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Lethargic Baby GTP

Posted By:

NotoriousPTG

I got a baby biak at the Reptile show on LI about 3 weeks ago. Animal fed when I took it home that day - fuzzy. I waited till it deficated about a week later and fed it again. Animal seemed very healthy and lively. It took about 9 days to deficate again. It has been growing fast and still seems very lively and healthy and undergoing yellow to green color change. Then I fed it a fuzzy for the 3rd time 2 days ago. After eating that meal the snake instantly became very lethargic and didnt' even climb back into its perch after eating. I found it the next morning very cold in its water dish and it barley moved when i picked it up. I put it in its perch and let it heat up. 2 days later and although alive I can tell something is wrong. The snake does not respond to touch or move with the same speed it always has. It also seems to have trouble keeping its head still when it is moving. It just feels weak like it's life is slipping away. A snake that a few days ago would perch in 5 seconds when put back now takes 2 minutes like senior citizen to get back up there. The meal was actually the smallest of the 3 I have given it. Tainted mouse???


Points:	250
Topics:	General Health , Knowledge Base , Parasites
Tags:	Behavior, Chondro, Feeding, Illness, Lethargic, Mites, Neonate, Parasites
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Author Comment

11/10/2009 9:01:25 PM

NotoriousPTG

PS - Temps and humity are all right on, including at night.

Member Comment

11/10/2009 9:15:28 PM

Geckofactor

If you want the snake to live I'd get it to the vet tomorrow. That sounds pretty much like a dying GTP. That's also no tainted mouse I've seen snakes eat some questionable rodents and live long and happy lives. It's never a good sign when they don't perch.

Member Comment

11/10/2009 9:40:32 PM

FyreFocks

A lot of chondros can be found on the ground in the morning. But the lethargy is another problem. In all the time youve had, have you noticed it drinking?

And specific temps and humidity would be helpful to know.

Member Comment

11/10/2009 10:13:32 PM

zachrfields

If its a hatchling chondro the fuzzies you are feeding it are probably to big for it. How is your humidity and temperatures?

Accepted Answer

11/10/2009 10:33:40 PM

aaron

It's not a bad sign when they don't perch. I have healthy chondros who like to hang out on the floor occasionally.

The other symptoms are very disconcerting. Is the animals skin funky (like wrinkly and bloated at the same time).

What is your water source? Could be something in your water that is stressing out the kidneys if so. Sounds too late, but switch to RO water for everything (or spring) for the future.

I did have one animal go through this, similar anyway, fed it, grounded, lethargic, and died within a span of 2 days. Since 75% of that clutch unexpectedly died at very random times (from a month to just about 2 years), I unscientifically attribute it to a bad clutch. Did not necro any of those who died.

Author Comment

11/10/2009 10:44:30 PM

NotoriousPTG

She seems to have pepped up a lot from this afternoon. Upon inspection I started to notice little pieces of crud under some of her scales. There were about 8 on the under side by her head. As I was looking at them I swore I saw one crawl. I've had ball pythons for years and like STDs I thought they would never happen to me. The GTP has a mild case of mites and the most were under her chin. I did a warm water bath with very little hand soap in there and I could tell she enjoyed it. I hit under the scales with the faucet and washed them all off of her. I soaked her, which she really enjoyed, for about 20 minutes in warm water when I took her out there were about 10 mites in the bowl, drowned. I can't see any more under her scales. I'll be trashing the interior of the enclosure and treating her again tomorrow. She really did pep back up.

Member Comment

11/10/2009 11:10:59 PM

Geckofactor

Let me rephrase that it's a bad sign when they don't perch and stay unperched I didn't mean that as literally the second they hit the ground they die. If you read the question it kindof implies it ate then never went back to its perch until placed up there. I have never even one time had a green tree that didn't perch and everything was ok with it. Even with the discovery of mites I'd still keep an eye on the snake for awhile it's most likely a WC GTP or Farmed or whatever you want to label it as. They come in loaded with mites and usually some internal parasites. Even with that said I buy 95% Farmed GTPs when I buy them because even if you lose 1 out of 3 you still paid less than what most of these people charge for one and you can still get good animals just put a little more work into it.

Assisted Answer

11/11/2009 12:46:18 AM

gfx

I've seen chondros that spend periods of time on the ground just because they want to. I've heard stories of others' chondros who almost always stay on the ground, they prefer it. In general, its a good idea to pay very close attention to them when they ground to make sure nothing's wrong, but sometimes they're just showing a preference for the ground. Finding your snake cold and limp in the water bowl is a pretty bad sign tho. I'd say this kid isn't grounding because its showing preference, it sounds like its taking the slow route off this mortal coil. My guess is internal and external parasites are killing the poor thing. Farmed animals used to be the cheap route, but these days you can get plenty of really nice and affordable CBB animals from hobby breeders who will stand behind their snakes. No reason to support farm brokers of chondros IMO.

Member Comment

11/18/2009 6:00:52 PM

krackerdactyl

hows ur gtp??

Member Comment

11/25/2009 7:30:53 AM

Geckofactor

Yeah I'm kind of curious also.

Member Comment

1/17/2011 11:49:55 PM

abi21491

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Author Comment

1/18/2011 12:41:00 PM

NotoriousPTG

I treated the mites that I found on the snake by starting over with the enclosure and keeping her in a tupperware for about 6 days. I sprayed her with mite spray everyday and then rinsed her off working to get the water to get under the scales on the bottom of her body where they all were hiding. Once all the mites were gone she started doing much better. I have her in my classroom now and she's doing great. Have not seen a mite in over a year. She is a little small and not growing as fast as I would have expected but very healthy otherwise.

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