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Honest opinions needed

Pyro

N=R* fs fp ne fl fi fc L
Moderator
Okay, a little background here

A couple years ago I purchased a pair of egg-eaters. They were relatively new to the world which meant they either had to eat finch eggs (not easy to get your hands on) or be tube fed. The seller was tube feeding them. I had sporadic access to finch eggs and I have tube fed before so I felt comfortable taking them on.

Everything with them has been going well until recently. Over the last couple months I have begun to notice kinks popping up on them. And as the kinks have been popping up the locomotion on the animals has begun to deteriorate. Here are a couple vids from last night (please excuse the manic giggles of my 5 year old in the background), this is the female, she is the least impaired of the pair:

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i146.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/asplundii/P2190009.flv">

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i146.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/asplundii/P2190010.flv">

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i146.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/asplundii/P2190011.flv">


I have my suspicions as to what might be the cause of this but that is rather moot at this time since it can not be undone.


Anyways, my question to all of you (and please be brutally honest) is do I freeze them? My gut feeling is that I ought to but I want to be sure I am not just over reacting.

Thanks in advance for your input.
 
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I never had this happen to me before and I'm not too experianced with things like this.
I guess if it's suffering badly it'd be best to put it down, but before you do if you know of a vet that's experianced with snakes maybe give him/her a call for help or a snake forum might be good option too they probably know much more on health problems and be able to help.

I'm sorry about the little guys I hope you find more answers.
 
Travis,
I have no experience with snakes.
If I would take a guess, is this caused by calcium deficiency?
Are you sure there is no help for it, if that is the problem?
I know in lizards that suffer from calcium deficiency, there jaws and limbs can get soft. With giving them calcium it can be reversed. They might not be 100% if it was a sever case. I've also heard of people giving lizards shots of calcium in extreme cases.
??????
 
Is that painful to them? Or does it just impede mobility?

xvart.
 
to be truthfully honest.......ive never seen something like that.......i dont think i would freeze them just yet.....going to run these buy a vet i know, he aint a reptile specialist but he is interested in snakes in general.......
 
the vet said it looks like a neuromuscular issue and not a spinal issue.......either primary developmental(CNS) or secondary metabolic(diet).......
 
Hey all,

Had a bit of a bad weekend so was not able to meet my herp vet on these but let me field a couple of these questions

@ Steve,

I do not think this is MBD. Snakes, by and large, do not suffer MBD, especially nocturnal ones. I do not know what added calcium supplements might do with these guys. Because they are specialized eaters they have evolved to get everything they need from their exclusive diet of egg. I can mix in Ca/D3 powder but it tends to gum up the egg mix making it hard to push through the syringe.

@ JC,

IDK if it is painful. The female seems to get along okay which to me would indicate she at least is not in pain. The male is much worse off. He does not move if he can help it and when he does move his behavior makes me think it may be painful but it might be that it is just so awkward for him that he does not do it...

@ S,

Thanks for the call :)
 
Well, you said you were tube feeding them right? Well, wouldn't they get some calcium and other vitamins for their spin from the egg's shell? Maybe you can aid the calcium on to the finch eggs when ever you give them to the snakes? Sorry I am no expect at anything father then the sub order ants belong to.
 
Dude, my honest opinion's : IDK. I hope they get better. Any updates?
 
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