Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My loxocemus is sick. I just need to know what I can do to help her shed, and if she can have an infection from rubbing herself raw trying to shed. I tried soaking and it didn't help. She also has not been eating well the last 2 months, and now she is looking up in the fashion of "STARGAZING" and she is gaping for no reason.. ANY IDEAS???? PLEASE HELP.

Hi,

I keep lox but I have never seen that sort of behavior, so I can't tell you what to do to cure it. It sounds scary though and you have my sympathy. I can tell you that I keep mine on a dry, but deep (1-2 inches) substrate like shredded newspaper or aspen. Keep the temp in the high 70s or low-mid 80s. I have used spagnum in the past to elevate humidity, but that is not necessary, and mine showed no reaction to it at all. In another post you said your vet said it was a spagnum allergy and that makes no sense to me.

Last, are you sure that it is a loxocemus? I have seen sunbeam snakes (xenopeltis) sold as loxocemus, and those have very different care requirements.

Billy Brown

Yes, she is definately a loxocemus. I don't know what to do. She has six live fuzzies in there and she won't touch them . I feel like I have failed her. I wish that there was something I knew to help. And I agree with you about the moss issue, it does not make sense. That is why I don't know where to take her. I guess I will try to call around today and see. How big are yours, as far as length and diameter, because she seems to small to me. She was small when I got her, so I wonder if she does not have some sort of problem that she had when I purchased her only I didn't know it. Because since I got her, there will be times when she wakes me up making a wheezing noise, like air deflating from a balloon.

I'm not a vet, but it really sounds like she has a respiratory infection, and your best bet is to find someone who has treated boas, pythons, etc. with similar illnesses.

Mine are various sizes, but tend to be on the thick side in terms of diameter. They grow slowly, though, so do not be disappointed if she does not get longer fast. It can take 4-6 years for them to reach maturity. I would say just find someone who knows how to give antibiotics to snakes (assuming it is bacterial), keep her a little warmer than you otherwise might (maybe mid-80s), and that's all you can do. She'll probably eat if and when she's feeling better.

My heart goes out to you, good luck,
Billy

your snake doesn't have a simple stuck eye cap, it has serious problems, and you need to see a vet. getting a "diagnosis" from a herp forum from anonymous folks without even a visual picture is irresponsible, only a professional can help, and they need to see the animal first hand.

best of luck.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I am going to try to call some vets today. It is just hard because they are so far away. I thought if anyone had any experience with this they might have a suggestion of how I can help till I can get her there. I think this is probabaly something she had when I got her. I think we all know the horrors of buying animals at Petstores in Malls. Well, going to call vets now. Thank you.

I'm afraid this sounds like 'star-gazing' due to IBD or other neuropathic virus. Symptoms can vary whenever a pathogen involves the CNS (brain/spinal cord). No one knows how loxocemus respond to IBD but in other pythons it can be fulminating (rapidly fatal).

The problem with shedding is related to the underlying pathology, in that a snake with neurological disease can not perform the coordinated movements required in the actual shedding process. And there is the potential that a snake could rub itself raw in spots (ie the head) attempting to shed, but the vast majority of snakes abandon trying to shed before this occurs. If you know for sure that the snake is ready to shed BUT CAN'T, then the keeper may need to manually shed the snake out, using a forceps around the head. A lox will fight this, but we all know snakes feel better after they shed.

I maintain my recently obtained juvenile lox on aspen shavings with the back 1" of the Phillips sweaterbox sitting directly on a strip of 3" flexwatt set at 95 F. All 3 specimens frequently will rest with part of their bodies directly over the flexwatt, particularly after a fuzzy mouse meal. Some may claim this is too warm, but you can't argue with a snake's behavior. The cool end of the cage is high 70's F. The front of the box develops some condensation, wetting the aspen. Sometimes they'll rest in the wetted aspen, and sometimes they hide in their box near the heat strip.

I think the respiratory symptoms in this snake are related to the underlying neuropathology and not to a 'typical' RI, although it can develop into one as a sequelae. Just blindly using an antibiotic is not usually beneficial in the long run. Certianly if the snake is showing the thick saliva of an active RI, I would advise getting a culture/sensitivity before starting any antibiotic.

I wish I could give you better news but there is always hope. I hope you'll b able to get this snake to a herp vet. Good luck!

Scott J. Michaels DVM