RI and weight gain ?'s

ccvfd106 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 05:56 AM

My bci was treated successfully for a RI in September of '09. Noticed some wheezing and mucus today and took her to the vet and she is once again being treated for a RI. My temps and humidity are good. The vet said there are disorders that can cause chronic recurring RI's. I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with those disorders and how they are treated if treatable. I did not have time to go in depth with the vet because I had to pick up my kids from practice but have to take my snake back in two weeks for a recheck and will discuss more with her then.

Also she weighed 7 lbs in September when she was there and 14 lbs. today 6 months later. She was severely underweight when I got her but is this too fast for her to regain the weight?

Thanks in advance.

razeraze · #2 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 06:19 AM

Did you get culture tests and blood tests back? They could be two completely different incidents. Stating that your temps and humidity are OK does not give responders any actual data, so if you could post your temps and humidity as well as a picture of your set up that would help. With a chronically sick snake warmer temps may be needed if the immune system was compromised when young.

ccvfd106 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 06:33 AM

Cool side 78-82 hot side 88-92 humidity 50-65% No camera for pics right now. No cultures or blood tests yet, but definitely will insist on them if I continue to have issues. She was in very poor health when I got her and was kept in an enclosure that could not possibly hold humidity and had absolutely no heat when I picked her up ( they had a human style heating pad under the wooden cage that didn't work). It was 6 months between the RI's and her weight and nose rub have improved dramatically. The vet has not pronounced her chronic yet, but if the temps and humidity are good I am afraid she may be.

Also I have increased her temps while she is sick 85 cold and 95 hot.

razeraze · #4 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 06:50 AM

Always get cultures. My retic had a nasty infection, that really weakened her immune system. It cleared up but she got another secondary infection a few months after as a result of having a weak immune system. No way to be sure what you are fighting with out cultures. Because of these infections I would constantly keep the cool end at 82-84 F until the snake has gone a year or more without an infection, then you can experiment with a cooler cool side.

ccvfd106 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 07:01 AM

Yeah I wish I had made them do the cultures but like I said I was in a hurry and in all honesty just did not think about it. She responded to treatment very well last time and I caught this one early so I don't see a problem getting it cleared up. Just wanted to know if anyone else has dealt with a chronic snake. I will definitely keep the cool side warmer as suggested after she clears up.

Don't forget I would like opinions on the weight issue. I already plan to slow down her feedings to maintain her now healthy weight and will be switching her to rabbits soon.

razeraze · #6 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 07:11 AM

Again cultures should be done every time, just so you know what disease you are dealing with,and if it is zoonotic or highly contagious. It would suck if it spread to you or to other animals in the house because you were not sure what you were fighting. Also some antibiotics can kill some infections but may only reduce other infections meaning the infection survives to come back later. Knowing what you are fighting is the best way to deal with any sick animal.

As far as weight goes, I am not a "weight" or "looks healthy" keeper. I do not recommend weights for anybody, and I know there is a ton of gray area between obese and emaciated, so health should be determined on behavior as long as the two extremes are avoided. This is a topic I do not believe anyone has the answers to, and humans are not sure what a healthy weight or calorie intake is for our own species let alone another species.

ccvfd106 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 04:02 PM

Still kicking myself for not getting the cultures done. I'm suprised neither of the two vets she has seen recomended them and am angry that my ignorance of not requesting them may harm my snake.

As far as the weight I was not asking if her current weight is good I want to know if gaining too much too quickly is harming her. I have read that power feeding can lead to fat deposits around the heart which can greatly shorten a snakes life expectancy. I do not consider the way I have been feeding her power feeding but 7 lbs. in 6 months seems like alot. She has doubled her weight. I could tell she was gaining but didn't track her weight (fail) because she needed to put some weight on. Her spine stuck out really bad when I got her and I could see her ribs. I've stuck to the same feeding schedule but it seems like over the lat couple of months she has really filled out.

By the way she is a little over 6 ft. has only grown a few inches in length in the year I have had her. I started feeding her one XL rat from Rodent Pro every 10-14 days and about 4 weeks ago bumped her up to XXXL's because RP was out of XXL's when I ordered. The XXXL's barely leave a lump in her so I will continue using those but will change from 10-14 to 14-18 days and will probably go even longer once I switch her to rabbits.

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