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  #16  
Old 15-Jun-07, 01:26 PM
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Yeah, the "Syndrome" exist's, it's just the cause that people urgue about.
  #17  
Old 15-Jun-07, 01:34 PM
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How could a head grow faster or slower than a body , LOL
  #18  
Old 15-Jun-07, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by hugsta View Post
What ever happened to just feeding your snakes. Now if you feed too much you get pin heads or, if you don't feed them anough you get bulk heads. So if you feed them the right amount you must get normal heads.......
I couldn't have said it better Hugsta!!!!!!

Simone.
  #19  
Old 15-Jun-07, 01:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonno from ERD View Post
G'day guys,

I have always been a bit of a skeptic when it comes to anything, which leads to me researching different ideas and theories that I come across.

The facts are there is NO proof that feeding less or more results in a change in shape to a snakes head, either larger or smaller. And just to throw a spanner in the works, there is also NO proof that "Diamond Python Syndrome" exists...

Cheers

Jonno
Jonno, i can guarantee that Diamond Python Syndrome does exist. After speaking to two different vets, one of the vets believed it was because alot of people do not feed them regularly enough, another said it was due to so many people feeding them day old chicks that severely lack the calcium in their bones that rodents/mamals provide. This causes the bones to become brittle, in which the skull then puts pressure on the brain causing the neurological symptoms.
A couple of Diamond Python keepers i know of have kept their Diamonds in an environment so close to their natural habitat it's not funny. And STILL they have had animals die from it.
Some say it's due to not enough climbing matter in their cages so therefore they lose muscle condition causing the syndrome- The animals i know of had plenty of climbing furniture.
*Animals not being wormed- the animals don't have worms.
*Not enough calcium or natural sunlight in their diets- these animals have many hiding places but their enclosure also faces the northern sun and often bask. They are far down the south coast and the temps are perfect.
The euthanased animals had tests done for viruses- the animals had NO viruses, no nothing except shrivelled internal organs and a broken spine in more than 2 places. This keepers could not do enough for their diamond pythons and still they have gotten it. Perhaps they get something we do not know about from the food they would normally receive out in the wild. The fact is Diamond Pythons are far harder to keep and probably should be kept on Class 2. Not enough study has been done on these animals to understand why they end up with these symptoms. I am convinced from what i have witnessed that it well and truly exists.

Simone.
  #20  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:02 PM
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Originally Posted by johnbowemonie View Post
Jonno, i can guarantee that Diamond Python Syndrome does exist. After speaking to two different vets, one of the vets believed it was because alot of people do not feed them regularly enough, another said it was due to so many people feeding them day old chicks that severely lack the calcium in their bones that rodents/mamals provide. This causes the bones to become brittle, in which the skull then puts pressure on the brain causing the neurological symptoms.
A couple of Diamond Python keepers i know of have kept their Diamonds in an environment so close to their natural habitat it's not funny. And STILL they have had animals die from it.
Some say it's due to not enough climbing matter in their cages so therefore they lose muscle condition causing the syndrome- The animals i know of had plenty of climbing furniture.
*Animals not being wormed- the animals don't have worms.
*Not enough calcium or natural sunlight in their diets- these animals have many hiding places but their enclosure also faces the northern sun and often bask. They are far down the south coast and the temps are perfect.
The euthanased animals had tests done for viruses- the animals had NO viruses, no nothing except shrivelled internal organs and a broken spine in more than 2 places. This keepers could not do enough for their diamond pythons and still they have gotten it. Perhaps they get something we do not know about from the food they would normally receive out in the wild. The fact is Diamond Pythons are far harder to keep and probably should be kept on Class 2. Not enough study has been done on these animals to understand why they end up with these symptoms. I am convinced from what i have witnessed that it well and truly exists.

Simone.

Yet so many people recommend them as ideal first snakes. Go figure.
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  #21  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:18 PM
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I think they're on Class 1 here in NSW because 1. It's where they are located in the wild and 2. because we have so many on paper.
They are a fantastic animal, but unfortunately those people who recommend them for a first snake usually don't have Diamonds over the 7 years of age mark. I'm sure those that do would not recommend them for a first snake.

Simone.
  #22  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnbowemonie View Post
Jonno, i can guarantee that Diamond Python Syndrome does exist. After speaking to two different vets, one of the vets believed it was because alot of people do not feed them regularly enough, another said it was due to so many people feeding them day old chicks that severely lack the calcium in their bones that rodents/mamals provide. This causes the bones to become brittle, in which the skull then puts pressure on the brain causing the neurological symptoms.
A couple of Diamond Python keepers i know of have kept their Diamonds in an environment so close to their natural habitat it's not funny. And STILL they have had animals die from it.
Some say it's due to not enough climbing matter in their cages so therefore they lose muscle condition causing the syndrome- The animals i know of had plenty of climbing furniture.
*Animals not being wormed- the animals don't have worms.
*Not enough calcium or natural sunlight in their diets- these animals have many hiding places but their enclosure also faces the northern sun and often bask. They are far down the south coast and the temps are perfect.
The euthanased animals had tests done for viruses- the animals had NO viruses, no nothing except shrivelled internal organs and a broken spine in more than 2 places. This keepers could not do enough for their diamond pythons and still they have gotten it. Perhaps they get something we do not know about from the food they would normally receive out in the wild. The fact is Diamond Pythons are far harder to keep and probably should be kept on Class 2. Not enough study has been done on these animals to understand why they end up with these symptoms. I am convinced from what i have witnessed that it well and truly exists.

Simone.
There are a few questions remaining in this story:

1: Did the owners have the diamonds from hatchy?
2: Were the diamonds bred? and at what age?
3: Were the diamonds cooled every season and from when?
4: How fast did they grow in the early stages of their life?
5: What was the overall body condition of the pythons before their health turned (i.e. were they over or under weight)?
6: Were they brought inside over summer to avoid the high temps?

I'd agree with Diamonds being moved to class 2 as I would say they are harder to care for then your average python for a beginner keeper. This is compounded by inexperienced vets and keepers disseminating the theory that diamonds should be kept like any other carpet.
  #23  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:44 PM
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ummm sorry to burst the bubble but my house mates olive definately has the pinhead thing goin on.... ill try find some pics of him when i get home.... she grossly overfed him when he was a baby (was her first snake)...although now he has been on a very strict diet (hes almost 3) and has lost a few hundred grams over the last year and is slowly starting to look better.....
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[CENTER][SIZE=1]7 x Coastal, 2 x Bredli, 1 x MD, 2 x Jungle, 1 x Darwin, 1 x Water Python, 1 x Woma, 1 x Intergrade + numerous on order......[/SIZE][/CENTER]
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  #24  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:46 PM
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Sounds like it might just have a fat body compared to its normal sized head, giving the illusion it had a "pin head".
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  #25  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Australis View Post
Sounds like it might just have a fat body compared to its normal sized head, giving the illusion it had a "pin head".
  #26  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:50 PM
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Sounds like it might just have a fat body compared to its normal sized head, giving the illusion it had a "pin head".
I was under the impression that that was exactly what pinhead syndrome was
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  #27  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Tsidasa View Post
I was under the impression that that was exactly what pinhead syndrome was
Maybe it should be called "Fat body syndrome"
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[9:34:59] dpeica: if snakes were meant to be held they'd have handles.
  #28  
Old 15-Jun-07, 02:58 PM
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i was under the impression that pinhead syndrome was caused by overfeeding allowing the body of the smake to grow really quicky and the skull not being able to keep up.
this seems a little odd to me, but i do have a very vague recolection form a zoology lecture a few years ago about how there are different types of bones in animals that are produced in different ways, so it might be plausible that the skull bones are of one type and the body of a different type allowing for different growth rates.

but, having said that i would think it more likely that pinhead syndrome is just that the head looks small compared with the over-fed (obese) snake.
  #29  
Old 15-Jun-07, 03:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tsidasa View Post
I was under the impression that that was exactly what pinhead syndrome was
yeah same here
__________________
[CENTER][I][I][B]Go take a step outside and see what's shaking in the real world...[/B] [/I][/I][/CENTER]
[CENTER][SIZE=1]Over the 'Coastals are ugly, lets feed them to BHPs' thing.[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[CENTER][SIZE=1]7 x Coastal, 2 x Bredli, 1 x MD, 2 x Jungle, 1 x Darwin, 1 x Water Python, 1 x Woma, 1 x Intergrade + numerous on order......[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[CENTER][URL="http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z70/swingonthespiral_album/"][SIZE=1]http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z70/swingonthespiral_album/[/SIZE][/URL][/CENTER]
  #30  
Old 15-Jun-07, 03:07 PM
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The fact is Diamond Pythons are far harder to keep and probably should be kept on Class 2..

what a load of rubbish , diamonds have a slightly different keeping requirments nothing hard about it , just dont treat them like you would most other pythons , as for DPS you can say the same for any python that dies unxplained , GTPS or BHPS , im sure there are plenty of deaths every year , i had one last year it was a spotted so i guess it had SPS..hehe....
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