Necropsy (EXTREMELY GRAPHIC)

[DannyBoy]

Danktat, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Thank you for posting these pictures. I wish I had something to add, but I just don't have any experience in diagnosis of causes of death. Good luck, man.

[myounguf]

Hey Dank, sorry for your loss. I am going to school for veterinary medicine at the University of Florida right now and am specializing in large animal (specifically Equine orthopedics) but have studied quite extensively in exotics. Just thought I would give you some background information. Judging by your necropsy and what you stated regarding the increased amount of fat surrounding the heart, I would say it could be a variety of illnesses and/or conditions. One thing I would ask you is how old was the snake that passed, and how long and heavy was she. The reason why I ask is that in exotic species, especially reptiles (snakes) increased growth in a relatively short period of time puts a great deal of stress on the animal and will sometimes lead to an increase in KPH fat (meaning kidney, pelvic, heart fat). While reptiles particularly do not have a pelvic region (per say), the kidney and heart region are greatly affected. This is why snakes that are power fed usually have shorter life expectancies than those that are not. The increased amount of fat results in a plethora of problems, some of which are listed above (although embolisms are not too common in snake species). Another thing that comes to mind is the fact that you said she was gravid. The reproductive tract in a snake lies incredibly close to the kidneys and if there was indeed a problem with the pregnancy, it could have cut off blood supply to the kidneys (resulting in renal failure and hyper-toxicity) or could have even ruptured, leaking its contents into the body cavity resulting in infection. It is truly hard to say without actually seeing the specimen. Again I am sorry for your loss.

	Gravid Gravid term used in biology to describe the condition of a female oviparous when carrying young internally.

[danktat]

She is an '01 about 7 and 3/4 ft and about 22 lbs now. She was larger before the breeding season.

[tribalsnake]

I just wanted to say thanks for posting the pics, danktat. I can't help with your questions but I will have to say it was very educational for me as a new snake owner not only to see the pictures but also to hear the comments from some of the members with more knowledge. I am so sorry for your loss, and appreciate again what you were willing to do for your snake, and for the forum. Good luck, Jon

[vfoerster]

I just wanted to say Dank that I am sorry about your loss. I could ask my vet next week what he thinks is the cause and if it could be due to that fat around the heart if you would like. I just hope that everything gets back to a little calmer for you.

[FireproofGorilla]

I have heard that power feeding (i.e. the previous owner) can shorten lifespans down to 5-10 years as opposed to 25-30. If you recently got her from someone else, the damage had already been done. If she was an '01 baby, that would sound about right. Hence the Kidney/Heart fat. You obviously have alot of husbandry experience. So, I seriously doubt that there was anything that you could do about it. Again, I'm sorry.

[Icicle]

Dank, Sorry for your loss.

Maybe get some blood and try to get a blood test done.

[Anke]

Oh my god!!
This is SO sad
I'm so sorry for your loss

[myounguf]

Originally Posted by FireproofGorilla

I have heard that power feeding (i.e. the previous owner) can shorten lifespans down to 5-10 years as opposed to 25-30. If you recently got her from someone else, the damage had already been done. If she was an '01 baby, that would sound about right. Hence the Kidney/Heart fat. You obviously have alot of husbandry experience. So, I seriously doubt that there was anything that you could do about it. Again, I'm sorry.

yes once KPH fat is laid down it is incredibly hard to get rid of. It is the last source of energy the body breaks down in desperate measures. Fat deposition occurs in the order of Visceral(KPH) fat>Mesenteric fat(surrounding GI tract)>Subcutaneous fat(under skin, "superficial")>Intermuscular fat(in between muscle groups)>intramuscular fat (within the actual muscle). This is why it is important not to overfeed, as to limit the amount of visceral fat laid down in the earlier stages of life. As the animal matures the amount of fat deposited to the visceral regions decreases and we start to see more deposition of fat in other areas of the body such as intramuscular (or "marbling" of the steak you eat) and subcutaneous regions. The breakdown of fat on the other hand (example: when you exercise or lose weight) is the opposite with Visceral(KPH) fat being the last to be broken down. This is why morbidly obese animals, and people for that matter, are still at an incredibly high risk for heart disease and hypertension even after losing weight. So indeed, if you did in fact recieve this animal and it had already been feed to obtain this visceral fat, there was little that could be done. Although the age and size you gave me does not indicate a power fed animal; however there are always exceptions to the norm. Hope my medical rambling helps a little. And in school, students always say "now when will I ever use that information?".

[BlackLava]

omg that is sooo sad im sorry for your loss