Ballot reptile issues

[sd1981]

A few years back I had an incident with a DECCW ballot, I won a diamond intergrade and a mate of mine won a coastal in the same ballot. We went to pick up our little guys together and were pretty happy with our luck at the time... We are both very pedantic with our quarantine process as we both have a quite expensive collections as most herpers do. I quarantined mine for 12 months at the other end of the house, away from my collection, used different hooks, waterbowls, food tongs, cleaning implements etc... There were no symptoms of any illness, I'm just very paranoid about transferable illness in my collection... I fed him one day, he smashed 2 xl rats, basked for a few hours and then went into his hide. He regurgitated both rats the next day, started biting himself and tying himself in knots and was dead in a minute.... ( very distressing to watch and be unable to do anything)
I took him in for a Post Mortem, nothing showed in the PM or bloods, swabs... Complete mystery as to the cause of death... Thank Goodness for the quarantine procedures I put in place as my collection could've been wiped out...


My mates python that he got in the same ballot, died in an identical fashion within 2 weeks of mine with no cause of death able to be established...

I spoke to a mate of mine tonight, who won a reptile in DECCW ballot around 8 months ago, and his jungle has gone the same way tonight...

Has anyone else had a ballot reptile or any reptile for that matter pass this way? I'd be interested to know as DECCW couldn't hold these reptiles long enough to ensure a good quarantine procedure is implemented and followed. They do advise to quarantine the animals and do a vet check on the reptile you receive, which I did and hope others would do also.

This is not an attack on DECCW, just wanting to see if there is a common thread in more incidents like this...

Cheers,
Simon

 

[caliherp]

I have read about a few times. Those cases turned out to be IBD. It surprises me that the vet hasn't came up with any answers. I wonder what caused it to have neuro issues like that. Maybe a tumor? Are you going to have a necropsy on it?

 

[sd1981]

I've advised my mate to get a post Mortem, I'll keep everyone updated....

 

[solar 17]

I have read about a few times. Those cases turned out to be IBD. It surprises me that the vet hasn't came up with any answers. I wonder what caused it to have neuro issues like that. Maybe a tumor? Are you going to have a necropsy on it?

Some virus tests cost around $300.00 - 400.00 and can only be done post mortem in the USA so it doesn't surprise me the vet didn't have an answer.....solar 17

 

[caliherp]

Some virus tests cost around $300.00 - 400.00 and can only be done post mortem in the USA so it doesn't surprise me the vet didn't have an answer.....solar 17

Ahh ok, so is it just reaching Australia? If so I hope you guys can contain it, or at least manage it.

 

[sd1981]

What's surprised me most is that there have been 3 cases that I know of that came from the same DECCW office, almost 2 years apart that have presented identical symptoms just at time of death, with no apparent symptoms showing beforehand, until final moments of life.... I'm assuming the biting and tying itself in knots was due to any pain experienced during final moments of life.... All 3 were Morelia, one diamond intergrade, one coastal and one jungle... This is now officially mind boggling me....

 

[saintanger]

i got a darwin of dec 4 months ago and my partner got a darwin from the same ballot and they are both still in quarantine and both are doing fine. never thrown up or anything abnormal.

though i am still worried the containers they came out of looked like they are regularly used to hold reptiles but i assume they disinfect them after the reptile is picked up.

 

[dangles]

At the end of the day you are getting a FREE reptile and any associated problems. More than likely they don't clean tubs etc from reptile to reptile. They probably don't feed or water them at there offices in case there's an escapee. There was someone on this forum that got a pink tongue that was severely dehydrated and didn't make the trip home.


my 2 ballot reptiles have never given me issues besides the odd bite.


If you want a quality animal with no issues, buy from a reputable breeder.

 

[sd1981]

My intergrade was scarred up from head to toe but handled like a champion, ate like a pig and was probably the sweetest snake I've ever owned paid or free.... Not complaining about the animal, or about buying reptiles, I'm happy to pay for the best,and have done so on a number of occasions... I was happy to take on a mistreated reptile to give it the life that any animal deserves.... just seeing if it was coincidence or if there is a history of illness coming from animals out of the ballot from DECCW...

 

[pythonmum]

I got a ballot MD a few years ago. I took him to the vet and quarantined him off site. He had some worms, but nothing else wrong with him. He has always behaved and eaten normally.

 

[reb01]

Atleast you didnt pay the big bucks for a jag with nuero issues,you got yours for free..lol

 

[Ramsayi]

I fed him one day, he smashed 2 xl rats, basked for a few hours and then went into his hide. He regurgitated both rats the next day, started biting himself and tying himself in knots and was dead in a minute.... ( very distressing to watch and be unable to do anything) I took him in for a Post Mortem, nothing showed in the PM or bloods, swabs... Complete mystery as to the cause of death... Thank Goodness for the quarantine procedures I put in place as my collection could've been wiped out...

What you have described indicates that it was in pain so may have nothing to do with a virus.Did your mate use the same rat supplier? What were the temps on the day they were fed along with the following day?

 

[sd1981]

They died in July in Campbelltown nsw, so it gets cold overnight, it wasnt hot that i can remember, temps wouldve been around 28-30c in the tank as I ran thermostats in my tanks, cant vouch for my friends temps but he lived on the other side of the street...and I checked the thermostats with no issues recorded at the time. I bred my own rats at the time, my friend is the manager at a pet store so was getting his from work... And my mate (3rd case with similar symptoms)ie ballot reptile, same symptoms prior to death, lost his jungle on jan 3 this year in Sydney so would've been pretty warm.... can't give specifics at this point on his as I've only spoken to him on phone...... I'm certain it was painful as the way it was thrashing around and biting itself was really nasty, I would've almost thought poisoned or major internal damage or neuro but nothing came up in Post Mortem....