took a loss on the deal because I needed a bigger snake to eat some extra frozen mice that were too large for the two I traded them. When I got the rosy home I noticed that it was rubbing it's nose against objects, sorta making a popping noise from it's nose and occasionally kept it's mouth opened as it explored it's new home. I talked to the lady I traded with and took it back in the next day. Upon expection she said it had a shed on it's nose and would try to get it off later. She also said it was getting ready to shed. I was new to snakes so I believed the pro. After it shed I took it home. It ate a meal or two but missed a few and the mice it refused I gave to my monster eater black Mex King. Then I noticed that the rosy was doing the rubbing thing again with his mouth opened and kept missing meals. I also noticed that my king was starting to do the same thing.... and I had to beg him to take his food. When he did I noticed that he kinda hissed or something as he was trying to get it down his hatch. Like it was hard to breath or something. I took them to the reptile lady and her husband gave them some medicine but also let me know that he thought it was caused by something I did, in spite of my telling him what went down between me and his wife.

Trying to make a long story short here.... he said the one dose would do it, but after several weeks the snakes are still doing the same thing so I called today and after finding out how many mice they needed I told the lady that the snakes still weren't doing well and would like to discuss the issue. She said that she was busy, so I asked her to call when she had a free moment. No return call yet.

Ok... so here's my problem.... I need to sell my mice to them, and I need to settle this issue with them too... but I'm afraid that if I push the snake issue that they will stop buying my mice. Then too, if they are going to be asses about the snakes then I won't want to sell them my mice. I feel like I'm in a catch 22. So, how would you all handle this? I just need some food for thought till I talk to them again.

Is it ok to put stuff like this on here? If not... then delete it, ok?

MissHisssss

Take the snakes to a vet. I would find someone else to do business with.

This is the open discussion forum, and if they can rant about gay marriage and the President, etc, etc, then I think this is ok here..
That's a tough one. The best thing you can do is be honest, and still stand up for yourself. Go in to their store, in person, and let them know what you feel and think, just like you did here. It sounds to me like the snake has an upper respiratory infection, and may have passed it on to your other snake. Tell them that you want to continue doing business with them, but that you feel there is an unresolved issue re: the trade and the snake, and that you want to resolve it. Let them know what you feel is going on, and ask how they plan on making it right.
You may not get the satisfaction you are looking for. Not everyone does the right thing, unfortunately. All you can do is what is best for YOU, and if they choose not to work with you, then take it as a lesson learned and move on. You may want to explore other options for your mice surpluss, such as freezing them for your own use, or supplying another store?
Good luck with whatever happens.
K
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

I'm not sure why you would take the snake back for treatment to someone who has already made the wrong diagnosis once. Regardless though, it sounds to me like you need to take it (and your other) to the vet. Find a knowledgeable herp/exotics vet, rather than one who usually only sees cats and dogs. And isolate your snakes so you don't spread the infection any farther.

As for the people you're doing business with, it sounds to me like they just don't know what to do and so are trying to avoid the issue. (Not very professional, but not inherently evil, I don't think.) If I were you, I would probably continue selling them the mice...but I would avoid EVER purchasing or taking in trade any other living critters. (Use your trade credit for cages or other supplies, perhaps?) And I would avoid going to them for advice.

Or...like Kikai said, you can freeze the excess, which will give you more time to find more professional people to do business with. There's always a market for healthy frozen rodents.

Hope your snakes get well!
Judy
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1.0 red cape gopher (Caesar)

sounds to me like some kind of respitory disease. They cannot breath well through their noses. I sounds also like it is very catchy. Question is did it come from them or did your snakes have it? Sounds to me like it came from them and your other snake has now contracted it and the snakes you took to the store have it now too. I would take mine to a vet to try to have it diagnosed and then calmly confront the store owners about it and the way it was transfered. If it can be proven that it is their fault and they want to disagree then I would just market my rodents elsewhere and actually not buy anything there again especially snakes or other reptillia. Good luck...
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Even if your on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there
20 leos,1.1 redtail boas,1.1 rainbow boas,1.1 cornsnakes, 1.0 tokay gecko,1.0 veiled cham, 5 dogs and a cat. Oh, can't forget Tater my parrotlet.

Thanks to you all for your opinions. I finally talked to the lady tonight and I'm supposed to take the snakes in tomorrow for some more medicine. I'll let you know how things turn out. Oh and as far as selling the mice elsewhere... I had checked, and all the other pet shops, feedstores, etc., had a supplier. I will continue to sell mice to these people, but will never trade or buy any more snakes from them. And if their remedy to get them better doesn't work this time, I'll take them to a vet. I might do that anyway.

Thanks again ya all. You've been very helpful.
I LOVE these forums
MissHisssss

I forgot to add to my last post that tonight the lady admitted that her husband was the one that knew more about snakes than she did. Telling me this from the start would have saved me a lot of hassle. I just hope this second dose of medicine does the trick.

MissHisssss.

drwretwrt
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Even if your on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there
20 leos,1.1 redtail boas,1.1 rainbow boas,1.1 cornsnakes, 1.0 tokay gecko,1.0 veiled cham, 5 dogs and a cat. Oh, can't forget Tater my parrotlet.