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Curious about Kings

Oren is correct- I would never refeed a skipped meal from a snake who is in isolation. I quarantine for a minimum of six months. I only refeed to Janine, not the whole collection, and only from snakes who are long-term residents, unquarantined.
 
Nanci said:
Oren is correct- I would never refeed a skipped meal from a snake who is in isolation. I quarantine for a minimum of six months. I only refeed to Janine, not the whole collection, and only from snakes who are long-term residents, unquarantined.
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Ok great, thanks
 
Nanci said:
Oren is correct- I would never refeed a skipped meal from a snake who is in isolation. I quarantine for a minimum of six months. I only refeed to Janine, not the whole collection, and only from snakes who are long-term residents, unquarantined.
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This happened with quarantined animals.
I'm not trying to be stubborn here... I learned first hand what Crypto is capable of, and how easily it can be transferred(ever washed two water dishes at the same time?)
And a snake can be a carrier for years upon years and you'll be none-the-wiser.

I lost snakes that I deeply cared for, it was a financial "hit" and a much deeper emotionally painful experience. I wouldn't wish it to anyone.

I throw anything that is not eaten- if it touched the snake/substrate/tub, off it goes to the bin.
 
If the animals already weren't in quarantine, wouldn't they have had a pretty good shot of getting the illness regardless of if a meal was shared?
Just wondering out of curiousity.

It was something I have heard of many breeders doing, on this and other forums so it's definitely not an uncommon practice - but I don't know much about it!
I just kind of threw that point out there for the OP, as an example of what kind of reputations King's have as good eaters :p
 
NH93 said:
If the animals already weren't in quarantine, wouldn't they have had a pretty good shot of getting the illness regardless of if a meal was shared?
Just wondering out of curiousity.

It was something I have heard of many breeders doing, on this and other forums so it's definitely not an uncommon practice - but I don't know much about it!
I just kind of threw that point out there for the OP, as an example of what kind of reputations King's have as good eaters :p
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Quarantine isn't effective means to prevent Crypto- occysts can survive up to 8 months on dry surfaces(they thrive in water), they are resiliant to extreme cold, and up to 50 C degrees or so, very resiliant to Chlorine, bleach and so on...
So... unless you use single use gloves to handle every animal when cleaning fecal matter( I do), and clean every water dish seperately and never with the same... which is a very strict regiment, then you could have potentially spread the parasite.

The problem is that it won't neccessarily "show itself" within a 6 months time period... so all animals are always potential carriers... so the best thing to do would be to adopt the practices I suggested.

I know, they are strict... but I promise you, all it takes is one mistake like I did, and you'll be seriously cursing yourselves.
 
That is really terrible, and I am so sorry for your loss.

But that is what I mean, is that it is still quite possible and even probably that your snakes unfortunately would have caught (or already had) the disease without sharing food. Or at least that is my understanding from what you are saying, and what I have read about Crypto...
Not that I disagree with you! I am just suggesting that sharing a food item - whether an agreeable practice or not by the owner - might not be the likely cause for infection, seeing as other animals got the illness and did not share said food item...

But I digress!
 
NH93 said:
That is really terrible, and I am so sorry for your loss.

But that is what I mean, is that it is still quite possible and even probably that your snakes unfortunately would have caught (or already had) the disease without sharing food. Or at least that is my understanding from what you are saying, and what I have read about Crypto...
Not that I disagree with you! I am just suggesting that sharing a food item - whether an agreeable practice or not by the owner - might not be the likely cause for infection, seeing as other animals got the illness and did not share said food item...

But I digress!
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Well, not quite... I mean, I don't know the means of transmission to every single infected animal. Moving food items is just another means of transmission, and you do it over several instances... it can lead to infection, especially since the item is ingested.

It boils down to risk management, and I think the benefits are not significant enough(1-3 mice every week-two) to warrant the risk.

Boils down to personal choice, as always. Sharing food is definitely a way to pass the parasite along since it's on a substrate at first, which will have occysts if the snake is a carrier, and then ingested by another snake... that's a fool-proof way to get the other snake infected.

I WILL say though that I have a pet theory about Kings being highly resilient to Crypto since they evolved into being snake eaters... it is not very likely that they would have survived without developing some form of tolerance... but it's just a theory.
 
Kokopelli said:
Very painful lesson I learned by having 85% of my collection decimated 2 years ago- this is a very good way to spread Crypto, I -really- recommend against the practice.
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That is good to know, and I am so sorry you lost some of your snakes. I have a question, though, did you lose 85% of ALL your snakes or 8.5% total? Did you mean 85% were "destroyed" by Crypto? If so, that REALLY sucks, I am hoping you only lost 8.5% A good lesson either way, and I am sorry for your loss.
 
1 passed away leading to the initial necropsy, and the rest of the collection was tested.
10 were positive and euthanized )3 reloacted to a "safe-house" not under my care), and only 3 were not carriers and stayed with me.
 
Oh, that really sucks. I was hoping they were only decimated and not destroyed, but you lost so many. I am so sorry.
 
Thank you for all your advise.

Kokopelli, so sorry for your loss! I could never imagine :(

Beautiful pictures as well thank you all for sharing. We'll have to see what the next reptile show holds. I was considering a corn...but if the right King presents themselves...I will have to consider
 
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