Diamond Python Problem? Sick?

[cools2036]

Sad to think the rep shop gave the advice to the customer and treated the DP in the same manner as a central or CP.

A lot of ppl tend to think cooling is just for breeding purposes, but it's not.
It's to simulate their natural environment as close as possible.

Sorry for your losses, 8 years is still a good run..

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Please note DPS is not only inflicted to diamond pythons, it is common among them hence the name though a lot of the Morelia sp get it, it's a virus that's not really known much of IMO.

It does look like it's DPS in my IN my experience and it's age also a factor in this diagnosis.

However I have seen virus' that aren't "DPS" do similar symptoms and have worn off through an antibiotic treatment.

But this was a sudden occurane in an otherwise strong and healthy snake.

How long have you noticed these symptoms?
Eating habits lately?
And is it water kept clean regularly?
Any seasonal cooling/heating ?

Unfortunately there's a bit of misleading and downright incorrect stuff in this post. Firstly, viral disorders are very hard to diagnose without extensive (usually post-mortem) work. Nobody knows if DPS is a viral disorder - it may well be (and from serpentongue's experience and observations, especially about the possibility of it being transmissable to other snakes, this makes it a distinct possibility), but you should not put your 'theories' on here as absolute statements. You couldn't possibly have "seen virus' that aren't "DPS" do similar symptoms and have worn off through an antibiotic treatment." - firstly, without extensive pathology work, you wouldn't know if the snake had a viral infection, and secondly, antibiotics are virtually useless against viral disorders - they may fix bacterial infections which are secondary to a deep viral infection - but they won't eliminate the viral infection.

There's enough confusion about viral disorders amongst reptile keepers now (and there's an axe-grinder running around spreading crap about the newly discovered Sunshine virus being a hoax already...) without more people muddying the already murky water.

I agree with you that age is about right for the onset of DPS, and this may tie in with serpentongue's statement that these snakes just "wear out" by about that age if they're kept too warm.

Jamie