| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Kellog |
Posted - 18/07/2009 : 20:33:14
I know this should probably be posted in the general topic rather than snake health but I figured that when I have questions they are most likely to do with health and it would be good to have one place to ask them.
This is health related as it is hygiene. What should the cleaning schedule be for the viv? The substrate is shavings and so far I have been raking through them each morning removing anything that feels stuck together, and have totally emptied viv and scrubbed it with snake stuff a couple of times. But this was all before Kellog started eating so I wanted to know what the general practice is for keeping a clean healthy viv. xxx |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Chimp276 |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 13:46:27
My snake spends a lot of time hiding in the day, in fact most of the time lol! When i want to hold her i just move the hide, however at night my snake is very active. but sometimes i cant see her cz she spends most of her time buried under the substrate!
I think he is just taking a bit of time to re settle after all that has happened, i dont think u have anything to worry about!! x |
| Kellog |
Posted - 29/08/2009 : 23:44:28
Can someone please reassure me! Kellog is still hiding out in his hide most of the time despite his viv being returned to normal after the 'mite affair'. Tried to tempt him out when he was fed today but would only come a few inches out and then backed back in. Finally got him to feed by dangling mouse right in front of hide, he struck and dragged mouse inside. That was this morning and this evening I did lift hide to check he has eaten it and it has gone, but he must have been all coiled up in there when he swallowed it which cant be good for him. Before the 'mite affair' we never bothered him when he was in his hide. We would only handle him when he was out and about but had to start removing hide to get at him and treat hide and bath him. He then spent nearly 3 weeks on kitchen roll instead of substrate, so I can understand that he might be stressed still. But he is ok when he is handled, as I managed to grab him when he ventured out of his hide yesterday and he seemed very happy - did not want to go back into viv. Cant see anything wrong with him, it is just his hiding all the time that worries me cos it is so different to his behaviour before the 'mite incident'. I am up a lot during the night and he doesnt seem to move around then either. What do people think, please????? xxx |
| Kellog |
Posted - 29/08/2009 : 05:13:11
Well, managed to encourage Kellog to poo by handling him and lots of stroking his side - got it well aimed into a handful of kitchen roll, am quite pleased with myself. As he only pooed yesterday is it ok to feed him on schedule today? His normal motions are to do it about 3 days after feed, and last time he pooed twice. He is moving around fine and handling beautifully, feeling soft and pliable. Just worried about giving him tummy ache! xxx |
| Kellog |
Posted - 28/08/2009 : 06:05:00
Hi. Internet been down for a while so been gettting very frustrated not being able to get on forum! Finally Kellog's viv was returned to normal with substrate and leaves and branch along with hide and water bowl, following mites incident. This was done on Tuesday. He still seems very hide bound, not coming out as much as he used to. Also he never seems to come out at night, I am often up and very rarely see him.
What I am most worried about now and need answers asap is that he was fed last Sat (still on kitchen roll), ate beautifully and has been acting fine, but he hasnt pooed. Have had him out to handle Tuesday and yesterday, but even that didnt stimulate him, which it usually does. He feels fine, no lumps or hard areas near tail, and is behaving normally when handled. What I want to know is should I feed him as normal on Saturday even if he hasnt pooed yet? Am tempted to bath him today if handling doesnt do the job - first time I have wished that he would poo on me!! xxx |
| KITTYCAT |
Posted - 17/08/2009 : 13:22:31
hi there, glad to here that your mite prob has cleared kellog might just be resting since the mites have gone as the mites party on the snakes blood at night it must be very uncomfortable for them.Im not sure i would have used bleach as a dissinfectant id rather use non toxic like milton.I have a care sheet that says that mites live under the scales and eyelids. They suggest putting the snake in a covered container in shallow water for 3-4 hours dry him then return him to a clean tank. Hope kellog perks up soon |
| Kellog |
Posted - 15/08/2009 : 11:07:35
Am a bit concerned about Kellog. He seems mite free as far as we can see and he is still on kitchen roll as a substrate, although we have added an oven baked log. He seems to spend all his time in his hide - I think he feels very exposed without the normal substrate to burrow in and the plants stuck up.
He has just been fed today, a jumbo mouse , one week after his last feed. What is worrying me is that I managed to weigh him this morning. Last time he was weighed was 23rd July 2009 when he was 675g, before we went away and before we were advised to feed him weekly. Since then he has been fed on 26th july, 8th Aug and today, all jumbo/extra large mice. But his weight this morning was 652g, this is not quite as low as he got during his fast but it is still lower than when we first started weighing him. Cant understand why he has lost weight, if anything he has been less active because of the mites and staying in his hide etc. In all other aspects he seems fine. Any thoughts please? xxx |
| Kellog |
Posted - 09/08/2009 : 22:43:08
Thanks Paul, that is definitely worth looking into. Anyone else heard of ardap?? xxx |
| n/a |
Posted - 09/08/2009 : 14:05:02
ardap is what you need search for it on ebay !! its expensive but worth every penny it will clear the mites up with just one application although i do 2 just to make sure also i do it precautionarily (is that a word)? every 3 months because i have so many ! just remove the snake spray everything liberally leave to dry for an hour or so and replace snake ! as easy as that
Paul |
| Kellog |
Posted - 09/08/2009 : 03:45:15
Thanks for all the encouragement. It does sound as though it is a problem to get rid of and it is just a case of perseverance. Would rather not use the strong stuff (brain fog so name gone) if I can help it. You forum guys help so much in just reassuring me, thanks again. xxx |
| HannahB |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 22:22:09
hope you manage to clear the problem up soon
but sounds like you are doing all the right things 
keep it up and im sure he will be right as rain again soon |
| Kellog |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 21:15:40
Thanks for all advice. Bathed him this morning and found a few very small mites on kitchen towel. Fed him tonight although he was in his hide all day, and he struck out the cave immediately. Will leave him 2 days then bath again and disenfect viv again. If still finding signs of mites will resort to Frontline as last resort! xxx |
| hillzi |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 10:03:39
I think theyr'e both the same (don't quote me on this - I've never had to use it. dogs never had fleas, dont have a cat thank god and snakes never had mites) rereading Kaz's post, she says its the vet version. so might be worth checking with your vet for it.
Theres also a sticky at the top of the health topic called "mites" might be worth a read if you haven't already.
Hope you get rid of them soon
edit:/ mixed up my topics |
| Kellog |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 21:30:28
Thanks for all the advice, esp Kaz. Am a bit confused about the frontline though, was told by supposed reptile expert that I could use dog one, hillzi's link says use the cat one.....so which is right?? He seems much livelier tonight and cant see anything obvious, but know he probably still has eggs on him. Also, he is due a feed, but obviously cant handle him after a feed and need to handle him to treat. Any advice on that? xxx Thank you, thank you, thank you..... |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 21:14:32
pretty much what I do hillzi, but atm I am on poop missions daily as Caper has decided to poop a little bit, every day, after his 5 week fast. |
| hillzi |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 16:17:15
I saved it in my fave's for such an incident!
http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1320
VERY informative!
And as for cleaning; I grab all Blaze's furniture out while he's in a RUB; Submerge them in hot water then wipe down every nook and cranny with disinfectant sprayed onto a cloth then rinse again the furniture then wipe down.
as for the viv, I tie a sack round the top of the viv and shake all the subtrate in there; and hoover any stuck bits. Then with the cloth, spray more disinfectant on it, wipe down then wipe down with the cloth rinsed with warm water then wipe it down, then dry, then put everything back in.
I spot clean daily, any wet substrate gets removed and replaced accordingly and go on poop scooping missions weekly, mine likes playing hide and seek with his poo
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| Kazerella |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 15:36:58
YOu are doing well, but I'm afraid to say that the regular bathing and disinfecting of the viv does work wonders, but you need to do it every 3 days for about 2 months to get rid of them like that.
Best thing to do would be to buy some treatment like Frontline and do both the snake and the viv. (It's not the dog version- you'll have to go to the vets for it).
Mites won't effect you or the dog as they are reptile mites.
Keep up the good work with the kitchen roll substrate and bathing (I normally put olive oil in the water to break the surface tension). Use disposable cardboard tubes and boxes for hides for the time being so you don't have to keep disinfecting the hides over and over again.
And remember - mites need substrate to lay eggs in- the longer he's on kitchen roll the better. They are so tiny you can't see the eggs or the juveniles so wait longer than you think is possible before deciding he's in the clear.
Good luck! |
| Kellog |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 10:32:49
Discovered more mites yesterday on Kellog and in hide, so put him in bath again and washed hide in boiling water. Back into viv again, same set up of just kitchen roll, water and hide. More seen this morning, sterilized hide again and changed kitchen roll. As he slid over kitchen roll squashed all mites that appeared, about 15. Took him out and examined him but couldnt see any more. Will check again tonight. He seems calm enough with what we are doing but is due a feed, but then we cant handle him. Can snake mites move to humans or dogs? Are we going to get on top of it just doing what we are doing or should we try with frontline (is it the dog one or a special reptile one)? Vet has recommended reptile expert called Seers Croft, Faygate, Crawley - anyone got experience of them? Lots of questions but need answers. |
| Kellog |
Posted - 06/08/2009 : 03:49:37
I know how busy you mods are....but can someone please confirm that what we have done is ok and anything else we should do. Kellog is back in cleaned viv, on kitchen roll with only hide and water bowl. How soon before we can reinstate normal substrate and viv items? So bare looking at moment, feel so sorry for him. xxx |
| Kellog |
Posted - 05/08/2009 : 21:36:05
Kellog has mites!! Been waiting for him to shed and just noticed black things crawling all over him minutes before he started to shed. Bad shed, he was moving like the wind and peeling off in bits. Immediately moved viv into kitchen, got him out and into water. OH kept dunking him - which he hated - and then we fed him through our hands while holding damp kitchen roll. Last bits of shed came off and mites. Did this 3 or 4 times. As far as we can see he is clear on the surface and we have put him in a shoe box (with air holes and kitchen roll on bottom). OH throwing away all substrate and we have totally stripped viv which he is now cleaning with bleach. Will also bleach hide, water bowl and not put anything else back in viv, laying down kitchen roll instead of substrate.
Have we done the right thing and anything else we should do, anything we have forgotten??????
Makes us itchy just dealing with it - will be washing all clothes and bathing all bodies tonight! xxx
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| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 05/08/2009 : 10:54:09
I offer mine food regardless of whether or not they are shedding, so at least they have the choice of eating or not. I also handle them when they are blue, and they dont seem to show any agression, though I make sure to be careful and use my special hand gel before venturing into the viv. |
