View Full Version : Oh jeeze... Help
Kavyrie
10-03-12, 02:58 PM
Some of you might remember me talking about the dumerils boa at Petco about a month ago and debating whether or not to get her. Guess who came home with me today? Most of the people that commented told me not to get her, but the fact that I have fallen in love with the species and I didn't want her to die got the best of me.
Bonnie has a new home with me, but is covered in mites and is dehydrated and I can feel her ribs, only slightly though. Her humidity was only at 15% at petco with her temps between 80-90! I talked to my manager and he let me take her for $120, $80 less than normal price. I'm soaking her in warm water as I type and I have sprayed the tank with a mite spray already. Her eyes are sunken in and I'm sure there are probably mites around her eyes. She hasn't eaten since before I started in the grooming salon, which was about 2 1/2 months ago. I plan on bringing her to the vet soon, and it will be within the 15 day warranty so they will have to pay for it, not me. Any advice on what I should do in the mean time? I'm gonna keep her on paper towels until I'm sure the mites are gone, then I'll switch her over to reptibark.
Gungirl
10-03-12, 03:01 PM
Keep her and anything that goes near her as far away from your other snakes as you can. Other wise treat her mites and any other issues, offer proper housing and good luck.
The fact that you paid them money for an animal they abused sickens me...
Snakeman8
10-03-12, 03:03 PM
get her hydrated, then try to get her to eat something.keep her in quarintine until all the mites are gone,shes hydrated, and in good shape.
Snakeman8
10-03-12, 03:05 PM
im with gungirl on this one. cant believe you payed for it.
Snakeman8
10-03-12, 03:07 PM
would called the humane society,sorry for spelling.
Lankyrob
10-03-12, 03:08 PM
Also cant believe you paid for it BUT QUARANTINE!!!!!!!!! :)
Kavyrie
10-03-12, 03:16 PM
I'd rather buy her and have them pay the vet bills than the other way around! She is staying in a separate room and I'm disinfecting myself every time I touch her. I'll thaw out something small and leave it overnight, I'm not too worried to assist feed her yet. Trip to the vet is definitely needed though, who knows what else could be wrong with her that I can't see.
Terranaut
10-03-12, 03:19 PM
Seperate room minimum 90 days. You should have got it for nothing as said above. Well if its hime now anyway we should keep the thread to helping and not debating why or whynot.
So with that said.
Do you have a proper viv?
Do you have it ready with husbandy requirements spot on?
What mite treatment are you using?
Please while bathing remove all the mites you can.
Make sure the snakes water dish is big enough to completely submerge in and don't be surprised if he spends a week in there. Post pics now. People on here can pick up more from picks than text for obvious reasons.
Best of luck. Hope it all goes well.
Kaetlinv
10-03-12, 03:23 PM
Kav, I just messaged you on FB, hun.
Good to know she won't suffer a slow death at their hands...Bonnie is a cute name for her. Make sure to upload tons of pictures once she is comfortable with you :)
i just got a comet goldfish to accompany Chubs, he was one of the more healthy / energetic and perky looking fish. Gorgeous shiny colors too, I'm glad he won't be a feeder now.
Kavyrie
10-03-12, 03:33 PM
I have her on paper towels right now with a large bowl of water, I think two of her could fit in there, but like I said I'll move her onto reptibark once I am 100% certain she no longer has mites. I have her in a twenty gallon long tank right now, until tomorrow. UTH under her water bowl so it helps humidity and so she won't get burned cause I don't have an extra thermostat right now, again something I will get tomorrow.
I am using Natural Chemistry: De Flea Reptile Relief on her right now, its the only thing I have until tomorrow when I can buy some Mite-B-Gone, since I honestly don't know how effective the stuff is that I have now.
All of the mites that were on her were small and don't look like they have fed yet, no large bloated ones that I could see, none in the slit under her chin and none embedded between her scales.
I'll snag some pictures of her in a minute. I'm hoping her condition isn't too bad, I honestly don't think it is but I'm not an expert by any means.
Kavyrie
10-03-12, 05:26 PM
After some struggling to get some decent lighting I got some okay pictures of her. She is really beautiful, great color, I can't wait to get her healthy again
http://i48.tinypic.com/2jchjee.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/u2ceu.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/9foe1x.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/2m4wyfp.jpg
rmfsnakes32
10-03-12, 09:32 PM
She is pretty I hope you can get her eating soon that will also help with hydration as well
alessia55
10-03-12, 09:37 PM
If you wet the rat before feeding her, she'll get some extra fluids too. Good luck with this one. Keep us posted please.
Snakeman8
10-04-12, 04:23 AM
shes a very beautiful boa, i always did like dumerils boas.
She looks cute, but I have to jump on the bandwagon. Can't believe you paid for it.
Couple questions, how was the humidity 15%, You almost have to go out of your way to make it that dry...Was she on a heat lamp?
And you said it had mites, sunken eyes, under weight, and hasn't fed in over 2 months...So the question is if someone came in (say a person looking for their first snake ever) your company would have sold them an emaciated, mite infested, sick snake at full price? :( Good luck with her, at lest she is in the care of someone who isn't an idiot. Sick or not it's always exciting to get a snake so congrats.
- h3
Bring her to the vet, tell the vet to do everything expensive possible - even if its not 100% necessary - let the vet know the situation, and screw this petco. Make the petco pay out the *** for this snake - it'll teach them in the only way they know - money - to stop abusing/neglecting animals.
You could easily rack up a big bill that, as far as you have explained it, will go to the store.
Find the best vet you can - and let them know "money is no issue" :P
If you had just paid for the snake - I'd be pretty upset, but the fact that you have this vet situation in your hands - i'm pretty alright with it. Better than some inexperienced person getting and continuing the poor care based on the pet stores suggestions.
Kavyrie
10-04-12, 08:18 AM
Some of the enclosures hold humidity better than others, they are all in this electric "rack display, and all tanks have heat on both the top and bottom. I think the reason it was SO dry (we replaced the gauge several times to be sure) was that she was misted once in the morning, a quick tiny spray, and she had the moss that you put in a humid hide all around her enclosure, which was ALWAYS bone dry. I'm not sure if the moss sucked what little humidity in the air there was, but that's my best guess.
We only have one reptile specialist in the store. I decided that once we hire a new person in the grooming salon I am going to request to be an associate instead to care for the reptiles. We need someone who won't be talking out of their *** when talking to customers and someone who knows how to actually care for these guys.
Wait, you work at the store?
Kavyrie
10-04-12, 08:21 AM
Yes, I work in the grooming salon.
Wildside
10-04-12, 09:24 AM
She actually doesn't look too bad. Proper husbandry and getting rid of the mites should snap her right out of it without a vet visit. What method are you using to get rid of the mites?
Congrats on the new snake! Hope everything works out and make that store pay for what they did!
~Amy and Mike
If you work there, you may actually have a good case for bringing this issue up with the BBB (Better business Bureau). Im pretty sure you can file these types of complains anonymously (you wont get fired).
check this out as well:
Reporting Pet Store Abuse and Neglect | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database (http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/animal_cruelty/reporting_abuse/pet_stores.php)
Terranaut
10-04-12, 12:22 PM
If you work there, you may actually have a good case for bringing this issue up with the BBB (Better business Bureau). Im pretty sure you can file these types of complains anonymously (you wont get fired).
check this out as well:
Reporting Pet Store Abuse and Neglect | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database (http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/animal_cruelty/reporting_abuse/pet_stores.php)
I thought it would be good to report as well but seriously there is no way to do it anonymously and still use your new pet as the example of neglect.
Your mites will return unless you kill all of them and the products you listed will not get the job done. We have a vast knowledge base on this site about mites and 2 products are standouts over the rest. Provent a Mite and Nix. Both use the same ingredient but each uses a different application method. Search on here for using them. No need to fill another thread with info on these there are plenty now.
Good luck. Looks not in bad shape. I expected it to be much worse. I would hold off on the vet visit for now and see how it goes.
Kavyrie
10-08-12, 04:24 PM
Bonnie went to the vet today, he cleaned out around her eyes and checked her all over, no mites, just dirt stuck in her eyes. I've been changing the paper towels daily and giving her a warm water soak every other day. Going to feed her tomorrow so I can bring a stool sample next week to check for parasites. Buying Provent A Mite tomorrow and spraying her tank to be sure they don't come back. Other than being dehydrated though he said that she looks very healthy.
Kaetlinv
10-08-12, 04:25 PM
Awesome news!
shaunyboy
10-08-12, 04:37 PM
Bonnie went to the vet today, he cleaned out around her eyes and checked her all over, no mites, just dirt stuck in her eyes. I've been changing the paper towels daily and giving her a warm water soak every other day. Going to feed her tomorrow so I can bring a stool sample next week to check for parasites. Buying Provent A Mite tomorrow and spraying her tank to be sure they don't come back. Other than being dehydrated though he said that she looks very healthy.
i'll pm you a re hydration method that works well and has been used for years with great results
cheers shaun
Kavyrie
10-08-12, 04:45 PM
i'll pm you a re hydration method that works well and has been used for years with great results
cheers shaun
Thanks Shaun, I have time tomorrow before work so I'll be sure to do that <3 Thank you so much
Kavyrie
10-10-12, 04:57 PM
Gave Bonnie a weaned rat pup today, ate like a champ. I had a proud mom moment. She was 250 grams on Monday, and I can feel her ribs a little, should I feed her every 4-5 days until she puts on some weight or just do once a week like all my other guys?
Wildside
10-11-12, 09:09 AM
Gave Bonnie a weaned rat pup today, ate like a champ. I had a proud mom moment. She was 250 grams on Monday, and I can feel her ribs a little, should I feed her every 4-5 days until she puts on some weight or just do once a week like all my other guys?
She should put the weight on pretty fast now that she's actually being fed. Once a week should be fine :)
shaunyboy
10-11-12, 10:37 AM
i would feed no sooner than every 7 days pal
cheers shaun
rmfsnakes32
10-11-12, 08:43 PM
1 time a week is plenty you dont want her to become obese either
Kavyrie
10-11-12, 08:44 PM
Sounds like a plan :) Thanks for the help and advice guys, I'll update on her now and then.
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.