Please help!!

[Pyro]

Its not my fault i cant take him to the vet, ive begged my mom over and over again but she doesnt want to spend the money!, I'm 12 how do you expect me to get it? i dont even get a freakin alowence! Ive been aplying antibactireal soap and neosporin to it every day I'm doing everything I can!!!!!!

 

[bmm]

You SHOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN A SNAKE IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU COULDN'T AFFORD VET CARE.

Please please please tell your Mother to come read this. Since you are 12 I can't imagine her allowing you on the internet unsupervised anyway, so tell her to come read what everyone says.

To Pyro Mom- If you cannot be a responsible adult and take this snake to the vet you are commited animal cruelty. ALL pets have the right to medical care and if you knowingly ignore this and do not give the snake the care it needs you are not only morally wrong but criminally liable in some states/areas.

The fact you have purchased a snake for your 12 year old son and refuse to take it to the vet proves you are the kind of person most people can't stand. Uneducated about an animal YOU purchased AND cheap. What a wonderful example you are giving to your child. Kudos to you for raising another little kid to be an animal abuser because he wasn't getting the proper example.

Pyro- I believe you that you cannot afford a vet. But please tell your Mother to read the posts and if she STILL refuses then you should give this snake to someone who can afford it and care for it right.

bmm
P.S. PYRO are you feeding this snake live mice?

 

[snakeladyamy]

give him a break...

I didn't really want to say anything and get into the debate, but I think the kid needs a little credit. He has asked for our help, and I admire the fact that I have seen him on several other posts trying to research what is best for his pet. He is young, but still has taken the time to seek help and try to be a responsible pet owner. I work with children, and very few that I know would have invested this much time and effort into owning a pet. It is obviously a labor of love and not just an interesting novelty to him.
I think that a lot of us forget sometimes what it is like to be a kid with a first-time pet. Unfortunately, parents often allow their children to own pets although the child might not be independently able to take care of it. In addition, many people have fears or beliefs about certain animals (often reptiles) that you and I would obviously believe to be ignorant or misinformed. I don't believe that children should be held completely accountable for this when they may not have the capacity to understand this responsibility going into it. I'm sure that he believed that if something happened to his snake, his parents would help him out... I don't think that should be held against him.
On the other hand, by him deciding to own the pet, he SHOULD take the responsibility to care for it. I think he is probably scared and it sounds like he is doing all that he THINKS he can. Maybe we should HELP HIM find a way to help his snake- not add more to his stress and worry- he is, after all, a child, and may not know what else he can do in this situation. We’ve all been ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place’ before in our lives. If we help him, he’ll know what to do next time, rather than telling him to just give the animal (whom he obviously cares greatly about, considering the fact that he took the time to even seek help in the first place) away.

 

[snakeladyamy]

I wanted to offer some advice about raising some money to take him to a vet- It may seem impossible to raise 50-75$ or more, but it is important. Try going to the neighbors or anyone you know and asking if you can mow the lawn, rake, or do any odd jobs that they might need help with. Also, your parents might be willing to give you some $ in leiu of doing extra chores around the house. I think you are old enough even, that you might be able to get a paper route in the morning. It will be a lot of work no matter what, but Pyro is worth it, right? If you show the initiative in raising as much $ as possible, your mom may even decide to help with some of the $$ or at least take you down to the vet.
Another thing that would be worth a try is to find a reptile vet and to call and explain your situation to them. Maybe they would let you pay a little at a time, and they MIGHT be willing to discount your visit if they can. I think you will find you feel much better if you work to find solutions rather than worrying about the problems you face.

PS- Alienating his mother by saying cruel things about her and her beliefs/ morals will not solve the problem. it will probably just make her wonder why he was allowed to get the snake in the first place, and further her negative feelings towards reptiles.

i think we all want people to understand our feelings about why snakes are wonderful pets and creatures in general. I feel that using the militant approach, however, just makes people feel even more justified with their anti- reptile beliefs.
This of course is my humble opinion.

 

[bmm]

snakeladyamy Yes I agree he asked for help but when people tell him "GO TO A VET!" becuse thats the only help we can give, and he says he can't take it here, well guess what...someone who can needs to own the snake.

And I said nothing CRUEL! I told the truth. I am not going to sugar coat the FACT that animal cruelty IS criminal. Sorry. You obviously are willing to sugar coat but I am not. I CLEARLY told him I don't think HE is at fault but his mother.

There is no anti reptile beliefe here. I have no idea how you even got that from any message. The problem is an adult letting their child have a pet that they won't care for. the parent has a responsibility to the pet. Its not his fault its his mothers. I only hope she will read the posts and realize what a jerk she is being and how terrible it must be for him to watch his snake get ignored and NOT recieve the attention it needs.


"stuck between a rock and a hard place’ before in our lives" Um well no not when it comes to animals. They are not supposed to suffer human ignorance. (Not from the kid, his mother) I have never been stuck between a rock and a hard place’ before with ANY of my pets because I don't buy what I cannot afford. Period. I understand he is a child but what needs to be done is the snake needs a vet. And his mother needs to read this info herself instead of letting her kid do it.

I am sure Pyro feels the same way about his Moms refusal to take it to a vet, and I am sure Pyro knows his mother is in the wrong.

bmm

 

[Chip]

ALRIGHT!!!

Listen.

Bmm, you are one of my fave posters on this board, I mean no disrespect. But statements such as "If you cannot be a responsible adult ," "you are the kind of person most people can't stand," and "What a wonderful example you are giving to your child. Kudos to you for raising another little kid to be an animal abuser because he wasn't getting the proper example. " were sarcastic and very unlikely to provoke thoughtfullness if she were to actually read your post. I am your biggest defender when it comes to what should be done in the case of this poor snake. But Darlin', you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Try to think out what you post and consciously put it in such a way that will help others' attitudes, not stir up anger.

Snakeladyamy, I appreciate your point. But less so than bmm's. This is an animals' well-being we're talking about here... it has NO control of it's situation. The keeper (and parent), knowingly or not, signed up for it when they bought the snake. I DO acknowledge Pyro's attempts to find help and respect his young interest in herping. He will likely grow to be a responsible adult with an interst and love for nature and teach many other's that passion over his course of life. But the bottom line is: IT NEEDS TO SEE A VET!!!

Pyro, PM me and I'll give you my home phone number. I'll pay for your vet visit. I will only send the check to the vet him/her self after speaking with them and, obviously, follow-ups, etc are on you. If you coined your "handle" after your only corn, it must mean something to you.

 

[Craz82]

Bmm,

i jus wan to state what i feel... i dun say u r wrong.... and i understand tat u r very strongly against animal cruelty which many of us are... and we also believe in providing full responsiblilty to owning a pet whether it's a snake or a dog...

but i find tat u r only circling around ur world.. i dun realli noe how to explain this in words... i hope u noe what i mean....

many ppl are ignorant of reptiles.... like wat Pyro said, his mum thinks tat the snake is a disposable pet.... tat's why when she allows Pyro to get the snake..is like getting for him a hamster...which many ppl takes care of it, but if it dies, let it be... jus get another one... tat's what non-pet lovers thinks... moreover pet snakes are not as popular to many ppl as an ideal pet compare to dogs.....

and i jus feel tat u r causing more stress for Pyro, we all noe he desperately need help... simply by throwing the facts to his mother will only makes her think tat these ppl in this forum are freaks....

like i said, u r not wrong... u love each an every snakes, that's why it makes u piss off by wat Pyro's mum thinks....

wat i wan to say to Pyro's mum is tat,

Please spare a thought for ur child's pet whom he has showered so much love n effort in taking care of him... just take the pet to visit a vet.... i may not be convincing but i believe u can see tat everyone of us in this forum is trying to help him... and everyone agrees tat Pyro's snake need professional medical attention....
i hope u can just spare an amount of money for the pet.... i won't say much... i just hope u can help.... thanx....

Bmm, please pardon me.... i'm jus stating wat i feel....

 

[bmm]

Well I give up.

I post truth.
I do NOT sugar coat.
I do NOT personally attack. (If she was a responsible adult this would not be happening. Period. Its not that hard a thing to understand. I called her on her actions and I hope she reads it. Oh yeah and I called her "cheap")
I do not forgive stupidity so I can seem nice.

Yep you are right Elrojo you DO catch more flies with vinager and I know that saying but when for ONCE will the fly catching get to stop if you know what I mean? People have been "nice" to animal abusers and neglectors for years trying to teach them, write them nice cozy messages on the internet, explain things 50 times in a smiley face way so everyone understands, etc. And guess what? Its not working. It didn't work then and its obviously not working now. Maybe its time to stop letting people act like jerks just so we don't offend someone and START telling people to STOP being cruel to animals. There is simply NO excuse.

"but i find tat u r only circling around ur world" My world consists of trying to teach people proper husbandry for colubrids and taking care of my family. I find it hard to believe that anyone has a "world" that doesn't understand simple care procedures for simple animals. Corns are the most hardy snakes around! Not that I am insulting you, but you are darn right I am insulting this woman. Not the kid. His mother. A 12 year old shouldn't be typing to a bunch of adults on the internet anyways while also advertising his age. That is like child internet safety rule #1. So I HOPE she does read all my posts. Insults, facts, and kid safety measures. I believe that young Pyro agrees with ME in his heart and knows his Mother is wrong. I understand he cannot change his mothers mind, that I explained clearly to him. It shows he DOES care because he knows his Mother should be taking this snake to the vet as he cannot afford it being 12.

I know I go overboard but the amount of sugar coating, fakeness and other things on this board and the internet in general disgusts me. And I believe it only makes people feel things are less serious than they are. When someone says "well honey take it to the vet" it sounds like a suggestion. There is no room for partial suggestions in animal husbandry. You either get the facts or you dont. If my way or presenting facts bothers some of you, well I am sorry. But I won't make someone feel better or make light of a bad situation when its obvious a snake has been badly burnt or chewed on by a live mouse.

I am a very nice person, but I am also not a fake person and I will NOT pretend things are on a friendly basis when a snake is sitting in someones house with a potentially infected wound and won't be seeing a vet in this lifetime apparently. I told him the facts AND found him vets and gave him links. Which if you will remember was the original reason he couldn't take the snake "i cant take him to the vet is because there arent any reptile vets anywere near i live"

I will not be posting in this thread anymore. But I certainly won't change my style of *fact* giving in the least. It seems to work for the majority of people on the forums I frequent. aside from this one.



bmm

 

[bmm]

oH btw For the sake of peace I agree my posting should stop in this thread and then some of you can concentrate on the issue> good luck

bmm
ps PYRO I think you are doing the right thing coming here and i think you are mature enough to know your mom is in the wrong here so take the advice you have been given so far and keep working on your mother.

 

[Taceas]

Re:

Ok..gonna keep my mouth shut about the spat earlier and comment on the post...

I've never seen a reptile burn first hand, but to me, it looks like dehydration. My baby BP looked like that before I had him euthanized. I can't really see any burn marks, it just looks all shriveled up to me.

In any case, I understand that you're young and that your mother doesn't think snake's are pets worth a vet visit for. Trust me, I had a mother like that too. But sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take it to any vet that you can regardless. Ask them if you can help out around the business in your off time to pay back what was owed, I've done that a time or two.

We applaud you coming here and asking for help, and it truly shows you care about your pet, and in this instance, a little bit more mature than some people. But it's time to go to that next step and step out on a limb, and show your mother what a true pet owner is. Someone who doesn't let their pet suffer, and doesn't uphold the disposable pet theory.

You are the next generation of herper, make us proud. (Yes, I know it sounds like an Army of One commercial).

Best of luck to you and Pyro.

 

[CornCrazy]

OK, OK...I know I started this whole thing...

First of all, I didn't know you were only 12, Pyro. I never intended for you to feel attacked. Please understand that situations like this are very frustrating to herp lovers. We want to do what's best for our animals and it makes us angry...yes angry...when we see an animal suffering due to human "ignorance." Now please remember that ignorance is not the same as stupidity. It simply means lack of knowledge. I am not meaning my comment as an insult.

I honestly believe that you are wanting to do what's best for your snake. I am glad that you chose to come to this board for advise, and after this is all over I hope you will continue coming here for advice. I am glad to hear that you have been keeping the wound clean and treating it with neosporin, at least. Does it seem to be getting any better?

I believe that there are things which a 12 year old can do in order to earn some money. A previous post listed some things like mowing your neighbors yard, taking out their trash, etc. Those are good suggestions. I have another suggestion, too. Talk to your mom, and explain how important your snake is to you. Let her know that Pyro is NOT a disposable pet to you, and that you want to be responsible and take proper care of him. See if she will let you do EXTRA chores (above and beyond your regular chores) in order to earn the money to see the vet. SHOW your mom that you really DO want to be responsible and maybe she will be more willing to spend the money for the vet.

Good luck and I hope you are able to convince your mom to take your pet to the vet!

 

[Drizzt80]

Reality vs. Perfect World

I was going to refrain from posting to this thread, but couldn't stop thinking about some of the comments that have been made. First of all, I want to preface my comments with the fact that I have been an educator for 9 years teaching 12-14 year old children.

1. One, I think the opposite of teaching about reptile responsibility has been done here in this post. An average 12 year old child cannot/will not follow a lot of the arguements made in this thread. Their minds work very strictly in black and white, and very few middle school kids see things as shades of gray.

2. Children are a product of their parents, period. Very rarely does a child of 12 sway from their parents views and beliefs on life. They must become critical thinkers around the age of 16 and up to develop their own opinions etc.

What does this mean to this thread? Well, everyone who's posted so far is thinking of the health of the snake, that's great. Immediate response on this board is always 'take it to a vet'. I will argue this later. Here we have a 12 year old kid whose mother thinks snakes are expendable. This kid came to this board looking for help, and was basically attacked!! "I didn't attack the kid, just his mother." SAME DIFFERENCE!!! I don't care if my mom is wrong or right, but publically I'd defend her from attack, and be turned off to anything another person would have to say. Period. The reality of this post is the potential to have turned OFF a young mind to this hobby. Some of you would probably say 'great, we got rid of another animal abuser!' Wrong! This kid came to the board against his mother's opinions to seek help, and again was attacked. Bad business.

As for the health of the snake. Kneejerk reaction on this board is to take it to a vet. I don't necessarily agree with this all the time. (Did he just say that! ) Yes I did. The reality of the world (I've worked in the pet trade for going on 10 years as well) is that most people view ALL pets as expendable, not just snakes. Regardless of the pet store you go into, you have 80% of the customers wanting the cheapest method to house/care for/keep these animals. Can you refuse to sell to them? Sure, if you want to go out of business. Have I refused service to some customers, yes. The others though, you have to do your best to convince them the right thing to do. Sugar coating is just fine with me if you want to call it that, but I prefer to call it manipulation. So what does this have to do with a vet? I don't think you need to take an animal to a vet for every conceivable problem. Do you run yourself to the emergency room for every nick and scrape and bruise? NO. Vets are animal doctors. Checkups and emergencies. Who am I to determine what warrants an emergency? The same person who decides if my own injury warrants a trip to the hospital, that's who.

In conclusion, Pyro came to this board looking to help his snake. He was basically attacked, and possibly turned off to the excellent pot of knowledge available at this site. I owe a lot to the information given at this site, and look forward to learning more. I, on the other hand, can intellectually wade through the opinions and arguements to get to the knowledge I am looking for. Pyro, more than likely, can not, and should be given the best information we can to help the snake.

I'll get off the soap box now.
D80

 

[snakeladyamy]

I agree completely with what Drizz said about children and their parents- that is exactly why I felt it important to post what I did earlier. Also, corn crazy’s suggestions about making money to take the snake to the vet are good as well. If the mom sees how much he cares about his snake, perhaps her views on snakes will change.

Pyro- I spoke to my aunt and uncle who own a vet clinic, and they had some suggestions about getting vet care for the snake. First of all, you should call or bring the snake down to find how much it will cost for an exam. My aunt said they charge 35$ (in Montana) and the vets out here charge about 50$ (in California) when you go in for the exam, the vet can write you a quote on how much further care will cost.
They also recommended to ask the vet if you could work at the clinic (cleaning kennels, bathrooms, doing odd jobs) to work off the cost.
Another suggestion that they had was to see if the local chapter of the animal rescue or your local herpetological society has a fund at all for injured animals. They said that often there is money available for animal rescue and assistance for those who can’t afford it.

Please write us all and tell us how Pyro is doing!

 

[Pyro]

Bmm, thanks for the links, We take all of our cats and dogs to southside, i asked my mom if they knew anything about reptiles and she said that they didnt know much, Anyways I'm goin to keep treating it with neosporin and antibactirial soap, it seems to have some effect at least, and I'm going to keep Trying to get him to the vet.

 

[bobknaptor]

This thread got pretty ugly there for a while. I just feel like I have to weigh in here for a second on something that not one single person has brought up, and that's that none of us know if there are more reasons for Pyro's mom refusing to take a pet to the vet than just ignorance or the "disposable pet" philosophy. It is possible that SHE cannot afford the visit any more than her child. This does NOT make her irresponsible. I was raised by a single mom who worked as a waitress and we barely made ends meet. We still had cats. It didn't make my mom a bad person for allowing me to have a pet when she probably couldn't have afforded a vet trip.

When it comes to pets, I absolutely agree if you cannot afford proper treatment for them, you shouldn't get them. However, things happen in life that we can't always foresee. I'm a responsible adult, and I own my own business. But there have been times when business is slow and I couldn't have afforded a vet, and I am just very thankful that none of my pets got sick at that time. This does not mean that I don't want the best for my animals. In fact, even when I'm broke, my animals still get the same high quality food I feed them when I am feeling flush. I will eat top ramen before my pets suffer my slow business months. However, I don't have children. If I did, I know for a fact that my priorities would be = Child, pets, me. Sometimes you put all your priorities in order, and you just can't make the money spread as far as you'd like. It happens. It sucks. And you do your best to make it go as far as possible.

That being said, I hope that Pyro is able to find some ways around the financial problems of a vet visit. There have been some excellent suggestions about how to raise the money, get financial help, and I even read one incredibly kind post of an offer to pay for the vet visit by one of our posters. This is the type of information that will help pyro become a responsible pet owner. Attacking a woman none of us have ever met that I am sure Pyro loves very much is not. No matter how upset I have ever been at my family, if anyone else says bad things about them, I would be angry with them. it's just the way it is with family. You do what you can, and Pyro is doing his best.

Pyro, I hope that your snake gets better, and that you are able to take him to the vet. Whether he gets to the vet or not, I hope that he gets better very soon.

 

[Adam8]

WELL SAID!!!