Ball python breeders use sales and money to quantify their success and ability to keep
So their version of trying to be impressive and elitist is to say things like
“Well how many hatchlings do YOU produce and sell every year?”
Or
“How much do you make from selling animals?”
Or
“I paid for/sold this snake for $xxx”
And im unimpressed.
There is nothing amazing about producting even 100 high end ball python morphs in minimual conditions, let alone the below average animals that are *actually* being bred in those tiny tubs. LITERALLY anyone can do it. There is next to ZERO SKILL required to breed ball pythons.
If you’re a gun owner, you probably (or should) know a bit about gun safety- to make sure its unloaded, to store the rounds away from the weapon, to disassemble it when not in use, and to keep it in a safe with the safety on.
A rattlesnake doesn’t have a safety. A rattlesnake is a small, easily startled animal that will defend itself when cornered, and in a cage it’s always cornered. A gun cannot on it’s own volition get out of a safe, load itself, turn the safety off and kill someone. A snake has no safety, is naturally curious, and can escape from an enclosure on it’s own volition if the cage is damaged or improperly locked.
If a venomous snake does push open a wobbly door, the entire building becomes a dangerous minefield until the animal is found. God forbid it gets outside too, where theres a risk of people or other animals bumping into it either on purpose or accidentally.
And if it does kill its owner, one better hope that owner had enough left in them to lock the animal up before first responders get there, or they’re all in immediate danger from it too. It wouldn’t even have to be someone grabbing it- stepping too close to a hiding place and scaring it could trigger a lethal bite, and if you’re in the US there’s not very many hospitals that can help you and not much chance of ever paying off that bill.
Venomous snakes can be, and occasionally have been, lots of people’s problem. I’m not worried about the rifle in my closet killing me when I touch it because it’s a mechanical object and I know how it works, like a car battery or a garage door. My snakes however? They’ve bitten me a lot. I’d rather keep their bites harmless and annoying instead of major life altering events.
Not to be one of those hot owners that crawls out of the woodworks with “hots arent as dangerous as guns!!!” but “God forbid it gets outside too, where theres a risk of people or other animals bumping into it either on purpose or accidentally“
Venomous snakes…. live…. outside… in the wild…. sometimes
If you live in a major city, odds are… you’re not going to find a venomous snake outside. Even in areas where venomous snakes are a thing in the US you aren’t going to see one going down the street. You especially aren’t going to see something exotic like a gaboon viper or a cobra.
The most dangerous snake in my locale is a garter snake. It’s only mildly venomous and has not, to my knowledge, managed to kill anyone. If I had a cobra in my apartment and it got loose in my complex, it would be in direct contact with several children, dogs, and adults who may or may not make good decisions, and absolutely zero hospitals in a thousand miles who could help them if they got bit trying to grab it.
If that’s the sort of liability you want hanging over your head you can go ahead and buy a hot. Hell, it’s technically legal here with a pretty easy to get permit! Go bananas! Have good homeowners insurance! Have fun!
Not to mention the local hospitals will have antivenin for native venomous snakes in the area. But the likelihood of them having antivenin for some obscure exotic cobra or viper? Pretty much zero.
You know who MIGHT have that kind of antivenin? Possibly the local zoo if they keep that species.
If you get bit by an exotic venomous snake and the local zoo has that antivenin they pretty much have to give it to you. But because antivenin is expensive and they have so many different species they don’t have a huge amount of antivenin for any one species.
So if you get bit and the zoo has to give you their antivenin you are leaving the actual responsible professional zookeepers who work with venomous animals for conservation reasons vulnerable and in danger until they can restock.
You could be responsible for the death or permanent maiming of a zookeeper because they had to use their antivenin stores to save you.
If you wanna keep hots you better be licensed, trained extensively by professionals, keep them in an inspected locked room in locked cages in a separate building from living areas, only working with them with another trained handler present, not free-handling, and you better BETTER have your own antivenin stores. When every hot keeper meets those BARE MINIMUM requirements then we can talk.
Anti-vaxxer vet clients are seriously wild, istg. Like, really? You think our 15 euro yearly vaccination for seven different diseases is just us trying to get your money? Do you know how much we’d have to charge you if we actually had to treat your dog for parvo? That bill basically starts in the hundreds and goes from there.
Like Christ, if we wanted to bleed you dry, we just wouldn’t bother with the vaccines.
You KNOW.
This has always been the best counter-argument to “vaccines are just a way of vets getting your money every year!”.
HONEY PLEASE. If we wanted your money, we’d happily take your parvo/lepto ridden dog and have it admitted day and night for treatment, for what, atleast a week right? And even then, we can try all that, give it all the meds and intensive care in the world, and it still might euthanising at the end of it – if it doesn’t die on its own first, that is.
I fancy that’s going to cost a hell of a lot more than that one vacc appt, dont you?
(I don’t fancy, I know. I think the last parvo case we successfully treated ended up in the 1.5-2k region sooooooo you do the math )
A routine part of physical examination of your pet includes listening to the heart and lungs. When listening to the heart your veterinarian will count the rate, listen to the rhythm, and listen to the quality and type of sounds.
What is a heart murmur?
Typically, when listening to a heart you would hear a “lub-dub lub-dub” as the heart beats. These noises are created by the valves in the heart closing.
When an animal has a heart murmur, the typical “lub-dub lub-dub” will not be heard. Instead your veterinarian will hear a “whoosh”. This noise is created by turbulent blood flow in the heart, blood swirling or flowing in abnormal directions.
Possible causes include:
Birth defect in the heart
Leaky heart valves (malformed or degeneration)
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of heart muscle)
Dilated cardiomyopathy (thinning and ballooning of heart muscle)
Non-heart disease such as anemia or hyperthyroidism
Can my vet tell what caused the murmur by listening to the heart?
Your veterinarian will be able to characterize the heart murmur based on volume and location, but unfortunately listening alone cannot lead to a diagnosis of the cause.
What should I do next?
Depending upon the species, grade, and signs (caught on routine exam or presenting with illness) your veterinarian will advise you on the appropriate next steps.
Possible recommendations may include:
Chest radiographs (x-rays)
Allows evaluation of heart size and shape
Allows evaluation of lungs (signs of heart failure may be seen in the lungs)
Allows your veterinarian to determine if preventative medications are indicated (there is a drug that has recently been proven to extend the amount of time before heart failure in dogs diagnosed with hearts of a certain size)
These will not allow for a definitive diagnosis of cause
Blood work
Allows for evaluation of non-heart related disease (ie thyroid levels)
Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
This is the only way to determine the cause of the heart murmur
This is performed by a veterinary cardiologist
The valves and other structures in the heart can be evaluated
Function of the heart muscle can be observed
Many measurements may be performed
Allows for medication planning if indicated
Allows for close monitoring of disease
What do I need to watch for?
Though it is great if your pet is active and energetic, it does not necessarily mean that they do not have significant changes in their heart. Any animal with heart disease may develop heart failure.
Signs to monitor for include:
Slowing down during usual activity
Sleeping more
Coughing
Retching
Rapid or laboured breathing
Collapse
Blue or pale gums
If you are concerned that your pet may be in heart failure, please bring them in to a veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian will discuss appropriate diagnostics and treatment depending upon the presentation of your pet.
The changes in the heart that lead to heart failure cannot be repaired, though symptoms may be able to be managed. Response to treatment of heart failure varies greatly depending upon the individual – many animals may be able to return to a good quality of life, though some do not respond well to treatment. Treatment must be closely monitored and follow up examinations, x-rays, and blood work may be indicated to ensure appropriate control of disease. Heart failure, unfortunately, may occur again at any time.
I got a request to help educate new people on snake body language. This is, admittedly, something that is incredibly difficult for me personally to describe. A lot of it is not only in the positioning of the snake itself, but the quick movements and other small details that are hard to describe and capture in picture. However I will do my best to describe each species I keep’s body language and what each position means. One thing however, don’t read this and immediately think “Well I know body language now, so I can go handle any snake!”. While body language is a good starting point, you ALWAYS want to learn the specific personality of individual animals. This is not the end-all-be-all of body language, it is just a beginning step. With that in mind, let’s get this started!
I generally don’t approve of dogs greeting each other on leash, its unnatural and fraught with the likelihood that things will go terribly wrong…a lot like speed dating. And just like speed dating, its perfectly fine for a dog to go their entire lives without greeting another dog while on leash. I would prefer it actually.
Speed dating is not exactly the greatest way to meet “the one”. It is however a great way to meet a lot of different people. It is also a fantastic way to have a lot of really awkward interactions in a short period of time.
Having your dog greet others on leash is very much the same. It is a wonderful way to have a very forced interaction which quickly spirals out of control. Even two dogs who are very friendly and both want to play will soon get into an awkward situation when their leashes tangle or prevent natural play behaviors.
Long story short, when it comes to greeting on leash…
But say you end up in a speed dating situation through no fault of your own. Now what do you do. First, keep it short. Its much harder to mess up “Hi my name is…” then “Hi, my name is … and heres my life story and all my assorted baggage.” Follow the three second rule. Keep your leash loose, count to three and call your dog away. Most greeting go straight to hell during “Four Mississippi” so save yourself the grief and stop while you’re ahead.
Second, advocate for your dog and allow them to tap out. If your dog is showing signs so stress, trying to ignore or avoid the situation, or exhibiting calming signals LISTEN TO THEM.
Everyone should be able to tap out of any interaction at any time. Since they are on a leash, its your responsibility to provide that for them.
Research some GOOD food. I feed Ves raw, but have used Taste of the wild, Acana, Fromm, Orijen and Instinct and like them a lot.
Get SO MANY enrichment toys. Seriously that’s so important, especially if you plan on leaving your dog home alone. Kongs are great, but I am crazy about the busy buddy twist n’ treat. I don’t really use it for its intended purpose, I wrap meat up in it, squeeze it all the way tight and freeze it, it lasts nearly three times as long as a kong for us.
Also get that screaming chicken or ugly honky pig toy. They love that shit.
You can make a lot of toys too. one of my favorites to make was a Talenti Gelato jar with a hole cut in the top for a single kibble to fall out when it is tipped over. Ves has a tiny, soft mouth, so don’t do this for bigger dogs. Use a coffee can or something. Use meals as enrichment. Make them think! DROWN THEM IN TOYS it will save your sanity!
Bully sticks were a lifesaver for teething puppy chews. Do avoid rawhide:
Hey so you might or might not know about Ves breaking her leg almost immediately after I got her so this is my plea to everyone out there HEY GET PET INSURANCE. PLEASE! I use Healthy Paws, they offer a friends and family discount, which I unfortunately can’t participate in because of my state, but I know people who would be more than happy to share their discount link (It gives them a rad bonus too!) *cough* @silver-sivien *cough*
I have put down too many pets during my childhood due to completely fixable issues just because vet bills are insane. SHIT WILL HAPPEN. This is not an IF situation, dogs are fucking stupid, ‘ight?
If you need a group on Facebook to ask questions in, I have had a lot of success in Beyond Ceasar Milan (fuck that guy). They’re not perfect, but there are so many garbage groups and dumb people regurgitating dumb outdated knowledge on Facebook, so they’re better than most. (If anybody has any other recommendations for science-based training groups, I want to join you.)
I didn’t intend to write that much, I’m tired, that’s all I can think of right now. Just love them, don’t hurt them. Don’t hit them. Don’t yell at them even when they are bad, they won’t understand, even if you think they do, I promise. Don’t put things on them that hurts them dude!
Be patient. Be a stone. Be a tree. Be a peaceful lotus flower on a still pond surface, I believe in yooouu.~
people who advocate for keeping cats indoors: have legitimate sources and compelling reasons for their position, along with ways to keep indoor cats happy
people who advocate for allowing their cats outdoors: my cat is somehow smarter than every other outdoor cat that has ever died horribly. birds don’t deserve to exist as much as my cat deserves to have fun.
Because domestic house cats are not ‘natural’ or native to any part of their range. They are domestic, they do not have a ‘natural habitat’. Even when they exist in areas that have wild small felines, it’s those wild species which are natural, not the domestic (or feral) cat.
So, this is actually a debated topic not just for exotics but for dogs and cats as well. A few things to consider:
– Burial is not how bodies would naturally decompose in the environment, even if you bury your pet in no dressings. Carcasses don’t just show up a foot underground; a host of insects and scavengers normally break down the body, and microbes take care of the rest. So it isn’t really more “natural” to bury than cremate.
– Exotic and domesticated animals alike can be host to pathogens and parasites that can be introduced to the environment via burial.
– Exotics may introduce non-native pathogens into the environment when buried, which can imperil native wildlife.
– In some areas, it is actually illegal to bury pets on your property, so you should always consult local laws.
– Cremation is the method least likely to spread pathogens into the environment. It comes with its own ecological impact, however (fossil fuel consumption, the release of greenhouse gasses, etc.)
– Pets in general are bad for the environment and their potential harm in death is probably negligible compared to their environmental impact in life regardless of the method of disposal.
In short? Cremation is least likely to introduce disease to the environment, if that is your chief concern. But pet burial probably doesn’t cause significant problems often, or I suspect we would hear a lot more about it from environmental scientists. Certainly don’t bury a diseased, parasitized, or otherwise contagious animal, be it exotic or a dog/cat. And maybe don’t bury frogs because so many frogs in the pet trade have been exposed to chytrid and that shit is scary and decimating wild frogs.
Also: IME regular vets will cremate exotics. I would ask before showing up with the carcass, but I’ve had everything from exotics to livestock to dogs cremated and have never run into an issue.
ifesbob 