About Quarantine

[corny_gurl333]

What do you guys suggest to do for quarantine? What should I be looking for as far as to determine if there are parasites or a sickness? I'm totally new to herps at all, so I don't know what a sick snake really looks like. I know you can most of the time determine if there's a problem if the snake is acting out of character (as it is with mostly all animals), but I want to know what to look for without knowing the animal initially. This is also for the benefit of my mom in case she wants to know, and for persuasion...lol...I'm so evil. I just really want my mom to know that I'm capable of taking care of a snake, and that she has nothing to worry about. I told her too, that I have lots of people right here that I can consult as far as advice goes, if I have any problems. You guys got my back? Okay, thanks...Mwah!
~*Kristin*~

 

[MegF.]

Kristin, First off you should quarantine a new snake from the rest of a collection anywhere from 3-6 months. Most people say 6. You will probably initially want to keep the snake on paper towel to make sure the poop looks normal, and that they are not regurging. You will also more easily see mites if they are present. They will look like little black pepper specks, both on the snake and in the enclosure. If your snake is super shy or nervous, you can also easily feed on the paper towel without fear of substrate ingestion. I've had a couple that I had to initially feed in the viv as they wouldn't take food in a seperate container. As long as you handle between feedings, I've never had a problem with them biting me in a food response. You should notice problems like mites or abnormal stools within the first couple of weeks. If they don't show any of those problems, and eat comfortably in a seperate container, you can put in substrate of some kind. Most snakes seem to like some kind of substrate better than paper towel as it's easier to burrow in. Mostly those things are what you're looking for. They will hide quite a bit at first unless they are really mellow, so that isn't really a worry, but when you handle them, they should feel muscular and active, not soft and lethargic.

 

[corny_gurl333]

Thanks Meg! And I would quarantine it from the rest of the collection, but presently, there is no collection. Notice under my name it says "Future Addict!" This will be my first snake and I want to take the best of care of it. I'm really really awaiting a response from my mom...really bad! This is me right now cause I'm waiting and I'm so anxious: :crazy02: :eek1: :crazy02: ...............and so on and so forth...It's an endless cycle and I'm insane about it! Anyways, thanks for the info Meg, I'll definately be careful when I get the baby (if...)....Mwah!

 

[MegF.]

Well, if it's a party of one, you don't really need to quarantine perse. Just the usual checks on your animal. If you're pretty animal savvy, you'll probably do just fine figuring out what's normal, and what's not. The more you educate your mom about the snakes the more she'll be intrigued. If you have a chance to pick out your own snake, you should try to find one that is calm and more willing to be held. I've found if they're mellow as babies, they usually stay that way. My amel was a perfect example. I held him and he pretty much just moved slowly from hand to hand, not trying to run away or jerk away. In contrast, one of the Okeetee's that I got from the breeder was very nervous, shy and was always trying to get away. She'd also musk, tail rattle and strike. Very obnoxious! She never has mellowed out completely.

 

[coyote]

I just want to add...

In an ideal world, under perfect conditions,

New acquisitions must be kept in a different room, different part of the house if possible.

New acquisitions should have a fecal done. An exam by a qualified veterinarian would be good.

Feed and clean established animals first. Then do quarantined animals last.

Wash hands thouroughly between animals.
and/or Use disposable gloves for cleaning and change them between animals.
Use a smock or apron when cleaning. Remove it after you are done and launder it after each use.

When you take an animal out to handle it keep in mind that anything it touches can serve to transmit (some)disease organisms to the other animals. Examples: your clothing, hands and arms, jewelry you wear, counter and table tops, garbage lids, handles, feeding and watering containers, door knobs, sinks etc.

Utensils and items used in common, like dishes and forceps/tongs, can be sterilized in a dishwasher. It is best if each animal has its own and there is no sharing. They still need to be cleaned regularly even so.

If a snake refuses a meal, do not recycle the meal/feeder by offering it to another snake.

House snakes individually.

Do a search on the topic of "quarantine" to find what else has been posted on the topic.

 

[corny_gurl333]

This is so kewl! Having everyone give me advice! I love it! And yeah, it will just be a party of one. Hopefull when and if I get one, maybe my rents will see the light and see the addiction. I don't know why my mom won't talk to me about it tho...I brought it up that this kid in my class brought his baby red tail boa for a presentation today and I thought it was really kewl and he let me hold it and all this neat stuff and all she said was, "Oh, neat>.." I was so dissapointed! I thought for sure that would start a conversation about it!

I would love to be there to pick out the snake, but shipping it will prolly be cheaper even though the place where I will get it is only 130ish miles away, gas prices would make up for the shipping cost, and I would have to persuade my rents to drive me to this place. I really think it would be so kewl to go to the place where the baby I'm going to get was born and look at all the possibilities and hold them and bond with the ones who are friendly, but it's a long shot.

I would also just like to say....that I am so far gone into the addiction it's not even funny. Cornsnakes are literally all I think about! All! I think of nothing else. I can't bring myself to concentrate in class! It's terrible. All of my friends are so tired of hearing 646 0358 about how to feed a snake and how to house a snake and how to ....blah blah blah blah.... I'll never get tired of it though.

Okay, thanks for all your help guys! Mwah!

 

[Rosebear]

It's very inspiring to see a young lady your age (absolutely NO slam here!) interested in herps! I was so terrified! Bless your Mom for being open to your choice...I couldn't have been...my son (30+) cracks up that Mom has snakes. I hope that having my snake around my school office helps both the kids and the moms understand that they're really ok...not all are 1) going to hurt you; 2) poisonous; 3) icky. It's great that hubby supports my hobby, and enjoys my "babies." I've got an '04 normal-normal (Legoless, whom we believe to be a male) and an '05 Okeetee female (Takala).

Enjoy!! Be safe and be caring....the rest will take care of itself!

 

[CJBianco]

It's very inspiring to see a young lady your age (absolutely NO slam here!) interested in herps! I was so terrified! Bless your Mom for being open to your choice...I couldn't have been...my son (30+) cracks up that Mom has snakes. I hope that having my snake around my school office helps both the kids and the moms understand that they're really ok...not all are 1) going to hurt you; 2) poisonous; 3) icky. It's great that hubby supports my hobby, and enjoys my "babies." I've got an '04 normal-normal (Legoless, whom we believe to be a male) and an '05 Okeetee female (Takala).

Enjoy!! Be safe and be caring....the rest will take care of itself!

I can't quite put my finger on the reason, but the above posts sticks out to me as a WONDERFUL reply.

And to address the quarantine issue, I have very specific protocol for new arrivals.

1) Check photos to make sure the animal is the same as requested.
2) Check animal for any immediate health issues. (This includes bad sheds, sores, mouth infections, etc.)
3) Check animal for mites and/or other parasites.
4) Treat the animal with Reptile Relief. (Just in case.)
5) Weigh and/or measure the animal.
6) Place animal inside Provent-A-Mite treated enclosure. (Newspaper substrate only.)

The best way (IMHO) to check for mites is to allow the snake to slither its way through a plain white paper towel. (Keep the towel tight around the snake and make sure the entire snake slithers through.) If the paper towel is covered with any black or red pin-sized specks, the snake has mites. And a good treatment of Reptile Relief is a solid idea. Personally, I treat ALL new animals with Reptile Relief. And I kill two birds with one stone by treating the paper towel with a heavy dose of Reptile Relief BEFORE the snake slithers through it. Just for fun.


Chris

 

[cka]

I can't quite put my finger on the reason, but the above posts sticks out to me as a WONDERFUL reply.

I agree Chris, I love to see positive responses, especially towards enthusiastic newbies. "Newbie" gets such a negative connotation around the 'net, but here in the herptile world, especially with corns snakes (hey i'm biased) the more we can get enthusiastic new keepers who want to learn all they can to join in, the better.

 

[corny_gurl333]

I love you guys!
I thought that was a really nice reply too, I added to her rep :wavey: I'm so glad I have so much support! And Rosebear, I wish my mom supported my idea. I don't know if she does yet. I'm still waiting for my first baby.
And as far as being interested in herps goes, I really really am. I know I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up, so I gotta take lots of science. But I also know that not a lot of vets around my area offer treatment for herps. I want to have my own practice and I want to be able to treat all my favorite unforry friends too! I love them! It's kinda funny, I used to be afraid of snakes.....I think it was because I didn't know about them...But now I'm totally fascinated.
Thanks for the quarantine routine! Where can I get reptile relief? I wanna tell my mom I know where to get mite medicine too! LOL!
Thanks for all the wonderful help!

 

[CJBianco]

I would check with any "reptile supply" (google keywords) store such as LLL Reptile, Big Apple Herpetological, or The Bean Farm. (There are a bazillion out there.)

And I suggest purchasing BOTH Reptile Relief and Provent-A-Mite. The Reptile Relief is used directly on the animal and kills bugs on contact. (Great stuff!) The Provent-A-Mite is used on the enclosure. (Great stuff, too!)

This combination is the ultimate in mite/tick protection. I received a mite infested snake once. I treated the animal and enclosure as soon as it arrived. Only two mites remained after the initial treatment of Reptile Relief. (The mites were hiding in the animal's nostrils, and I don't treat the head.) The next day the mites were all gone. Forever. (Of course, I still gave a follow up treatment of Reptile Relief three days later. Just in case.)

Good luck.

Oh! And I left positive feedback, too. =)

Chris