Internal Parasites?

[squirrelpepper]

On the day of Snakey's last shed he pooped while I was holding him (he always poops within the first few minutes of being held) and I noticed a string(?) hanging out of his vent. It was about two inches long and white. The only thing I could imagine is that it is a parasite, however after he shed it was gone and I haven't seen anything like it since.

Have you guys ever seen anything like this and what was it?

Also if anyone else lives in the Orlando area, I'd like a recommendation of a good herp vet.

[Nanci]

Must be some kind of worm. When he poops, save it, and take him and the poo to the vet. Worms are easily treated in snakes, typically with an oral dewormer for maybe three doses, then a recheck of his fecal. Snakes get worms from rodents. Do you feed live or pre-killed, or is your snake wild-caught?

[squirrelpepper]

He came from a pet store and eats live pinkies, which come from the same store, they have a very good reputation here, and are pretty much the only game in town as far as live or fresh killed feeders.

[Nanci]

Hmm. Pinks are pretty small to pass on parasites, because they haven't been exposed to them. Is there a reason you aren't feeding him frozen pinks?

[squirrelpepper]

I read that the live ones have a better nutritional value.

[squirrelpepper]

Do snakes need regular deworming like horses, dogs and cats? and at what size to parasites become something you expect from live feeders?

[Nanci]

The nutritional value is dependent on the diet of the mice, not whether they are alive or not.

Here's a good article on mice/rat parasites: http://www.rmca.org/Articles/worms.htm

You're better off getting your snake switched over to frozen right away, before he won't take anything besides live. We just had a member here lose a snake after spending hundreds of dollars to treat an abcess caused by a rodent bite. A mouse can _easily_ take out a snake's eye when fighting for its life, or worse, chew the whole skin off a snake. Then there's the parasite issue, and the availability issue, and the issue of is it humane to feed a live mouse when you don't have to? The mouse _knows_ it is going to die. I don't know why anyone would put a mouse through that torture if they had a choice.

[Dorgrim]

sounds an awful lot lot like a pin worm. Which are really common and really easy to treat.
Pin worms are mm thick and very slender, also white, and partially translucent. pin worms can be ingested by accidentally getting dirt in your mouth, or unclean water, all kinds of things, just so long as it reaches the nostril or the mouth. They also thrive in cooler temps, so reptiles seem like a good host.

If it isnt a pin worm, it might be a relative of the worm. But again, really common and im sure easy to treat :)

gl!

[squirrelpepper]

Dorgrim that sounds exactly like what I saw! Hopefully as easy to treat as you say. I will be taking Snakey to the vet as soon as I can get a stool sample and an appointment.

I had planned to switch to fresh killed when Snakey is large enough to need mice of a size they can injure him. I do not feel worse feeding live mice then f/t, although the parasite and availability issues make sense to me. However, it is my first day on this forum, and I do not want to get into anything as emotionally involved as cruelty to animals discussions.

[SnakeLuv]

Switch em I say ASAP. I am said member with the snake that died from the abscess cause by a mouse bite. Frost refused anything prekilled or frozen. I did not get him from a store I got him from a friend some 6 years ago if I remember and he was already an adult eating live food. I never had the chance to swap him to PK / FT. It's not worth the risk, potential heartache, and kick in the wallet to feed live if you can help it.

[ceduke]

The risks of live feeding, even small mice, aren't worth it. Plus, frozen are cheaper.

[squirrelpepper]

Well I took Snakey to the vet (luckily found a herp vet here who breeds snakes on the side) and they did a fecal float. She has no parasites and according to the vet is in great condition, I don't know what the string was but it wasn't a parasite. :D

[Bartholomew]

Thats good news! But still, I (and everyone) recommends you to change to f/t pinkie mice. Safer, cheaper, easier. :)

[squirrelpepper]

I appreciate "everyone's" (or all the outspoken people's) concern for the welfare of feeder mice, but I'm pretty sure it's not "everyone" since there is an entire thread on raising feeders. As I said before I will be giving her fresh killed when the time comes for that. If anyone feels the need to tell me how wrong this is you are welcome to do that, however, I doubt I will be changing my mind based on the expense of feeding one snake, or the convenience of not having to drive to the pet store once a week.

I sure know how to make friends! :uhoh:

[Nanci]

Well I took Snakey to the vet (luckily found a herp vet here who breeds snakes on the side) and they did a fecal float. She has no parasites and according to the vet is in great condition, I don't know what the string was but it wasn't a parasite. :D

You know, that made me think of something. I had a pair of snakes together for breeding. I found something in the bare plastic bin that I couldn't identify. It was an inch long, very thin, translucent. Worm? Semen plug? I took it to the vet, along with the snakes, and they were able to determine that it wasn't a parasite or a semen plug. And now I can't remember what he even said it was- mucous, or something.

There's a whole section on Feeders because plenty of people here raise their own mice and rats. That doesn't mean they feed them live.

[squirrelpepper]

I like mucous better than worms for sure!

I am sure they do feed fresh killed.

[cornsnakeforsale_com]

FT is better, I don't think there are many reasons to feed live. I do however feed live occasionally, but there are risks, mostly if the feeders are larger and know how to fight back. I fed off the last of my breeder mice yesterday live and wouldn't you know it, one of my snakes got a bit beat up in the process. Unfortunately I have a couple that all of the sudden have taken no interest in FT but were ecstatic to see something they could hunt. Probably just stopping feeding naturally since it's getting colder, but I thought that was my decision! Regardless, everyone's off of food now officially.

As far as "humane", I think what happens in nature is just fine with me. I'd rather let the snake kill the mouse as nature intended than do it myself if the snake is going to eat right away. I've sure killed my share of hundreds if not thousands of rodents for the freezer though.

But I think most people with a lot of experience will agree that feeding live is not wise.

[carnivorouszoo]

I like mucous better than worms for sure!

I am sure they do feed fresh killed.

I am one who raises her own feeders. I use a homemade CO2 chamber to put them down and freeze them for later. I would not have the right sizes for all of my snakes all of the time if I just did fresh killed. Plus I can not stomach snapping a neck or bashing them in the table or a wall which is how most FK are killed. It makes more sense to me to chamber a bunch of the same size as I need that size and freeze them for later. I also do supplimental online orders in case I can not keep up with a certain size.

More an fyi than jumping on you ok? Yes some feed live, but most if not all wish they could get them on FT or FK. It is torture to both the people and the animal being eaten. Ok there are some people who don't mind the shrieks of mice who are being crushed then eaten, sometimes just eaten. I would not want to personally know anyone like that, no offense but its disturbing when people feel nothing when something dies.

When I process my mice to feed my snakes I feel both sad and greatful for them. Sad they must die so my snakes may live, but greatful that I have them so I can feed my snakes too. Again not trying to :-poke: Just stating my feelings, oppinions and methods.

[MysticExotics]

I too, raise my own feeders, & since most of them are for my babies, I cull them as pinkies, freeze them, & then when it's time to feed, I thaw them in hot water.


The problem with waiting until the snake is big enough to eat prey that could injure him, is that he would be so used to eating live, it could make it harder to get him to switch. Switching him now will be easier.

I get the bulk of my feeders from Rodent Pro, & sometimes go in on orders with other local reptile people.
I only have 2 small colonies, for the pinkies right now. Once I am in a place where I can have more, I will have more colonies, & euthanize them with the CO2 chamber.