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dellywatts

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I will start from the beginning. My friends jungle python (it's only about 10 months old) ate about 7 weeks ago and then was refusing feeds. They found a lump just above his bum and they took him to the vet and the vet was gonna do test etc in the next visit. Before the next visit they had the snake outside and the lump came out as a hard bit of poo then a heap of greenish coloured liquid just poured out.
He then ate 2 days later.
Today my friend called me in tears and highly upset. She took her jungle python outside and then all of a sudden it started swaying in the air with it's mouth wide open. It's eyes went white and cloudy. Like in a coma state. It then started convolsing and gasping for air. Then it went completely limp. They thought it was dead! Then 2 hours later it was back to normal.

Is this the O..(can't remember what it's called)? Or is it something to do with the poo being stuck for so long? Help please!

I am also really stressed because my snake was over at their house for a couple of weeks when i went on holidays. It was being kept in an enclosure above their snakes. They also have a 5 year old beloved snake being kept near by what are the chances of my snake getting/having this?

The place that they got it from (a certain place in Preston which i won't name) has been closed for over a month due to renovations, i find this very sus, it's the only place their snake could have gotten this from.
 
Tell them to get it to a vet asap and give them a full history of what happened. Take a poo sample with them. Unfortunately the only way OPMV can be diagnosed is post mortem. Keep your snake in quarantine and make sure you use really good infection control measures. Good luck. Dont panic just yet and try to read up as much as possible on good quarantine measures.
 
that's my first guess. I am beside myself with worry, not only for my friends snake but also for my boy!
We clean our enclosure with F10 also. What are the chances of my snake having this? Do the snakes normally become fine again like my friends is now? I'm just so upset :cry:
 
Thats the biggest problem with OPMV they arent sure what the method of transmission is. As I said dont panic just yet. Keep a close eye on your boy and note any changes in behaviour. you wont be able to have any idea until your friends snake has been diagnosed. It could have been some kind of infection from the unexpelled faeces. Im not an expert but strongly recomend they get to a vet asap so you can all know whats going on.
 
I'm so sorry, this must be stressful.

If i was you i would try to keep stressful digestion' to a minimum (as in not the bits that get discarded - fur ect) and if the episode happens again video it to show the vet for better analysis.

Until a definite diagnosis I would just tread carefully.
 
I may be way off line here but is it possible that the food was contaminated with either poision or frozen and thawed and then refrozen? A similar thing happened in victoria to a friend of ours and it turned out the rodent that was fed had been wild caught :/
Odie
 
Thankyou all for your replies. It is a great help to have support even if it is for me to just get it all off my chest.
It's not likely that the food was off.
They are taking him to the vet asap which will be tomorrow but if they are closed for long weekend maybe monday.
I'm am hoping like crazy that it is just from the poo staying in their too long.
 
Sounds like a toxin in the cage, do they clean with bleach? undiluted bleach can cause these type of neurological type behaviour. if it was OpMV he'd be dead now more likely than not.
Good luck, and fingers crossed for oyu.
mwah.
sil
 
Thankyou pythoness for your well wishes.

I was wondering the same thing. If it were opmv wouldn't he be dead by now. It was like he had a fit, went limp and is now back to normal.
Oh and they (and myself) use f10 for cleaning.
 
What you describe that happened to the jungle, impaction and all, is similar to a diamond python we had that we got euthanised about 4 months ago and post-mortemed...it came back positive for OPMV.

One of the pythons in the bank of cages next to that snake also got the virus.

IF it is OPMV:
There is not enough known about OPMV transmission for you to ever be sure if your snake will get sick or not, that is if the jungle has it. Being in the same room, in a cage above it though would give it a good chance if hands weren't washed in between snakes, changing water bowls, different hooks or feeding tongs used.

Basically, these days you can't leave a snake with people or take your snake to others place, or have a snake come to your place for these reasons. This is also why breeding loans are a bad idea.

The rule of thumb with quarantine is if your snake has been in contact with any others, you quarantine it away from everything else for 12 months. If you get a new addition to your collection, you quarantine it for 12 months in a separate area to the rest of your collection.

People say that 12 months is extreme - well, we wish we had quarantined for that period of time, as the OPMV took 10 months to show up in our snake and we had only quarantined for 6 months.

I hope that it's not OPMV, but really the only way you will know is if your friends get the jungle euthed, then post-mortemed. This can be costly but is worth it for either peace of mind, or for your new plan of action. Even if their snake has OPMV this does not mean that yours will get sick, but you know the possibility is there. Unfortunately OPMV can take its sweet time to show up too, and there are no tests that can be done on live snakes. Also OPMV can take a long time to kill a snake. We have a snake still alive that has had the virus for 3 months now, it is definately OPMV but she's holding on.

If I were you, I would be treating your snake as a possible infected snake and keeping it away from anything other snakes for 12 months.

Another thing it can be is sometimes an impaction can cause internal damage which will cause an infection of sorts and can show some of what you are describing. Your friends really need to get their snake to a herp vet and this will really help you both to know a bit more of what's going on. The vet could also fix it up if it's just a non-infectious problem.

I hope that it gets sorted out.
 
In the Australian reptile mag is a vet in Vic i think his name is cameron he is supposed to be the best down there give hima ring
Mick
 
Is he in Warrenwood? They are taking him to the vet that specialises in reptiles tomorrow. I think it is the best one in Melb
 
I have just been reading up on OMPV and I don't want to jump the gun but it seems like the most suited explaination :cry: The worst thing is that there in no way of telling if my boy has it or not.
If it is OMPV then I have to worry about all of the people who bought snakes from this reptile place because at the moment it is closed and that is the likely source of the virus.
 
Shane SImpson at Karingal vet Hospital is a very good herp vet, well worth seeing good guy and very helpful.
 
Dellywatts, remember the incubation period is up to 12mths maybe more so dont jump the gun and try and work out the source of infection, you probably will never work it out. Just remember that if it is it doesnt mean that your boy definately has it, you wont know that for 12mth if it is opmv. Wait to hear what happens with your friends snake. I know its hard we all want our animals to be happy and healthy but you stressing is not going to do him or you any good. Nome is a good person to get info frpm about quarantene and opmv therough her personal experience, she is always willing to give advice if she can.
 
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