Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, I'm gonna have to give you folks some backstory: This time last year my 13 year old graybanded was being treated for absesses. He had one that the vet opened and drained every week for a month, then another developed right near the first one and that one was drained for another month or so. Snake did not eat for 6 months, then only took very small mice very seldom for a couple months. Then he vomited one (I had tried giving him a larger mouse). I waited two weeks, started again. He ate a couple meals then vomited again (again, I think the mouse was slightly bigger than the previous one). I've waited 2 weeks, then have been feeding him one hopper mouse every five days. So far he's taken 4. He seems VERY hungry, but I'm afraid to up his feedings too quickly for fear he will vomit again, and he's extremely skinny. Tomorrow is another feeding day, and I'm thinking of giving him 2 hoppers instead of one - am I rushing it again?
Also, a couple months ago (before the vomiting happened) I found another small lump and took him back to the vet. Vet xrayed him and told me he didn't see anything on the film so thought it was undigested food and to soak him and bring him back if that didn't help. Meanwhile, this vomiting thing started up. Now the lump is larger (only on one side of his body, unlike how the absess looked) and I'm conflicted. He's so skinny I don't want to stress him by taking him to the vet for treatment right when he's eating again. I've been thinking I'd wait till I could get some weight back on him but am having second thoughts. Anyone have experience with this sort of thing in the past? Any advice would really be appreciated.
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1.0.0 277 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris Karloff
1.0.0 Crockett Graybanded Kingsnake, Julien Sands
1.0.0 Ball Python, Frank Langella
1.0.0 Pastel Ball Python, Claude Raines
1.0.0 Boa, Benedict Cumberboa (or Big Ben)
1.0.0 Sweet Rosy Bourke Parakeet, Didgeridoo
1.0.0 Ringneck Dove, Pimmdale Plumington
0.1.0 Smart & Loving Daughter

It looks as though you may have a FTT (failure to thrive) situation. I've had a few, and have learned that the vet bills rise and we end up paying a lot more to help the snake hopefully get well than we may have invested when we first purchased the animal. It might be best to put him down. He is suffering for sure and does not have a good quality of life at this time. However, I can understand you wanting to keep it and help it get well. I once paid a vet 600 dollars to help me with an egg-bound grayband for which I only paid 150. It never got better and eventually died of an infection.

Yeah, maybe I need to consider his quality of life at this point. He's 14 now, and as the smallest of his clutch maybe he's just not going to live as long as I was hoping. Especially with his health problems the last year. I have an appointment with his vet on Monday to discuss whether I have any options left to bring him back to full health or whether I should just give up. It's gonna be hard if I do have to give up on him, but I really don't want him to suffer needlessly. Thanks for your reply.
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1.0.0 277 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris Karloff
1.0.0 Crockett Graybanded Kingsnake, Julien Sands
1.0.0 Ball Python, Frank Langella
1.0.0 Pastel Ball Python, Claude Raines
1.0.0 Sweet Rosy Bourke Parakeet, Didgeridoo
1.0.0 Ringneck Dove, Pimmdale Plumington
0.1.0 Smart & Loving Daughter

I wish you good luck with your snake. If he goes down let me know and I will send you a free locale specific Juno Road pair from this year's breeding program to make up for your loss.

Thank you so much for your kindness, it really does mean alot to me. Boris is having exploratory surgery tomorrow morning. The vet said it could be a blockage of some sort (he said something about crystalized urine?) which can be removed and he can bounce back from that. Or it's a growth on his kidneys, and if that's it the vet will not wake him up. But he said either of these could be causing his feeding issues. Just hoping it's the treatable one - I'd like a few more years with him. I'll post either way tomorrow. Your lovely, compassionate offer touched me - so many folks don't understand how attached I can be to this snake.
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1.0.0 277 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris Karloff
1.0.0 Crockett Graybanded Kingsnake, Julien Sands
1.0.0 Ball Python, Frank Langella
1.0.0 Pastel Ball Python, Claude Raines
1.0.0 Sweet Rosy Bourke Parakeet, Didgeridoo
1.0.0 Ringneck Dove, Pimmdale Plumington
0.1.0 Smart & Loving Daughter