Red Tail Boa Needs HELP!

[MizM]

Hi guys! My neighbor has a bootyful red tail, about 8'-9'. Hasn't eaten since they've owned her, approx. a year. On his insistence, I force fed her a rat tonight. (Have done this COUNTLESS times, so am experienced at it! Don't yell at me!! ) Before feeding her, I gave her a quick exam for lumps, bumps, parasites, etc. She definitely has a respiratory infection as she opens her mouth and does that gasping thing, and even produced a nice little mucus bubble. I have always taken my snakies to the vet for this... but these people are broke. Can we administer antibiotics ourselves? I do have a veterinary supply where I get all my animal stuff... do they carry it?

Anyone with any experience please help! This is one beautiful creature and I'd hate to see her die from a damn cold!!

Also, they let her drink dirty water from the garden... bacterial infection perhaps?

THANKS GUYS!! THANKS GALS!!

 

[Lasiodora]

This should be in the not so spineless wonders forum. Raising the basking temp can help fight the infection. It worked on a retic at a place I worked at a couple of years ago.
Mike

 

[Crotalus]

I would not forcefeed a snake that have a respitory infection. As Lasiodora says, raise temperature but it most likely needed to give her antibiotics aswell and that can be bought from a vet who also know the dose to give her for that medicine.
Have you checked for mites?
Or have you checked the mouth for mouth rot (dont know if thats the english term) - infection in the mouth. If so the inside of mouth get swollen and reddish, and also slightly bleeding. The vet can give you medication against this too (if its a good vet on reptiles that is).

And water from outside is not good, dont they have tap water at home? She could get parasites and other nasty things from that. Sounds like those people should buy a book on snakes before getting one. It, to put it frank, pisses me off.

/Lelle

 

[sansoucie]

Crotalus, she has tried to get them to give it to her so she can take it to the vet, but the moronic people refuse to allow this! Makes me mad too! I fear it will die because these people just don't care and MizM can't force them to be responsible pet owners. She has a thread on it in the watering hole. Its a sad story but makes you want to go there and kick this guys butt.

 

[MizM]

Actually, I put this in the watering hole because I wanted advice about the PEOPLE, not the snake!!

I got them to put heating pads on the sofa, she's laying on those and not moving much. Sorry, Croatlus, I didn't realize the had the respiratory problem until AFTER I fed her. I gave her a thorough looking-over, there are no paratsites or mouth rot, but there is a slight swelling around the anus. And I told them NO MORE OUTSIDE WATER!! Ewwww!

Yesterday, the 13-year-old son said his friend at school's father is a vet. He said the guy is going to come over this week, but I am not going to stop bothering them until I SEE the antibiotics administered!!

 

[sansoucie]

Dunno if its the same thing, but we had a saltwater eel yrs ago .. a HUGE one, and he got parasites from bad feeder fish and swelled around the anus, then unloaded a bunch of worms and croaked. Since they spend most time under a rock in the tank we didn't notice until it was too late.... HOPEFULLY the snake doesn't have that. It's horrible.

 

[MizM]

I mentioned the swelling to them and told them to have the vet look at it. It could be ANYTHING with the poor girl drinking standing YARD WATER!

I've been thinking, and this thread DEFINITELY does not belong in the Not-So-Spineless Wonders forum, the owners are spineLESS idiots!!