| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Razee |
Posted - 26/03/2013 : 12:08:53
I'm just about to take Bazilishka to the vets, for worming. I posted another thread on the health section some time ago - she had produced a strange poop, so I had it checked, and she's got flagellates.
I read up on it, some people say the snakes don't need treating for those, and I was unsure, whether to put her through the stress of treating her, but decided to treat her, just in case, as the last poop was a bit wet again.
Am still a bit apprehensive, I hope I'm not putting her through unnecessary treatment and stressing her out. Also a bit worried about transporting her in this cold weather. She'll be in a little RUB, wrapped in towel, in a bigger box with luke warm water bottle. The vet said it should be ok like that - anybody has any experience with that? I'll pre heat the car as well.
I know I'm probably worrying too much, as usual, but I've never transported a snake in winter...
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Razee |
Posted - 03/04/2013 : 07:53:30
Deal  |
| Kellog |
Posted - 02/04/2013 : 22:07:25
quote:
Originally posted by Razee
........I sounded a bit harsh in my reply - now I'm reading it back - and didn't mean to, so I should be apologizing. ........
You didn't sound harsh at all Razee!! It doesn't read that way, so no apologies!! Lets make a deal....we'll both stop apologising to each other  !
Xxx
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| Razee |
Posted - 02/04/2013 : 12:47:48
No, please, don't apologize for mentioning the probes, it was good of you to say that - because if I hadn't known, it would have saved lots of potential problems. I sounded a bit harsh in my reply - now I'm reading it back - and didn't mean to, so I should be apologizing.
The vinyl slate idea is very interesting - I'm considering anything. The most ideal thing would be some sort of false bottom for the viv, but that would mean sealing it all, and would make everything too complicated. I need something I can clean easily, something I can take to bits, if I need to, and mainly - something that would be safe for the snakes. |
| Kellog |
Posted - 02/04/2013 : 12:34:15
Glad to hear the probes aren't in the hide. Sorry for mentioning it, you obviously knew better .
I agree about it not being ideal....it is hard to get it right, especially if you don't want to stick them down permanently. Doing it how a Monkfield viv has it is a good idea. My heatmat has got vinyl slate over it, not stuck down and the snakes don't try to go under it.
I've got great pottery flower pots that I use as hides, cut so they lie on their sides which means the snakes are lying on the substrate/heatmat. The other hides I use are the exo-terra snake caves that don't have a base. The probes are kept down by large rocks, which do occasionally get moved but I keep a close eye on them.
Xxx
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| Razee |
Posted - 02/04/2013 : 08:38:36
Not inside, the are just held by the edge of the hide, and the actual probes are just outside, otherwise she'd lie on them, or possibly lift them off.
I must say though, I like the arrangement less and less. She used to have a brilliant cave hide, it had a wavy edge, so it held the probes in place really well, without pressing down on them too much - but was heavy enough for her not to shift around. She's now outgrown the biggest one, and other types are quite heavy to put on a heatmat - I'm starting to worry about thermal blocking. I got her one of those black plastic new hides, that look like upside down seedling pots. It's nice, low, and dark - but too light, so she can easily shift it about ( hence her performance yesterday ).
I'm thinking about replicating the idea of Monkfield vivs - putting a sheet of glass, very slightly lifted - over the heatmat. That way there'd be a tiny air gap, I could fix the probes to the glass, and there would never be any thermal blocking from snake, or heavy hides. The glass wouldn't be fixed to the floor permanently, but would be heavy enough for her not to burrow under. I have got a sheet of paper over the mat at the moment ( mainly to absorb any poop - Little T especially has taken to pooping or weeing over the mat ), but it's not ideal. |
| Kellog |
Posted - 02/04/2013 : 04:30:54
That's fantastic news Razee !! I'm so pleased to hear she's eaten....and how  ! Her reaction to the small mouse must have really shocked you, although your description of her hide jumping up and down did make me smile .
1 comment about that....you mention about having to fix the probes back under the lip of the hide. Does that mean that they are actually reading the temp inside the hide? The only reason I ask is that if they are then the temp will change whenever she is in it, so it's not a true reading for the stat or thermometer. Just thought it worth mentioning .
Xxx
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| smart bunny |
Posted - 01/04/2013 : 17:05:56
Lol, great news Razee! |
| Razee |
Posted - 01/04/2013 : 16:59:16
YAY 
She ate, and how!
Decided to feed in her viv to keep stress to minimum, she was still in hot hide. Defrosted fuzzy and a small ( to make it easier on her ). Went in her viv, to clear the little aspen she's got over the heatmat, and she covered in the darkest corner of her hide...
Wriggled the fuzzy at the entrance - nothing. She covered even further. Wriggle again - nothing - then bang! She ripped it from me, dragged it in her hide... I thought - brilliant, I'll offer the small mouse next. She always strikes and coils the first item, but if fed second, she just grabs it, so I wasn't prepared, for what happened next.
Hide exploded upwards, Baziliska flew out of it, grabbed the small mouse, back in her hide - and coiled. The whole hide was jumping up and down the viv, accompanied by loud bangs! I was thrilled. until I noticed she knocked the probes out, and I will have to put them back under the lip of the hide...of course, that had to wait, till she finished eating and uncoiled.
Saw the hide slowly settling back down... her head emerged, with the very tip of mouse tail being slowly sucked in like spaghetti....and now was the time to fix the probes back under the lip of the hide, right by the entrance - I felt like sticking my hand in a piranha tank - you do NOT put your hand in front of Bazilishka in feeding mode.
Cue me, gingerly fixing the probes, Bazilishka retreated - and nothing! Probes done, Baz fed, me doing the happy dance! |
| Razee |
Posted - 01/04/2013 : 15:00:38
She'll always be my special girl, as she was my first snake, but yes, the last week or so made her even more dear to me.
It's funny you should say about them perhaps sensing, sometimes, we're trying to help. We have slow worms in our compost heap in the garden, and I used to practice snake ( well, lizard ) handling on them, before I had snakes ( turns red in shame ) ( Anyway, I HAD to handled them, as I was topping up the compost heap - that's my excuse :-) ). I'd say some of them even got to know me, and would sit on my lap or hands, and sunbathe happily, and left, when they wanted to.
I found one, covered in mites, so covered, about 60 % of his poor body surface was mites. I started gently rubbing them off, and he didn't like it. I was worried he might drop the tail, out of stress - but no, he turned around and bit me! Made me jump, too. But after a while, he lay on my lap, and let me pick off all the mites of him, even from the tail, without much fight or stressing - it was like he realized, what I was doing. I let him go, tail intact, mite free. :-) |
| Kellog |
Posted - 01/04/2013 : 04:05:43
quote:
Originally posted by Razee
........Kellogg's, this was one of the hardest things I've done. I'm not squeamish, and I've always had animals, and had to do plenty of unpleasant things in the past, cleaning wounds etc., but this one was definitely the worst. I know it sounds ridiculous, it was only worming,after all. But it was the potential damage, I could have done, it was how difficult it was, but, mainly, how unpleasant it was for Bazilishka - and the fact, that you can't explain to a snake, it's for their own good.
It made me realise, how much I love her, though ( sounds cheesy now ). I've always cared for her, but she's quite nervous by nature, and doesn't like to come out ( and this didn't help, either ), whilst Little T's not only beautiful, he' really friendly and inquisitive, and comes out on his own accord, so I secretly thought, he was my favourite. So I was quite suprised at how I felt and how much I cared about her. And, I just realised - considering, what a nervous snake Bazilishka is, she never once tried, or even threatened to bite me. She' s such a good girl. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed her breathing will clear, and she'll eat.
She's sat In a hot hide, which she normally isn't, so hopefully, she's healing herself.
I totally understand what you mean. It isn't a case of doing something that would normally make you feel sick and you never imagined yourself doing, like braining a mouse or slitting its stomach open....it is so much more and lots of it has to do with the fear of the damage you might do to the snake. It is definitely NOT a case of 'just' worming!!
It's so interesting how Bazilishka reacted....or should I say 'didn't react'. Considering what you were putting her through you'd have thought she'd have fought back and struck at you....but maybe she knew you were trying to help. I know that the one time Silvi had a bad shed and I had to help her get it off she was totally docile, letting me 'feed' her through a damp towel to encourage the retained shed to come off. Normally that's something she would NEVER have let me do, but she seemed to just accept it. I guess we'll never know for sure, but I like to think that they can tell when we have their welfare at heart.
You don't sound cheesy at all, saying that this has made you realise how much you love her. All snakes have different personalities, and Little T certainly sounds as though he has a big one  . It's not surprising that he seemed to be 'top' snake, because he was the more dominant personality....if that makes sense!! But going through this with Bazilishka has opened your eyes to the fact that she is special in her own way and has a very definite place in your heart .
Xxx
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| Mort13 |
Posted - 31/03/2013 : 17:05:54
I found the KY helped a lot, suppose vets all have their own ways though.
I can totally imagine how you must feel about her after going through this, you can't help but get a special bond through it all. My girl was so good while I did it for her, she'll always have a special place in my heart. |
| Foxtrotsierra |
Posted - 31/03/2013 : 10:59:12
Razee - you gave me some great advice in "my" thread, that the hot hide will speed up digestion. Fingers crossed that this is the same for her worming medication, and it will get into her system quickly |
| Razee |
Posted - 31/03/2013 : 10:49:46
Mort, I did think about KY , it's water based, non irritating, and is supposed to be the best thing to use when probing, or egg white, as they dip pinkies in egg white to help with force feeding in Czech Republic. But the vet said no, so I went with that, though I must admit, I was not convinced.
Kellogg's, this was one of the hardest things I've done. I'm not squeamish, and I've always had animals, and had to do plenty of unpleasant things in the past, cleaning wounds etc., but this one was definitely the worst. I know it sounds ridiculous, it was only worming,after all. But it was the potential damage, I could have done, it was how difficult it was, but, mainly, how unpleasant it was for Bazilishka - and the fact, that you can't explain to a snake, it's for their own good.
It made me realise, how much I love her, though ( sounds cheesy now ). I've always cared for her, but she's quite nervous by nature, and doesn't like to come out ( and this didn't help, either ), whilst Little T's not only beautiful, he' really friendly and inquisitive, and comes out on his own accord, so I secretly thought, he was my favourite. So I was quite suprised at how I felt and how much I cared about her. And, I just realised - considering, what a nervous snake Bazilishka is, she never once tried, or even threatened to bite me. She' s such a good girl. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed her breathing will clear, and she'll eat.
She's sat In a hot hide, which she normally isn't, so hopefully, she's healing herself.
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| Foxtrotsierra |
Posted - 31/03/2013 : 10:46:14
Razee - stressful as it was for you both, HUGE congrats on getting it done for you both. It was probably more traumatic for you than Bazilishka.
Will have everything crossed for a negative when you have her next sample tested.
Just thrilled that you got the last dose in her. I have every faith that her mouth will be fine - I am sure the vet would have asked you to bring her back for him to do it himself if he didn't think you could do it, and you did
Would genuinely love to know how she gets on in the next few days. |
| Kellog |
Posted - 31/03/2013 : 04:22:46
Oh well done Razee ...I'm not surprised you were shaking for a while afterwards. That was a great idea getting her to drink straight afterwards, not only will it have helped wash the wormer down but it will have also soothed her throat after having had the syringe down it.
As for her breathing....I guess it could just be that she was stressed or did breathe in a few drops. All you can do is keep a close eye on her, which I know you'll be doing, and if she gets any worse give the vet a ring and see what he says.
I do hope you're aware of how well you've done. You did something that you never thought you'd have to do, that you didn't really want to do but you knew it was necessary and that was very hard to do....I'm sure the vast majority of us would have struggled and some may even have been unable to attempt it. It shows how much you care for Bazilishka and what a good owner you are. Be pleased with yourself Razee.
Xxx
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| Mort13 |
Posted - 30/03/2013 : 19:44:45
I've been through this with a very ill snake a while ago. Have you tried using KY Jelly....don't laugh! My vet advised me to put some round the part of the mouth to help insert the syringe easier,it also may help it slide through the mouth to the throat. I was given a catheter tube for cats to attach to the syringe too which made it easier to get through to the throat. Good luck,I know its not a nice experience at all. |
| smart bunny |
Posted - 30/03/2013 : 16:48:24
Awww well done, I'm sure she'll be fine, probably got a bit in her nose or something :) |
| Razee |
Posted - 30/03/2013 : 16:40:01
Done it. Still shaking. And yes, she fought, and yes, she managed to dribble some of it out, despite putting the syringe far in, and holding her upright. But, what's worse, her breathing doesn't sound right now, she's clicking, as she breaths, so I wonder, if she did manage to breathe some of it in, as she had full mouth of it. :-( Time will tell.
Fi, it was a good idea in principle, but wouldn't have worked, she would have thrown the pinkie out, the moment she'd have felt the syringe. She managed to do it with the fluid, even though I kept the syringe in for a while, after I pressed the plunger.
But I had a bowl with water ready, as I know she often likes to drink, when out of viv. I offered her some afterwards, and she carefully washed her mouth on the outside first, an then took a couple of gulps. Hopefully, this would have got the rest of the wormer down, and soothed her throat a bit. I know the wormer was ok, because the first vet said, I can mix it with a bit of water.
So , hopefully, that is that, now she just needs to eat for me, and NOT get RI or mouth rot, and test negative for the flagellates after the next poop. Would be nice, as I really don't want to have to do this again. Thank you all for the support. x |
| smart bunny |
Posted - 30/03/2013 : 14:39:21
You can do it Razee!! |
| Foxtrotsierra |
Posted - 30/03/2013 : 10:35:08
Just a thought Razee - could you get the syringe through a pinkie to try and disguise it for her? She might be a little more willing to accept it into her mouth and then do the deed? I know it is awfully deceitful, but if she takes the pinkie head into her mouth, plunge the syringe and down it goes. Food for thought?
Edited to add, or a size or two down from her usual prey size, if you get where I am coming from? Will be thinking of you both x |
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