Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well a friend of a friends friend ended up in jail and somehow i have came into rescueing 3 hogg isle boas,its really a good thing the jails have him because these poor lil boas are in terrible shape, and i would have hurt him,,anyway all 3 will get to the vet soon(funds),good news is all are now hydrated and all have eaten,bad news is 2 of the 3 have their nasals grown over?its very strange ive never seen anything like it,on 1 its like its nasals arent even there and it has a overbite as well im wondering if its a genetic defect? as aside from being in filthy conditions and dehydrated,and veryvery thin they dont really appear sick IE:no wheezing,bubbles etc they all have eaten now and are in clean temp.monitored cages and will get to the vet soon i will get some pics up soon any advise is apprecieated thanks,,,,,,,,thomas

I am in no way an expert on snakes but I have worked for a couple veterinarians. I completely understand not having funds but maybe you can check with the vet and ask if he will allow you to make payments or give him a couple post dated checks. It sounds like these guys really shouldn't wait to get to the vets.

I hate to sound negative, but vet clinics generally have very poor success with payment plans/checks, and will be rather hesitant to accomodate you in this fashion. Are these snakes eating? You said that breathing is fine right? Providing optimal husbandry should suffice along with proper quarantine protocol for the sake of your current animals. A vet visit is still definetily warranted.

As per the nares, they may be sufficiently scarred as to be completely closed off. There is no wheezing? Open mouth breathing?

Good luck with your rescues!

Ian

yes it appears that the nasals have grown over there is no wheezing or hissing their mouths are clean and they are eating and drinking fine and aside from being very thin appear ok i will get them to a vet as soon as i can. its really sad to see boas this thin and in this poor condition but it really is a testament to how tough they
(reptiles)really are,,,,,,,,,thanks
,,,,,,,,,,,thomas

I have numerous Hoggs I have seen this before. It is probably a number of sheds built up. Put the snakes in a humudity chamber with some wet moss for a couple days and it should come off very easy, mine just came off on its own, Good Luck, and thanks for your rescue.