Newbie

Javen · #1 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 04:22 AM

I got my RTB about two months ago. He's been through a few hands and my bleeding heart (which has landed me two dogs, a bird, and now my second snake) found it necessary to adopt him. However, my parents strictly forbade any large reptiles in the upper part of the house, so my boa, Tiny, was banished to the basement. I try to keep him as warm as I can, however, I don't have very many resources or funds. I built him a wood and plexiglass structure that will hopefully keep it warm, but I have my doubts, especially since after just a few days I noticed signs of a respiratory infection. Tiny doesn't wheeze all the time, just when he's stressed, and even then only once every so often. Is there any suggestions as to what I can do to make my snake more comfortable and warm down here? I'm afraid a heat rock might burn him if he curls himself around it... but.. I dunno.
There is also another problem. Tiny's last shed was strange. The skin I found in the cage was thicker than any other shedded skin I've seen, and it still had pigment in it, as if it came off before it was ready too. That was about 3 weeks ago, and now he's not eating anything. Whenever he gets close to a rat he doubles back on himself and avoids it. Am I just being overly anxious? I try to make my snakes as comfortable as possible, but I am, after all, a newbie at this.

Paranoid as a young mother,
Jen [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
[addsig]

Dragonfly · #2 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 04:50 AM

do you have any heat lamps?? it is extremley important not to let him drop below around 70 degrees.
[addsig]

nomadbean · #3 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 04:52 AM

Umm, it sounds like your Tiny needs to go to the vet and then you need to find him a new home. I applaud your heart for trying to help, but if he is wheezing and now has gone off feed, then he is pretty sick. He will get prescribed Baytril (not that expensive [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] ), and it should clear up fairly quickly. There will be no problem finding a good home for him, where he can be taken care of in a heated environment. I don't know where you are, but if none of us are close I know I would pay shipping if I could take in another one, and most of us would.
Seriously though, take him to a vet asap, it is getting pretty bad and he needs attention. Welcome to RTB, and we look forward to talking to you more.
Trina
P.S. Don't worry about the shed, some color in a shed is normal.

_________________
Too many snakes......not enough money or time. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Javen · #4 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 05:30 AM

Yeah, I can get him some heat lamps. And I make sure to keep it so he Never gets below 70, I have had snakes before, just not RTBs. I currently own a baby corn snake, and he's perfectly healthy.
Tiny HAS eaten before, even with the wheezing, and I will take him to the vet shortly. It just seems that his eating habits are spontaneus? I don't know. He's done this before once or twice, but always has eaten in the end.
In Michigan, it is sometimes hard to find homes for snakes, especially 4.5 footers. I suppose I COULD let him go back to the trailer park I found him. But I don't think I could ever do that. I'm sorry, but I'm just worried about him. The last thing I need is for someone to blame me for his current state. He was, after all, sick the day I got him, I just hadn't heard of RI until after I read this site, which was today. I do thank you though, Trina, for your suggestions. But the only way I may consider him exchanging yet another pair of hands would be AFTER the visit to the vet.
I just wanted to know if a heat rock will hurt him in any way. When I got him he had what appeared to be scars all over his body, and I'm not sure if that was from his previous owner leaving him unattended with a rat or from burns. The way I figure it it's probably the former, but you can never be too careful. He's been through enough. I was quite angry at the small boy who was his previous owner, and I paid him over a hundred dollars ( not a lot for those of you who have a job) to take Tiny off his hands. I built him a beautiful enclosure with plenty of warmth and clean bedding. By all means he should be okay...
However, keep in mind that besides the nearly nonexistant snore and the late fasting, Tiny is what seems to be a perfectly healthy snake. I just hate to look at his skin and see those blemishes neglect and evil rats can do.
Another question pretaining to rats. It may even be the reason he isn't eating. The last rat I tried to feed to him was agressive. I monitored the feeding very carefully, but every time Tiny got close this rat tried to bite him. I got rid of the rat, and got a much more passive one, but perhaps it is time to think about prekilled. But still the question remains: could he have been traumatized by the angry rat of gnawing doom? Let's hope that's all it is...

Sighing with frustration,
Jen [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif[/img]
[addsig]

Shadrach · #5 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 05:34 AM

Hey Javen and Welcome to the site! Thumb's up to you taking in a friend in need! We all need to start somewhere! Ok first off what are the temps in the basement? Second Never use heat rocks the will cause thermal burns! Third get an under the cage heater any pet store can point you in the right direction for that. And now give us a description of the enclosure you built. Wood will hold some heat and Plexi is better than Glass for holding heat also. If possiable cut a hole in the top and get a dome light and place a screen on top of the hole so no escapes happen and place the light over the screen. Also get a light for night time the incandecent black light bulbs work good for this and are cheaper than the reptile bulbs and are the exact same thing. Now on to the wheezing thing? You said it's not all the time and he just shed in the last couple of day's! I wouldn't run to the vet just yet espically since you are already stretched for fund's just watch him closely and make sure it doesn't get any worse! Sometimes during the shed cycle they tend to make wheezing noises and it's just old skin over the nostril's! Also you didn't tell the size? Has he got some size on him already or is this still a young snake? Larger snake's you will more than likley be able to hear them breathing more than smaller snakes. And the last thing he's off feed? This could be simply be something like temps? Get him warm and wait a couple of days for him to heat up good and try offering something and see what happens! Also if it is a prekilled or a f/t rat leave it in with him overnight some snakes are just shy others eat all the time and then some have different ways they eat each time! Good Luck keep us informed!!!
[addsig]

nomadbean · #6 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 05:42 AM

Umm, if you are feeding live and he has scars from other rats, then he is afraid of his food and that is why he is off feed. You should get him frozen/thawed rats or just kill them yourself. Now, if you are like me and cannot kill the rat yourself (eeewww [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif[/img] ), then call your petstore and have them kill it for you, most are pretty cool about it or order them from your petstore or online, whatever is easier. It is healthier for your snake (parasites, bites and all) and easier for you, you can leave him alone for a couple of hours with his lunch while you do other things and he eats. The other advice from them is all great, I did not mean just give him away to some one, but if you felt he was not getting the proper attention, then one of us with experience would take him. I have no doubt you are doing your best, and he is in loving hands. Good luck with him and I hope it all works out. To keep the heat up I throw a towel over my tanks at night, seems to hold it all in the tank.
Trina
[addsig]

Javen · #7 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 06:03 AM

Thank you very much, Shad! The temp down here is a horrible 60 something, but I keep a very strong heater near the enclosure which insures he doesn't get that cold. I'm practically cold-blooded when it comes to temperature, so I know that if I'm cold, my snakes are probably as well. And I HATE this basement. I'm glad I didn't accept the heat rock that kid had in the tank before I got him, maybe that's where the scars came from. My poor beautiful Tiny! I JUST put up a pretty nice lamp in there, so it should warm up pretty soon.
Tiny is about 4.5 feet long... how old do you think that would make him?
Ok... this is what it looks like... the enclosure is built so that the bottom stand about a foot off the freezing cement floor. The body itself is about three feet deep, making the entire thing about 4 feet high. Tiny lives in a home that's about 2.3 by 5 feet. Is that ok for Tiny's size?
It's wood on three sides, and plexiglass on the last. The top is, however, unfinished, so it is securely covered with a simple scrap peice of wood. I'll see about getting the under-cage heater... but I don't think our local pet store (which is horrendusly simple) has one. Also will look into getting a different light for nighttime, but should I keep the origional on 24 hours until I get a blacklight or not?
I will, of course, keep an eye on Tiny. Hopefully this will help... Thank you for understanding my funds problem. I have just recently been laid off, but should be getting a repectable job very soon. Meanwhile, my boyfriend, who has been a complete angel in this whole affair, has been providing funds for food and bedding, not to mention transportation. Kudos to Mikey! I would have allowed Tiny to be kept at his house to begin with if it weren't for the undeniable fact that his mother is deathly afraid of snakes. I never understood that...
His wheezing is actually not so much as consistant as a wheeze than perhaps a snore. It's not very often...
There is however, something I forgot to mention about Tiny's eating... he pooped only a few days ago... though it should have been AT LEAST last week. Could it be indigestion or constipation? He's such a sweet animal, I hate to see him with even a chance of being sick...
One last thing. I have never seen Tiny willingly get into his water, let alone soak in it... and I've only seen him drink once. Should he have been soaking at least before he had shed? And I think maybe that shed was wrong... it was thick, and came off in little pieces, and he never really tried to take it off. Could that have been caused by his lack of soaking I wonder... Methinks it's time for a humidity check...

tentatively hopeful,
Jen
[addsig]

Shadrach · #8 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 06:19 AM

OK skin comming off in patches probably means the humidity is down too low, if you can get a humidity gauge and check it this maybe the same reason you hear the noise comming from him it may simply be too dry for him. Now on to the pooping business, let's see how can I put this?? Do you poop everythime you eat? NO I can answer that! Hehehe! Then don't expect your snake to either! I have snake's that you can almost keep time by others I have go only every month or so thats one of the reasons many of us on the site think snakes are the ultimate in pets less clean up! Age is hard to call 4.5 feet I'd say anywhere from 1 and a half to 2 and a half years in age. But don't quote me on the age thing he could be older if he wasn't kept in the best of conditions and his growth was stunted?
[addsig]

Javen · #9 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 06:27 AM

Could be, could be... Trina I'll try asking the store to kill the rat's for me, hehe, that should be pretty fun to see actually... it's employed entirely by a bunch of yuppie girls who have to argue among themselves as to who has to GET the rat for me... let alone kill it. Mwahahahaha! No wonder they call me a freak at school.
Ok. Got the lamp all set up and I can feel it already getting warmer in the cage. Is there a temp that is simply too hot? I know I read it somewhere but i can't seem to place it...
Now tell me, should he be soaking? Maybe the water dish is too small....
Ok, well the poop thing was just something to think about. I can time it with my corn...
Should I turn it off at night until I get the blacklight or should it stay on in case it gets too cold? We're underground in the dead of a Michigan winter... that's scary enough.

Blood turning blue,
Jen
[addsig]

Shadrach · #10 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 06:49 AM

Soaking some snakes do some don't depends on the snake. Pooping being timed by a corn snake not gonna work since Colubrids digest faster than boids. Lights being left on until a night light can be bought should be fine just do it in the next day or so. As far as temps go upper 80's to mid 90's for temps in the basking spot and lower 70's to mid 80's for a gradient for him to escape the heat if need be.
[addsig]

Javen · #11 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 07:29 AM

Thank you all immensely, and I'll let you know how Tiny is doing in the next week or so.

Merry Christmas to all,

Jen
[addsig]

#12 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 07:45 AM

GREAT answers Shad !! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] think ya covered it all hehe

J...As Shad has said, keep that light on till ya get a night one. ALso , I'm not 100% sure on the blacklight thing myself, others will post in regards to that type lighting though. Make sure to monitor the temps VERY WELL in the snake's cage ! In regards to the drinking, most likely the snake is drinking from the bowl itself. Just check the snake and make sure that it is not dehydrated at all though. Just check and see if the skin goes back fairly quickly when ya "pull" [ GENTLY!!] it back around the "neck" area or if it goes back slooowly. Slooowly = dehydrated btw.

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>I'm afraid a heat rock might burn him if he curls himself around it... but.. I dunno. </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Actually sounds as though ya did know
[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Now as for the scars the snake has.. those are from prey bites from what you have said here..UGH> Here's one of my pages for you to take a look at in regards to FEEDING LIVE

Good luck with the snake and if ya got anymore questions just ask is all. our members will answer them np for ya [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] Oh and...

WELCOME TO REDTAILBOA.NET!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
[addsig]

Javen · #13 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 08:12 AM

Thanks for the info, Lori... those pics were horrible! I'm glad Tiny didn't seem to have anything nearly THAT bad, but still... I hate to know what might have happened if that was allowed to continue. I'll see what I can do about the feeding, but as Trina mentioned I don't think I could bring myself to actually take care of the rats before I feed them to Tiny, which is something I'll have to talk to the pet store about.

Good night folks,

Jen
[addsig]

#14 (**permalink**) 12-23-2002, 08:21 AM

HEY! Ask if they have f/t prey available even...OR [ Not that i like promoting them at all even BUT..] try petco or one of those type places and see if they have frozen prey for sale. They usually do btw. Then noone ha

Advertisement