Boa Constrictor Imperator Nicaragua (Superhypo / T+ couple)

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Tsubaki

He eats fully weened halfgrown rats, never seen fatty or fast grown rats from this supplier, always slender and healthy looking. He has normal stool, firm and not particularly smelly. He eats about once every 2 weeks, no issues. No change in behaviour whatsoever, doing what he always does.. Same rats my T+ gets btw, but she eats once a week. No issues there either, they're hooked on the same thermostat, same type of heating (rhp hooked to 4 phase thermostat). Already checked his stool for just about anything i can, nothing strange at all. No external parasites either..He looks healthy beside those scales, acts healthy, there could be an underlying condition but if he does i somehow doubt its related to his housing. As my other snakes seem fine (only problem i've had in ages is 1 bad shed). Might do a bloodtest later, it still is very odd.. wonder if it could be a genetic issue that took a while to show, ive seen an argentine boa that lost color to half his side in blotches. They coulndt find anything but it did die (it also stopped eating) on autopsy they found problems in the intestine, the walls had partially died and at some parts even stuck together blocking passage. Besides drawing some blood, and sending it to get tested (dont have the equipment) there is not much i can do but wait and see.

1-2 weeks is a bit often for boas of their age, they seem to have good body tone, though. Don't think that would cause the issues you're seeing, though.

I would definitely get some tests, x-rays etc. Look for unusual fatty deposits around the organs (just in case), any blockages, high bacteria levels in the blood and gut, and anything else the vet would think could shed some light on the condition. Hopefully you won't turn up anything major, but best to be safe.

I have heard of boas losing their color completely periodically through their life with no known cause before returning to normal 1-2 years later and surviving, but there's also the horror stories that would cause me to err on the side of caution.