Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Or something along these lines?

My Cali. King just died with an undigested mouse. He was fed last night and had no signs of ill health previous. Is this a possible cause of death?

Any help in understanding would be appreciated.

I doubt it had anything to do with it. Chances are it had some other problems that were not fatal for the snake until it coincidentally ate last night. It really doesn't do any good to speculate about the causes of death like this when spending $50 at a vet to get a necropsy goes a LONG towards understanding how it died. If it did jUST die, I strongly recommend packing it in ice water (but not frozen!)and getting it to a veterinarian first thing tomorrow.
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Governor George W. Bush, Jr.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Alright, thanks. I'll take him in tomorrow.

I'd like to have access to the time machine you do to get a $50.00 necropsy. The last two I had done were $225.00 and over $300.00 for all the tests. Surgery on egg bound reptiles is a flat $500.00 now ... whether you're talking about a cornsnake or a Gila monster.

I don't see anything costing $50.00 ; even a routine visit for a dog or cat runs you that.

The necropsy price I stated is definitely on the low side. That is just for a gross necropsy with no cultures. I also get a non-profit discount for the institution I am affiliated with. Nonetheless, the vets I go to don't charge an unreasonable amount for just the "cut and look" type necropsy.
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Governor George W. Bush, Jr.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

That's great you get that kind of discount.

A use a great herp vet who is 2 1/2 hours from me so when it's something I need vet assistance with, it's pretty involved and costly with shipping expenses ( necropsy ), traveling time if it's something that is a drop off and pick up ( surgery ) and of course the cultures and medication. Sometimes it's $50.00 just packing and overnighting the dead animal to the vet.

Fortuneately, I don't need very often but when I do it's a big but necessary expense. The thing that bothers me about the prices that high is how many people just can't afford to get the needed examinations done when something serious is going on in their collections.

When a necropsy is sent away to a laboratory it usually starts with a flat fee (maybe $50) then an hourly fee is added. Additional tissue tests are also added as needed. This is how the lab charges the vet clinic (in my experience anyways, i'm sure some are different); and the vet clinic may have a flat fee assuming the most common length of time, and then charge further if it takes longer.
Many vets will do a gross necropsy themselves, but with reptiles this is usually only beneficial if the vet is of course, experienced with reptiles. This also only detects internal symptoms, like a fatty liver, necrotic intestine, foriegn body, tumor ect.
Your specific vet may charge a flat rate for egg-bound surgeries because his costs and time are the same from reptile to reptile, so to simplify things it is made one fee. With that, $500 is a very good price in my opinion. What does a caesarean cost with humans? And I bet they can do that faster than removing countless eggs.

In any case, I'm glad that you do use a herp vet when needed and complaining about costs is only natural. It's never fun going to the doctor. These costs however are a part of pet care and should be considered prior to getting any animal. I always suggest to have an empty credit card or some other savings for the price that you are willing to put on your pets head. I usually suggest having $1000 available, but for a $20 dollar corn snake someone may only choose to spend $200 in treatment before humane euthanasia becomes the alternative.

To add to this, I've mentioned in other posts that health care insurance is available for pets. It is rather cheap and is a huge lifesaver for a growing number of pets. Do a net search for pet insurance and I'm sure you'll find one or more companies that will cover reptiles. Group insurance for larger collections may also be a possibility but I havn't come across this yet.

Don't get me wrong , I wasn't 'complaining' about what I'm charged, just commenting about how high prices have went. When (fortuneately for me) your herp vet visits are usually many years apart, the 'new' prices can catch you by surprise.

I pay whatever it is and consider myself very lucky to be only a couple hours away from one of the top herp vets in the country.

Like you say, someone with high end / important animals should always be thinking about being ready for the unexpected vet expenses that could arise at anytime , especially during the breeding season.

My comment was just with prices as they are, it is sure to keep some keepers out of seeking the vet help that may needed at times, and unfortuneately , it often comes down to monetary value / replacement of the reptile and price of vet service.

It's definately different than with your dogs since the sky's the limit when it comes to them.

I just consider myself lucky enough to be in the vet industry, thus doing much of the work myself and limiting costs. It would be a very tough situation indeed though if say, my sulcata needed emergency surgery in the next city over. **shudder**

Also just curious, but what state are you in and what vet do you use?

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Yes, you are very, very lucky indeed! Scott's a great guy and I hope to meet him at the '06 ARAV conference.

that's why I said I 'pay whatever it is' and am not complaining.

When I said "... one of the best ..." I only hesitated to say THE BEST out of respect for other dedicated herp vets in the country.

If you do get to see him , tell him I said 'Hi' :>