I am wondering what the protocol would be to establish a known fresh wild caught chondro. How long in captivity would be required before it would be
"safe" to remove from quarantine and put in general collection?
External parasites would be relatively easy to deal with, what about any internals, would it be the same as running fecals as we do on farmed babies? I'm
thinking w/c adult/subadults would be a bit more difficult. What else do we need to watch out for?
Weighing pros and cons of bringing in a couple of these animals and just starting my homework.
                        
 -  - ks's the green tree Python Forum - chondro forum - moreliapythons.com - ssnakess.com - chondroweb.nl - constrictors.unlimited gtp forum - -  - MVF Chatroom 
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Establishing W/C
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 Cathy Maynard |
Establishing W/C |
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Posts: 1722 (06/30/08 08:27:20) |
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hannaherp |
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Posts: 12 (06/30/08 08:36:11) |
Hi Cathy,
standard quarantine periods in the zoo business is generally 90 days for snakes, and three consecutive negative fecals around two weeks apart for each (during that 90 days). Other than that watching and treating for any problems such as RI while in quarantine. The 90 days is generally considered sufficient enough to allow any signs of paramyxo or other problems to become evident. Hope this helps. Nick |
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hannaherp |
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Posts: 13 (06/30/08 08:44:39) |
also, forgot to mention that a blood sample is taken as well to check certain chemistry values such as white blood count which can show evidence of an
infection, etc. A qualified vet should know all this and perform the needed test.
Nick |
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Kim Burge |
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Posts: 279 (06/30/08 10:18:46)
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I'll preface this by saying I have no experience bringing in WC chondros into my collection but I do have quarantine experience from my former employer. Our protocols were similar to what Nick has suggested. 90 minimum on snakes with fecals tested using a normal float and sent off for crypto testing. Blood was taken for paramyxo or anything else unusual. During that 90 day period no other animals were brought into quarantine or the 90 days would start all over again. Obviously, the 90 days extended if any parasites were found. After treatment, I think we waited for two more clean fecals prior to releasing them. We used Nolvasan, chlorox, and ammonia for disinfection and used gloves when we had to handle them. |
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hylarls |
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Posts: 368 (06/30/08 11:22:48)
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Hi Cathy- 90 days is standard for quarantine but paramyxo can take up to 9 months to show up and several blood tests should be taken at intervals so you can
see where the titres are going (up or down). If the vet is having trouble getting a tail stick, heat up the tail, it helps. Also look into ranavirus, which was
first seen in imported GTPs, I know it causes wicked, fatal RIs but I don't know much else about it. Good luck, Robin
Robin
"If it is wet and not yours...don't touch it!! ~ Lecture on zoonotic diseases |
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bigsnakes |
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Posts: 330 (06/30/08 16:09:11)
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I also subscribe to a 90 day minimum, however, I have never actually released a wild-caught sub-adult / adult within that time frame. The animals I have worked
with have always tested postive for something and required treatment which extended their quarantine. I wear disposable latex gloves religiously, have a
separate room, separate tools, separate sink and separate shoes for my quarantine area. I always service animals in quarantine after I am done with all of my
other animals for the day. I also send out fecal samples to a reputable laboratory as well as test them at home. The ova of some nasties, like Pentastomids,
can be easily confused with other worm ova. We perform IC (intracardiac) venipuncture at the animal clinic I work at as it is difficult to get a sufficient
blood sample from the tail on most small species of snakes.
That said, I do not think that I would ever venture to bring wild-caught animals into my personal collection again. The last animal I attempted was sold to me as completely dewormed. Yeah, the importer had given the animal tons of Fenbendazole. Did absolutely nothing for the tapeworms and Pentastomids it had in mass quantities. The scary thing is that the animal looked fine and ate like a champ right up until the day it died just a few short months later. It just isn't worth the risk in my opinion. It would have to be an absolute one-of-a-kind animal for me to even consider it again. Best wishes whatever you decide. |
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MegF42 |
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Posts: 2007 (06/30/08 16:37:08)
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I actually quarantine imported animals that I don't have a history on for 6 months. 3 months for animals that I know where they came from. I don't want
to take a chance especially if I don't know the person I got the animal from or what it has been exposed to.
5.5~Cornsnakes
3.4.1~Green Tree Pythons 2.1.2~Amazon tree boas 1.0~California Kingsnake Assorted: Horses, dogs, and cats www.Franclycac.com |
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Cathy Maynard |
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Posts: 1723 (06/30/08 17:14:45) |
Thanks so much for the input, it sounds good to me. Not really sure about this and trying to think it through.
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