new thayeri.. with an issue..

[Srakha]

I purchased a baby thayeri king about 3 weeks ago from a trusted pet shop. I admit that it was very gorgeous and cute, and I could have inspected it better, but I couldn't resist it. I brought it home and it ate the next day, and pooped.

So I went to attempt to sex it about a week ago, and noticed that it had a bulge prior to the vent. It also was about to shed, and was soaking a lot, so I left it be, thinking it would shed and take a big dump. It DID shed, and pooped, but the bulge was still there. And it was still soaking in the dish at least once a day.

So I decided to give it a warm water soak once or twice a day. The very first soak it had a nice poo, but the other times only yeilded urates or these strange white small-mustard-seed sized spheres with whitish material around them. I am also noticing the tail is starting to kink up a bit, right there at the vent. It still eats well, and seems quite alert.

I am getting worried about this issue though, and I am about to take it to the vet. However I was wondering if anyone here might have insight as to what might be the issue, before I go.

I have a few pictures here. The last one is a couple days after the other two were taken.

I appreciate any help you can give.

 

[grapesofwrath]

Hi. My first thought is that it is probably a musk gland that is blocked. However, the bulge appears to be on one side of the animal, so I am not quite sure.

I have a female zonata agalma that also has a blocked musk gland, and so far she is doing fine. The vet can do surgery to fix the problem, but in my case I am reluctant to do so. If she gets worse, then yes.

In the case of your animal that you purchased from the pet store, maybe you can take it back and show it to them. Perhaps they will take her back, or possibly help out some other way. I do not feel it will be a cheap fix at the vet's.
I was told about $400 , but that number can very much be different throughout various regions.

At any rate, I wouldn't try and mess with it physically, outside of your soaks. It is quite possible that it will correct itself if indeed it is a musk gland problem. I am obviously not one hundred percent sure that's what the problem is, but it's certainly my best guess at this point.

If you have a herp vet local, that will always suffice. If you only have a small animal vet local then perhaps not. A specialist is what would be needed, a vet with experience with reptiles, and snakes in particular.

I hope this has helped somewhat. And hopefully the little thayeri will be ok.

 

[Srakha]

Fresh back from the vet..

I actually have two vets that deal with reptiles locally, and are pretty well known in the reptile community for doing so.

The prognosis from the visit: infection. So it was basically a 90 dollar visit in which it got weighed (12 ozs!), given a baytril shot, and sent home with oral baytril and benebac.

Hopefully when it is cleared up the snake's taill will no longer kink there. I am not even going to attempt to sex it right now(inexperienced as I am), especially with this problem going on.

Thank you for your input grapes

 

[crimsonrazac]

Good luck with that. :fc

 

[RehabRalphy]

Re: Fresh back from the vet..

I actually have two vets that deal with reptiles locally, and are pretty well known in the reptile community for doing so.

The prognosis from the visit: infection. So it was basically a 90 dollar visit in which it got weighed (12 ozs!), given a baytril shot, and sent home with oral baytril and benebac.

Hopefully when it is cleared up the snake's taill will no longer kink there. I am not even going to attempt to sex it right now(inexperienced as I am), especially with this problem going on.

Thank you for your input grapes

Exactly what I thought when I saw your pictures. Its an abcess, or a ball of puss, under the skin. If its to large, they make a slit into the abcess for draining over a course of 3 weeks (cleaning it out).

I had a similar problem a couple years ago, except on a boa.

 

[Srakha]

Re: Fresh back from the vet..

Exactly what I thought when I saw your pictures. Its an abcess, or a ball of puss, under the skin. If its to large, they make a slit into the abcess for draining over a course of 3 weeks (cleaning it out).

I had a similar problem a couple years ago, except on a boa.

Huh.. Did your snake kink its tail right there too? I am really hoping its like that because he/she is holding it that way, since it has to hurt some..

 

[ashesc212]

Well that's better than surgery and it's good to see that you could help your little guy out, especially since he is so small still! That's gonna be tough giving oral baytril, no? How do you do it?

 

[Srakha]

Very very carefully! xD It's actually a lot easier than i thought.. i can use the syringe thingie to open its mouth and just squirt. The worst part is getting peed all over xD

 

[RehabRalphy]

Ya his tail was kinked. Look broke in a way.

Now its normal, cant hardly even see a scar where they opened him up. Caused by a sharp edge to the galvanized screening used around lights to protect from touching the bulb.

Good luck with everything.

Only thing different is that he had baytril injections which caused burning to the scales around the site. They grew back, but still the baytril burns the skin. Maybe its different if its oral. Dont know

 

[Srakha]

Wow. I sure hope my snake's kink goes away too. I think the baytril is doing some good.. the vent looks quite a bit better today. a lot more normal. However the tail is still kinked.. just gotta be patient I hope

He sure HATES the taste of baytril. I try to follow it with the benebac because I'm pretty sure that stuff tastes better.

 

[RehabRalphy]

Reason why the tai is kinked, is because its voluntary. Hes doing it so pressure wont be so harsh on the area. Kind of like quick pain relief. Its like when you twist an ankle, you try not to walk on the foot.

 

[Srakha]

Yeah I know. I didn't see much improvement the past day or so.. seems to not be having convulsions when i stick the baytril in his mouth tho.. lol.

 

[RehabRalphy]

Well, i think it may take a week or two to be honest.

 

[Srakha]

Yeah, the vet said to give it to him/her for two weeks and then call him if its not better.

 

[Srakha]

Ok, well new pic about a week and a half into the medication. I'll post the old pic after it to show any differences (doing this as much for me as for you guys xD)

New pic:

Old pic:

I guess after looking at the preview it does seem quite a bit better. I can still feel the kink there, but from looking at the pics, the vent seems a lot less swollen and cleaner looking. What do you guys think??

 

[RehabRalphy]

lookin better

 

[ashesc212]

It looks a lot better than before but the angle is also different in the two pics.

 

[Srakha]

I am frustrated. The kink is not going away and I am running out of baytril. I am beginning to think I should never have bought this snake, running to the vet is costing me more than I would have paid for a healthy snake from a breeder.

 

[Srakha]

Ok.. sorry for the frustration in my last post. I have new pictures for everyone. These were taken yesterday. He is about to shed, which explains the muted colors and hopefully the odd raised-looking scales.

 

[ashesc212]

It really looks like the infection is still there. I'd take him back to the vet.