Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok I need some help, I am a pilot by trade and travel around the US alot. Sometimes if the state allows it and I know I'm going to be there awhile I bring my two Carpet/Diamond Pythons. I keep them both in seperate cages approximatly 5 ft apart from each other. Both are a wood design and completly sealed, except for the top which is a screen for the lights to rest on. I left for a buisness trip on Friday and returned on Monday. Before I left I cleaned both cages and added water to both dishes. I came home today (mon) to find that my male was completly infested with mites, not only that but I had succsefully treated a fungus infection the size of a penny on his back three weeks before. But now it looks like its back. I have checked around about remedies for the mites, such as olive oil, and warm water. I used a Mite spray on him after isolating him in a special cage I keep for travel, its plastic. The spray I used was recomened by the reptile store clerk, He told me he used it on all his reptiles and cages. I checked online again to find out more about this product. Its organic and has a complete garenty from the product manufacture, but I'm worried abouth how it will react with the fungis (if its back of course). I need some medical advice as to what my next step of action should be. I've already cleaned the cage and coated it in the same product I obtained from the store. None of the mites lived that I sprayed. I am unfortanitly 500 miles away from my vet and unable to return with them with the male in his condition. I would like some serious help please.

First, I would take it to a vet that deals with snakes to deal with the fungus. I have treated mites on new animals with Black Night and Provent A Mite and both worked well. I hear you can also use Nix. When dealing with mites you have to treat everything(entire room, cage, cage furnishings, substrate, etc) not just the snake. I have been lucky and have only received them on new animals that were quarintined at my brothers house so my entire collection was safe. I would throw out everything that is in the cage and start over. The fungus can probably be treated with any antifungal cream. I would also thoroughly clean the cage with an antifungal cleaning agent to kill as much as the fungus and spores as possible.

Good luck
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Jaremy Douglas

Is looking at your husbandry. There must be something in the cage, with the design or otherwise to cause a fungus. Until you fix that you'r only adding a bandaid. Bandaids are good at covering wounds but not preventing them.

Check your air flow, where your vents are located, how much moisture you have in it, heat etc.. Something has to be causeing the fungus.

If you give examples of your cage setup maybe we can help you figure it out.

Good luck

The two cages that I have are all wood. Made up from plywood and pine, all have been sanded flat. All the cracks have been sealed with wood filler and glue. However none of the cages are finished wood. I worried about the unfinished wood, but I've made three other cages like these without incidents. I've kept reptiles for over 8 years and this is the first problem I've ever had. I use a cypress bedding, usally with a little moss to hold the moisture in the air. as for climbing vines and branches, I use sandblasted grape vines. I use typical heat lamps and UV bulbs. The temps in the room and the cages have been constant. about 88 for the cages, while about 70 in the room. The humidity is mild about 15 precent at the most in the room, not sure about the cages though. As for the heat/Air vents, I haven't used any AC or Heat in my apartment.

Nows the Fungus is a different matter all together. about two years ago during June my female had a fungus infection, I took her to my vet, you might have seen him on the discovery channels Animal Vets, Kevin Fitzgerald. He gave me all the medicine to take care of the infection. And it worked fine. I treated the cages, branches walls, floors, rocks, hiding spots, everything with a bleach solution, as advised by my vet. And now again this year about the same time, the same fugus came back, but this time on the male. Both snakes where in the same cage, but the female showed no signs of fugus infection. Kevin said he was writing a book on types of infections snakes get and how to treat them, he said he was unsure of what type of fungus my snakes had but was researching it. He once again gave me medicine to use on my snake. And it worked fine. However after looking at my snake in depth last night I decided that it wasn't the same infection. It looks like mite damage. I went to the local vet here and was told to soak the grape vines, and everything else in a bleach bath with hot water. I got some mite powder to use in the cage to keep the mites away. I cleaned the room and checked everywhere for eggs or mites, nothing. The vet also told me to soak the snake in a bath for about 10min and then coat him with olive oil.

thats about it, if you can help out with in anyway I would be greatly appricative. My snakes are my pride and joy, I hate to see them in trouble, even more I feel like I should have seen this well before now.

Thanks
Matt

Seeing your cage is wood, it can and will promote for alot of things to grow inside of it. Wood is a porous material. It may take awhile but if not sealed it can harbor alot of things fungus or mold could be one of them things.

You never mentioned anything about ventalation within the cages, are they screen topped? vented on sides? or no vents at all?
Without some form of air exchange the air will get old and also harbor the bad things you dont want in the cage.

As for mites, they can leave nasty scars and transfer parasites into the blood stream. So the initial attack of the mites on them is not the only threat.

The top is a screen, and the cages are completly vented, that was the one of the top priorities when I built them. However the wood has never caused a problem before, but I can see how this material would harbor them. I think it best if I seal them all to prevent it from happening again. Any idea what to use to seal the wood that is reptile friendly.

Matt

Ive sealed cages with shilac and with polyeurothane. Make sure to give them plenty of time to air out. Ive also put contact paper and linoleum on the inside walls after sealing them to make it easier to wipe out.

I use frp board and cover it then seal all corners. This will leave a water resistant easy to clean cage.

frp is fiberglass reinforced plastic, they sell it in sheets at most home improvment stores. (home depot, lowes, etc.)

If the cage is constructed of wood, I would not use it until you can be sure it is mite free. As any good vet will tell you, you have to treat for mites several times, there are eggs that hatch even after you have treated your animal/ cage. I'm under the belief that if you have a mite issue to stop use of all wood products, they can be very difficult to rid of mites. As far as the fungus, I agree on seeing a vet and from my experience of taking many animals to the vet many issues are caused or related to husbandry. Hope some of that helps!