Two snakes have died. Rainbow Boa and Ball Python. Clear expectoration, cramps, spasms, then limp. PleaseHelp?

Question

The Rainbow was 12 years old and in good health. Once it got sick, we raised the temp in the tank and room. It spent more time in the water dish than usual and shed immediately. It had just eaten a medium-sized rat the week before, so it wasn't time to feed.

We kept the snakes separate, but a week later our baby ball python took ill and died in one day. Same symptoms, sat in it's water dish. It looked to me like it had a seizure, then passed out. Slack-jawed. Gradually came back around, but stayed relatively listless and unresponsive. Clear bile and bubbles from it's nose. Some poop and pee. It had a second wild seizure; open-mouthed biting the air and wild writhing and then went totally limp. It recovered for a while then died. We were on a camping trip in the boonies and couldn't find a vet.

We have one more small ball python and are afraid. Could it be a virus or bacteria? Someone mentioned wood chips. We use wood chips in our tanks as recommended by Petco to help them shed.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if I understood correctly, had you taken the ball python (or both snakes) camping with you?

Whenever multiple animals die suddenly with similar symptoms, especially seizures, the question of possible environmental toxins comes up. That's why I wanted to clarify if they were also on the camping trip or whether the snakes were at home.

Insecticides like flea treatment, roach treatments or mosquito repellent can cause this type of situation. The source isn't always obvious so really examine your environment.
A keeper on another forum lost his snakes to what looked like insecticide poisoning even though he did not use any.
He discovered that the person he had loaned his vacuum cleaner to had used it to vaccuum up after a flea bomb treatment. The air exiting the vacuum when he used it again contained enough toxins to poison his snakes.

Answer 2

As you can probably guess opinion is divided! As a reptile breeder for over twenty years I would recommend a corn snake as your first and possibly only snake, they are more allert and actalertan ball pythons are, they are slightly more forgiving as far as husbandry goes( you should be quite the expert in no time ) and there are a lot more morphs out there that don't demand huge prices.An albino doesn't have to be lacking all color although strickly speakstrictlyue albino does, but you'll be amazed at what different color variations there are out there. There is a really simple reason for this in that corn snakes are a more commonly kept snake! Think about it. Corn snakes will require a lot of handling though, and if it is a juvenile that you are thinking of getting and not an adult then get yourself some forceps because corn snakes strike at thier prey so theiryou wont see it coming, and I don't want you to get bit and it put you off handling your new pet. Ball pythons on the other hand tend to move quite slowly when handled but do require a little more knowledge before attempting to house them in the optimal conditions. Ultimately the choice is yours and what ever you choose will be right for you, it's then your job to make sure it's right for your new pet. good look and ask loads of questions when you do get your snake, you'll soon be the one answering questions then.

Answer 3

First , get your snake to good reptile vet asap for a check up . I would also get rid of the wood chips and use either news paper or reptile carpet as a substrate . Sounds like what ever it is it maybe contagious so I would not take any chances . Get your Ball Python into a vet .Bubbling from the nose is a sign of a respiratory infection. Sitting in the water bowl sounds like possibly mites or your temps are to high . Are you using a good digital thermometer ?Also have you feed them mice from the same place . This almost sounds like poisoning of some kind .? If so I would throw them out and get fresh .

Answer 4

What type of wood chips? Also if they seemed to be eating then able to go to the bathroom, I can't see an compaction problem.

The other snake you have did you just get it? If you have, did you quarantine the snake? Are all of your snakes in the same room? If I go to any reptile show I take a shower asap, just because there are plenty of air born viruses out there. I had a friend who lost over $2000 worth of snakes over a virus.

The only other option would to take the dead snakes to the vet and have him take a look at them. Not sure if the food you could have given them would have been bad.

Sorry about your loss.

Answer 5

switch to reptle carpet as a substrate. the people at petco are not the most educated; i learned that the hard way with fish. Wood chips, if accidentally ingested, can ruin their internal organs. take the snake out and clean the cage thoroughly, then add the carpet. if you are buying the snakes from petco, dont. their animals are not known to be in the best of health, so that could be your problem. this is why reptile owners suggest that after buying a reptile, take it straight to a reptile vet to have it examined. I hope you are able to solve your problem! Good luck with the snake!

oh! Where are you getting the rats from? make sure they are in good health, otherwise your snake can recieve all sorts of things transmitted by the rat!

Answer 6

Do some research on IBD (inclusion body disease). Did either of the snakes spend time just staring straight up? The only wood chips that would really cause problems would be cedar or pine.

Answer 7

I don't know exactly what happens when snakes get impaction, bit it seems to me that this is what happened, and there was nothing you could do. Those wood chips could have caused him to choke to death. Remove the wood chips asap!!! Use a bark half log cave (at pet stores)for them to shed on!

Answer 8

vet now for smaller ball. better to be safe than sorry.