Ill Strike You Down and Then Ill Strike You Down Again
By Laurie Hess, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice)
Reptiles do everything slowly – they move slowly, eat slowly, digest slowly and even become sick slowly. And when they do become sick, they often take a long fourth dimension, weeks to even months, to bear witness signs of illness. Therefore, it can be very hard for snake owners to realize that their pets are sick until the disease is advanced.
How can pet snake owners tell their animals are sick? Of class, the signs that a sick snake displays volition vary depending on the nature of its disease, but in that location are some general signs of illness that many sick snakes will show regardless of what disease they have.
General Signs of Illness in Snakes
Sick snakes volition often be lethargic, less active and volition hide or bury themselves. Most ill snakes will not eat and have little to no involvement in food, regardless of what casualty item is offered or whether prey is fed expressionless or alive. Snakes that haven't eaten for a prolonged menstruation of time (weeks to months) volition appear dehydrated, with sunken eyes, retained pieces of skin from incomplete shedding and dry out, sticky saliva in their mouths. They volition lose weight, equally seen by muscle wasting forth their upper torso surface, making the bony spines of their vertebrae more prominent.
Snakes with sepsis (a bacterial infection in the bloodstream) volition oftentimes take a pink or red hue to the skin along the underside of their bodies. While a healthy snake repeatedly sticks its tongue out to sample components in its surround, a sick snake may exist also weak to perform this behavior at all. In add-on, while a good for you ophidian will commonly contract its body as information technology tries to move away from you lot and even coil up tightly, a sick, weak ophidian may just prevarication limp.
All of the signs described thus far are general signs of illness in snakes. Nevertheless, in that location are more specific symptoms pet snakes may exhibit that indicate particular common illnesses. For example, a ophidian with bacterial or viral pneumonia will usually blow bubbles from its oral fissure and olfactory organ and may breathe with an open rima oris. A snake showing these signs should be examined by a veterinary right away.
Signs of Skin Problems in Snakes
Another problem pet parents commonly encounter with their snakes are shedding issues – typically referred to as dysecdysis. A ophidian with this effect will non only have retained patches of dry, peeling skin over its body, but also stringy saliva in its mouth and a hazy, opaque color to the surface of one or both eyes which indicates retained glasses (the centre cap or articulate scale that covers and protects the cornea since snakes practice not have eyelids). The spectacle is unremarkably shed with the rest of a snake'due south peel, simply when a snake lives in too dry an environment and becomes dehydrated, both pare and glasses may exist retained. Snakes with retained skin and glasses should be soaked in warm water and misted often to encourage further shedding and rehydration. Sometimes, retained spectacles can become secondarily infected with bacteria and volition not shed easily. Snakes with persistent retained glasses should exist examined past a veterinarian and may demand treatment with lubricating, medicated middle drops. Nether no circumstances should retained spectacles exist peeled off at home, or the underlying cornea may be damaged.
1 more usually encountered conditions in snakes is skin infection with mites. Mites wait similar lilliputian red or black specks (depending on the mite species) effectually a serpent's eyes, rima oris and lower jaw where they suck claret, eventually weakening the serpent and making it anemic. Snakes infested with mites may soak more frequently and often the tiny parasites can be seen floating in water bowls. They can also clamber under skin scales, resulting in raised bumps, and can appear on a flagman's hands after handling the snake. Infested snakes may have reduced appetites and be irritable from discomfort. Mites are by and large indicative of poor sanitation and tin transmit bacterial, viral and other parasite infections. Weak, infested snakes should exist treated with anti-parasitic medication past a snake-savvy vet and the serpent's enclosure should exist thoroughly disinfected, eliminating all porous elements (similar woods) that cannot exist completely cleaned.
Additional Symptoms and How to Help a Ill Ophidian
Pet snakes tin besides have stomatitis, or rima oris inflammation/infection. Poor humidity can contribute to this condition, as tin can living in unsanitary enclosures. Snakes with stomatitis will frequently not eat and will have visible redness and swelling of their gums. In avant-garde cases, infection progresses to the underlying jaw bones that may appear irregular, bumpy and swollen. Snakes with these signs also should exist seen past a veterinarian equally before long equally possible for antibiotic treatment and potential surgery to remove infected or dead bone, if necessary.
Finally, another condition seen ofttimes in snakes is egg binding (where a female snake is unable to pass an egg that has formed in her reproductive system). Snakes with this condition will oftentimes stop eating and develop one or more than swellings along the lower half to 3rd of their bodies. They may be lethargic and spend fourth dimension hiding. Snakes with these signs also must be examined past a veterinarian who tin can determine whether handling is needed.
The all-time way to deal with affliction in your snake is to prevent it by having the snake examined when you first get it and so annually by a knowledgeable reptile veterinarian and by ensuring that your snakes care and nutrition is ideal. Preventative medicine is primal to having a healthy, happy pet snake.
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Source: https://www.petmd.com/reptile/care/evr_rp_how-can-i-tell-if-my-snake-sick
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