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dead snake
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by danny37 on December 2, 2008
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ok, well a few days ago i noticed that me eastern gaboon(female) had a swollen right eye. there was some clear fluid built up between the eye and eye cap. also the head looked a little swollen. i have never seen this before so i sought advice on this web sight.not a whole lot in the way of advice, or anyone that has had the same problem. so i was looking around the sight and in "classifieds" i found a guy selling a gaboon that he said had a somewhat of the same problem, he called it "popeye syndrom". i then e-mailed him to get a little more info on exactly what it was, and how he got rid of it. he told me to use batedine and water solution to soak the snake in, and then mist her with it 3 times as day. i was very careful to make sure that the snake didnt drink any. i had been doing that for 2 days now, and when i came home from work today i found my snake laying on its back dead. i am writting this to let everyone know that it could have possibly been the batedine that killed it, or it very well could have been the same thing that caused its eye to swell in the first place, some type of virus or germ. now i am worried about my other snakes, they were all kept in the same room, i used the same hook, soaking tubs, tongs, etc. so if anyone out there knows FORSURE what the deal is with this swollen eye deal will you please let me know..Thanks, Danny
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RE: dead snake
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by Rob_Carmichael on December 2, 2008
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It could have had many problems that weren't outwardly apparent. That's why its always a nice luxury to have a vet who can work with hots (or at least consult). There's no greater weapon than having a good vet you can consult with. Personally, if it were mine, I would have run fecals and bloodwork right away, identify what type of bacteria may be afflicting the animal, or, something else going on and then treat accordingly - there's no time to waste with these types of ailments. Hopefully, the snake was quarantined right away and not anywhere near where your established collection is located. Are you going to run a necropsy? If not, I would highly recommend it. Sorry to hear you lost your gabby.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
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RE: dead snake
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by Buzztail1 on December 2, 2008
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Danny, I am sorry to hear that you lost your snake.
I was following that thread and while you may not be happy with the advice you were given, I think that at least some of it was right on the mark.
Gaboon Vipers, in particular, seem to be prone to a clogging of the ducts that run behind the eye and drain into the back of their mouth.
To treat this, I have seen several approaches, none of which are safe for anyone without veterinary training.
I, personally, have worked with a Gaboon Viper that had one eye removed due to this problem. It later developed the same issue with the other eye which was alleviated by the cutting the eyecap method mentioned in the other thread.
I have heard lots of hypothesis on why these tubes get clogged but nothing definite. One that sounded plausible was that the substrate material (moss/mulch/etc) was too dry and the dust particles that it generated were what was clogging the ducts.
Either way, that particular issue is an excellent example why exotic venomous keepers need to find a veterinarian that is capable of treating their venomous animals. Some things just can't be done by MOST keepers regardless of their experience level.
Sorry again for your loss.
If you do decide to have a necropsy performed, I, for one, would appreciate hearing what you find out.
R/
Karl
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RE: dead snake
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by danny37 on December 2, 2008
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i have been looking for a vet that treats "hots" but to tell you the truth, i cannot find one. nobody wants to deal with them. maybe it is my location, i dont know, but i cant seem to find one. i had a savanah monitor a few years back that i wanted to take to the vet, it was hard just finding a vet to see him, no vet anywhere near me would touch venomous.i will likely not have a necropsy done, i wouldnt even know where to start with that.i removed the body and disenfected everything that the snake came in contact with. it did not have direct contact with any of my other snakes. but as i stated before, i did use some of my handling tools on my other snakes. i will be watching them very closely for any signs that they may be infected. i know what your all thinking, i should have made sure i had a vet, or medications on hand to deal with this. i have never had a snake die on me in all the years that i have been keeping them, so i was not prepared. i do have seringes, and a bottle of pen-aqueous, maybe i should have dosed her. to late now...i am going to go to my local vet tomorrow to see if i can get him to perscribe me enrofloxacin incase this pops up in my other snakes. thanks for all of the info though...Danny
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RE: dead snake
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by FSB on December 9, 2008
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Many vets are scared of snakes, period, to say nothing of venomous ones. Most of them love animals, yes, but are in business to make money, and being envenomed could pose a serious threat to one's career trajectory. Most of them aren't afraid of feces, though, so running a fecal is always a good and affordable idea when confronted with a sick snake.
I wish there were such a thing as a veterinary associates degree, licensed only to treat reptiles. Such a degree would be useful for zookeepers, and possibly increase the number of qualified herp vets. I might have been more inclined to go to vet school if I hadn't had to worry about dogs and cats, cows and horses!
I would suggest emailing snakegetters.com to get an opinion in such matters, since Ms. TT there is more up to date on reptile medicine, especially venomous snakes, than probably 90% of the vets in the world. You might also drop a line to Dr. Doug Mader (his contact info should be in Reptiles Magazine, where he is a columnist).
Sorry about your Gaboon... that would be a real heartbreaker.
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