• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Taken a turn for the worst. I need help/advice..

Elle - you and Windsor fought the good fight and you gave him every possible chance to make it. Sometimes the odds are just stacked too heavily in the other direction.

Get to the bottom of this for sure, but don't doubt that you did your best for him, including breaking your own heart to end his suffering.

Hugs
 
Tula_Montage said:
Windsor... September 06 - November 07. I'm sorry I was not with you when you needed me most...
Click to expand...

Elle, I hate to contradict you but I must. You were there when he needed you most and did for him the best you could.

That's the truth, I know it, your friends here on the forum, know it and in your heart, you know it too.

Windsor ..... September 06 - November 07. Gone but not forgotten.
 
Thanks again for all the kind words. Unfortunately I don't feel better, the grieving process will take a long time (and an endless supply of cigs).

I am now operating a "lockdown" where nothing comes in and nothing goes out. I suggest that anyone else who has had Windsor in contact with themselves or their snakes do the same thing (advised by the vet as they are highly concerned about his condition). Theres a paper trail back to where we assume the virus originated, but until I have conclusive evidence from the necrospy in my hands its all assumption.

Talked to the vet today about the autopsy performed last night and there was sever advanced lung disease, deffinatley secondary infection and not developed in the short time in my care. From the looks of things, the virus has a long dormancy period. It took exactly 6 weeks to kill Windsor which is not long as he went rapidly downhill, but how long was that virus present in him before he showed symptoms? These questions I hope the necrosy can answer as there are obviously concerns for other specimens not in my collection.
 
The plot thickens...

A friend had her carpet python admited on Friday for critical care after I noticed he had the same symptoms that Windsor had - they literally developed overnight. The vet is extremely concerned that this is indeed viral. Theres also serious concerns that this is the first public reports of an outbreak of PARAMYXOVIRUS.

It has been reported by a vet down south in England that she has seen cases of the virus frequently in the last few months, and that it originated from an American breeder who found the virus in his collected after a breeder in Scotland has a batch of snakes imported from him. Co-incidently a known Scottish breeder recently sold up due to his snakes dropping dead for no reason.

Again this is all theory but the cooincidence is just weird. Heres a thread on a UK forum posted by my friend Lynn who had her carpet python admited. She explains a bit more about the situation but it is quite critical and we have been advised by the vets to cease all trade in Scotland and warm others of it so this virus does not turn into an epidemic!

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/68042-paramyxovirus-outbreak.html
 
Tula_Montage said:
The plot thickens... an outbreak of PARAMYXOVIRUS.
warn others of it so this virus does not turn into an epidemic!

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/68042-paramyxovirus-outbreak.html
Click to expand...

That sounds like one NASTY flu bug.

It doesn't seem like it is infectious to humans but it sure is insideous to snakes. I hope this doesn't affect the rest of your collection. I've read that you had kept him separate. That is good practice anytime you have an illness, but this one seems to move quickly.

I get confused, can you treat a virus? I know with an infection you can use antibiotics, is there anything other than time?
 
If we cannot treat viruses in humans, do you think we can cure reptile viruses?

The virus is infectious to humans but each strain is species specific.
 
Elle,
I am truly sorry to hear about the death but it seemed it was going to happen. When a snake is coughing up blood well its days are numbered.

I am now concerned for your collection, this reminds me of the parvo virus that hit my household and took out my ferrets.

Personally you may have to wash everything before handling all your snakes now. I mean, hands and even your cloths. Wash everything in diluted bleach solution.
The parvo virus I dealt with, if I touch one animal and then go home, it could spread to mine, via my hands or cloths. It can last for years in the house. So I could not keep another ferret for another 2-3 years. The animal could live for a few years with it and then Wham, it hits and is dead in 2 weeks.

Now this sounds like what happened to you and also herps tend to last longer than a mammal with an illness. What will kill a ferret in 2 weeks a snake could last 4-6 months before it passes.

Sadly, my concern now is that if its a similar type of virus it may have already spread through out your collection. What could I recommend besides the hands washing is maybe even getting latex gloves and keeping them in your herp room and using them to handle your animals. Take off the gloves and only use a pair for each animal.
 
The fact is if it's this virus then its already in my collection and no amount of bleach or hand washing will help.

Thankfully hes only been in contact with 8 other snakes residing at my house (although hes been in quarantine)
 
I read in the link you posted that COLOMBOVAC has been used to treat the virus. Can it be administered as a precaution?
 
Maybe seperate all you snakes.. and get a check-up to see if any have the virus or whatever this is.
If you already did, my bad...
Hope all your animals are going to be ok! :)
 
SnakesRule1234 said:
Maybe seperate all you snakes.. and get a check-up to see if any have the virus or whatever this is.
If you already did, my bad...
Hope all your animals are going to be ok! :)
Click to expand...

I don't care about my animals - it may already be too late for them. I will be there and hold each one down to euthanise them if I have to. I just want other people to know about the situation. If ther correct precautions are not taken it could turn into an epidemic.

The worst thing is, theres a reptile show on next weekend and animals are being taken down from Scotland and brought up from England. Fortunatley I was able to contact a guy I know who is in touch with the people who run the show and have warned him of the situation.

IMO all trading should be ceased until Windsor's autopsy report comes back. If it's inconclusive then these extreme measures will do no harm - except have some lose out on a penny or two. Who cares... protecting your reputation or your animals? For me theres no contest.
 
Tula_Montage said:
If we cannot treat viruses in humans, do you think we can cure reptile viruses?

The virus is infectious to humans but each strain is species specific.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiviral_drug

There are antiviral drugs but because of the cost of them they tend to only be made for serious diseases...there'd be no point making drugs to target the common cold that mutates several times a year.

That's not the point of the thread though...I hope the test results turn out to be something non-infectious :( and I'm really sorry to hear about your snake.
 
Oh, Elle this is terrible news...you must be just beside yourself :(

I really hope everything turns out ok... hang in there ;)
 
I've put a heads up on a small british forum I'm a member of. One of the members had a perfectly healthy kingsnake die of unknown causes (in Scotland) and I know he deals/breeds boids. I've used your link, Elle, I hope you don't mind.
 
I'll try and get the word out to some of my herp acquaintances, Elle. I know I am not all that close to Scotland, but we can't know where snakes in Scotland have since travelled to and it can't hurt to spread the word as far as possible.

I was planning on buying a boa shortly, but I'm going to wait a while now as I have a small place and quarantine is difficult. I don't want to risk my current snakes.

If it is this virus, does anyone know if it is localised to one type of snake (ie only pythons) or can it affect any snake, boid, colubrid, whatever? I would assume all snakes...
 
diamondlil said:
I've put a heads up on a small british forum I'm a member of. One of the members had a perfectly healthy kingsnake die of unknown causes (in Scotland) and I know he deals/breeds boids. I've used your link, Elle, I hope you don't mind.
Click to expand...

Sounds like that was my friend snakeypete. We were on the phone for hours in the last few days trying to get the word out. Phoned the vet to ask him to test for Paramyxovirus and he already said hes done it as it was a corncern. The carpet python is going to be checked for reflexes later today as paramyxovirus displays some IBM symptoms as well as respiratory infection.

Unfortunatley I cannot confirm anything at the moment, which is so frustrating. All we can do is wait for the autopsy results. I know people are freaking out about myself and Lynn coming out with this information, but you know what - better be safe than sorry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top