I have now joined the rescue squad... (BCI rescue)

metamorph0sis · #1 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 05:59 AM

Yesterday (on my birthday!) I took in a rescue BCI, a female at about 8'. She belonged to some guys that I went to high school with who quite obviously have no sense of responsibility. She has an incredible amount of damage to her head, which is a combination of rubbing to get out of her cage, and rat bites. She has retained eyecaps and damage to her eyes from the rubbing. Her lips are curled up all around from a combination of deformation from the rubbing, and mouthrot. She has scars all over. The tip of her tail has been gnawed almost completely off by a rat, and will most likely have to be amputated. That is a recent injury (within the past week) and doesn't appear infected yet, but I'm almost positive that her head wounds are infected. Apparently, they dropped a live rat in her cage and left it in with her for 8 days waiting for her to eat it, but she didn't eat because she can't see and has such mouth problems. That was the last straw for them to get rid of her, because they didn't care enough to take care of her, much less pay for vet bills. It was just lucky timing that I happened to talk to their roommate for the first time in months, and he remembered that I had a boa (another BCI) so he brought up the fact that they wanted to get rid of her. When I got to their apartment last night, they had her in a 18"x36" glass cage with no substrate, no hide, no water, and a heat bulb right in the middle. She was completely stretched out and pressed as close as possible to all the edges, avoiding the heat, and frantically trying to get the screen off. I am so disgusted to say that I once considered these people my friends.

On Wednesday, I have an appointment to take her to see a reptile specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Vet Hospital, so wish us much luck. I've taken pictures already, but I can't post them until I get back to my apartment (and my digicam software) on Sunday (I'm home for Spring Break). I'll take pictures after the vet gets her cleaned up, too. Her name was Georgia, but it just doesn't fit her, so we decided to change it. We figured a new life warrants a new name. So now she is Stella. It goes well with Solomon (my male BCI), and hopefully in a year or so I'll be telling the story of "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." It sure feels good to be a rescuer. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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JonnyB · #2 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 08:03 AM

GOOD Luck
I know it amazes me the abuse that some people put their pets through. My Snake and lizard and soon ferret. Are all like kids to me. I always do my very best to make sure that they are happi and well taken care of. Good luck with your rescue and keep us updated jonny
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Stormyva · #3 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 12:49 PM

It is truly sickening that people can let their animals get to that kind of condition. It also still amazes me that people insist on feeding live.
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Sunn · #4 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 01:28 PM

Oh My.....this poor girl sounds very bad off....makes me wonder if she will ever eat another rat....I know I would be more than shy of them if it was me. Poor baby and blind to boot and still being abused and served up to the rats for supper. Her description of injuries and illness are just heartbreaking.

This abuse needs to be reported to local authorities with pictures provided so they will think twice before getting another poor unsuspecting animal.....in many states the fines and possible imprisonment (up to 3 yrs) serves as a future deterent.

Please keep us posted on her progress.....

I believe many will be praying that "Stella gets her groove back"

Your rescue will certainly be a time consuming one and require a lot of love and patience....
thank goodness for folks like you!

God Bless You and Yours....

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] Sandy
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LdyDrgn · #5 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 10:14 PM

Great rescue and good luck!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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#6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 01:19 AM

GOOD LUCK with the rehabbing ! If ya need any input etc on any of it.. I'm sure that there are many of us here whom would be more than willing to give our .02 on it np.

UMM.. Ya do realize that if your inside city limits of Philly.. that this snake is illegal where ya are..right ? UGH. Move outside the city limits if ya are hehe
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herpkingdom · #7 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 01:37 AM

I'm with the snake police and I'm gonna hafta confiscate that boa.

Philly's policy for now is don't ask, don't tell.

Until you are caught that is, then is is the lead story in the evening news.

If you need some help, I'm right over the bridge in Cherry Hill. Just shout!

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savannah_babe · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 03:02 AM

wow..sounds bad.. but sounds like she has a good home now. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] wishing you good luck with this one [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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metamorph0sis · #9 (**permalink**) 03-14-2003, 08:48 AM

i didn't know about philly's policy, actually, but luckily we're living just outside the city at the moment!

we had our vet appt on wednesday... turns out her prognosis is even worse than we suspected. they took an xray of her head, and the bone was actually fractured multiple times just below her eyes. therefore, the injury was not from her rubbing, as i was told. not only that, but they left it untreated and the bone got infected, and there is loss of bone due to deterioration. her one eye has a retained eyecap which has fused to the eye and can't be removed... the other eye has multiple eyecaps which can't be removed, as well as damage most likely from a rat bite. her nostrils are completely nonfunctional. she is in bad enough shape that the vet said that sadly, putting her to sleep is a viable option. but we think she deserves more than that, because she's got good weight and seems strong. the main concern at this point is whether or not she'll be able to eat, due to both the head damage and the condition of her eyes. we are going to give her a month of antibiotic treatment (2.75 ml chloramphenicol every other day) to try to treat the infection in the bone. in a week, we are going to offer her food, starting off really small probably with fuzzies (even though she's 8'). so at this point, her whole life is relying on her ability to eat. i dont even care if i have to give her a handful of fuzzies every week. my fiance and i have grown attached to her and think she deserves a chance, she's such a sweetheart. keep her in your wishes for us. pictures up on sunday.
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#10 (**permalink**) 03-14-2003, 09:00 AM

Seriously think about filing of charges against the previous owner[s] in reagrds to this boa. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] From what you have said, it was not a mere lack of responsbility that took place with the snake winding up with this much damage to it.
The damage really sux that the snake has atm also. I'm like you though.. if there is a chance.. I'd go that route rather than putting it down without at least trying first. Try misting and keeping the eyes on the moist side for a bit.. that might help to loosen up the retained caps possibly. Ya never know. Does the snake do mouth-breathing or what then with the nostrils like that ?
GOOD LUCK with the snake and keep us posted as to how it is doing also. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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metamorph0sis · #11 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 09:03 PM

finally got my pictures uploaded. i only have printroom for my images, so click here for the album of stella's pictures. to answer your question lori, she breathes through her mouth, but not "open-mouth" like when they have an RI... it appears that she holds her mouth open just a crack and can breathe through the sides of her mouth since the lips are curled up. she is still alert and active, and behaving wonderfully for her treatments. we still aren't sure whether her eyes have retained eye caps or other eye injury, but i want to hydrate them anyway, just in case... any idea whether visine, vaseline, or k-y jelly would work? since k-y is water-based i thought that might work best; i put it on her gums with a q-tip to keep them hydrated since they're exposed (don't worry, it was the vet's idea!). we're going to give her a week to settle and try feeding her this weekend. *fingers crossed* [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
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