Enlarged heart carpet python

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Djbowker

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So I recently sold a snake to a mate, and upon inspection he found it had swelling up toward the top, when it twisted certain ways.
image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
Ive also inserted a normal photo of her.
She was fed about 4 days ago, and then put in a new hatchy rack with heat she hadn't had before.
 
I have a 2 year old Roughie with an enlarged heart (I've had her since a hatchling). The vet told me back then, it's just one of those things that you'll have to be mindful of, it could have no ill effects on her, shorten her live a little bit, or she could drop dead one day. He was more confident that nothing would come from it, but he had to tell me what possibly could happen.
 
I had a jungle shipped to me a few years ago from an APS sponsor, and when it arrived it had an enlarged heart. The breeder didn't notice before he sent it, but allowed me to send it back for another. Apparently another one of it's clutch mates had the same issue but it was picked up at hatching.
 
It can happen at any time.I had a 7yo mac that developed an enlarged heart directly after a first feed coming out of winter cooling.Have also heard of it happening with another couple of pythons of different species under the same circumstance as the mac.
 
It can happen at any time.I had a 7yo mac that developed an enlarged heart directly after a first feed coming out of winter cooling.Have also heard of it happening with another couple of pythons of different species under the same circumstance as the mac.

Yep had that happen to a adult coastal a couple of years ago. Took a couple of day to go back to normal, been fine ever since.
 
If she was born with it I would take it to the vet to see if it's life threatening


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My coastal has a swollen heart at the moment, costing a fortune in vet bills and he has no idea whats caused it yet.

Really sorry to hear yours didn't make it - did you get a post mortem done by any chance?
 
I have seen about fifteen pythons with an enlarged heart over the last ten years. It is a congenital form of cardiomyopathy I suspect and I hope to write a paper on the subject if I can get enough data and organise a respected anatomist to do the post mortems. Almost all the snakes I have seen were either Carpets or Diamond Pythons. All subjects encountered health problems at some stage - either poor growth, diminished appetite and lethargy all the way to anaemia , sudden death or renal failure. The problem is congenital and varies in severity. A firm swelling located about 1/3 of the way down the body is almost always an enlarged heart. Some cases displayed an obvious pulse over the swelling and detectable heart sounds with a stethoscope. Needle aspirates of blood are conclusive. No treatment is possible. Given the three chambered anatomy of the snake heart , the exact nature of the abnormality would be very interesting to investigate. Maybe someone has already done the research but information is hard to find.
 
I have seen about fifteen pythons with an enlarged heart over the last ten years. It is a congenital form of cardiomyopathy I suspect and I hope to write a paper on the subject if I can get enough data and organise a respected anatomist to do the post mortems. Almost all the snakes I have seen were either Carpets or Diamond Pythons. All subjects encountered health problems at some stage - either poor growth, diminished appetite and lethargy all the way to anaemia , sudden death or renal failure. The problem is congenital and varies in severity. A firm swelling located about 1/3 of the way down the body is almost always an enlarged heart. Some cases displayed an obvious pulse over the swelling and detectable heart sounds with a stethoscope. Needle aspirates of blood are conclusive. No treatment is possible. Given the three chambered anatomy of the snake heart , the exact nature of the abnormality would be very interesting to investigate. Maybe someone has already done the research but information is hard to find.

Hi bigg_bunny,

I know they may not be associated with what your inquiry indicates but here's links to a couple of articles on research of the expansion of snakes hearts by Leslie Leinwand that you might find interesting.

http://news.sciencemag.org/2011/10/incredibly-expanding-snake-heart

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/h...r-human-heart-health.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

BTW Diamonds are Carpets.

Cheers,

George.
 
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I've heard of it in a woma,
Apparently it happens after a feed when the heart is working most?
You should get in contact with David Evans.
 
This congenital cardiac problem is getting much more common with the increase in the pet reptile population. It occurs mainly in Carpets and Diamonds and will appear at virtually any age and cause a variety of symptoms. Unfortunately , when diagnosed in a hatchling or juvenile snake , early mortality often results. Sorry about the snake , but it is something all new snake buyers and breeders should be aware of.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the links GB . I`ll check them out.
 
and will appear at virtually any age and cause a variety of symptoms

I don't follow,I wrote earlier that I had it happen to a 7yo mac and it occurred directly after it's first feed after winter cooling.If it was a congenital defect then why would it take 7 years to show?
 
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