Bennie came unexpectedly to us shortly after adopting our beautiful Houdini. He and "Scooter" (see Scooter's Page) were originally on consignment at a pet shop which belongs to a friend of ours. The animals were to be sold. Later the evening that they arrived, our friend became quite worried ~ she noticed that something was very wrong with these two snakes. Knowing their basic care, she had them set up nicely and did all the right things, however she was seeing bubbles blowing from their mouths and nostrils ~ she placed her first call to us to get an idea what she was looking at. She tried to contact the owners, but had no success & so the next day we agreed to take a look at them. Both had not once left their water bowls where they were soaking. Both gaped for breath and carried various bite scars and scabs. They were both thin and had a hollow, light feel when they were held. Unsurprisingly they were infestead with mites. Both were sad looking to say the least. We set them up with extra warmth and went home with heavy hearts...these animals were someone's property and worse than that...for sale...for a pretty good price tag! The owner's would have to be spoken to about their conditions..and so we waited. Soon we were able to contact the owner's and spoke to them about getting possible treatment for the animals, what it would cost, and how poorly they were doing. The story is a familiar one: the snakes really belonged to a son who had some time ago moved out and joined the service, the less knowledgeable (and less snake-oriented) parents were caring for them with minimal interest or knowledge. The father quickly realized he did not want to pay to have the animals treated, and that they would probably not sell in the condition they were in. He decided to surrender them to the pet shop owner (where the snakes still were) and said "Do whatever you want with them". Our friend being a true animal lover but not so much a "snake person" called us once again. We were actually quite happy ~ now we "could" do something for them. By the afternoon, they were ours. Our friend graciously lent us large tanks and we quickly brought them home to quarantine them and begin treating their health problems. We are truly blessed to have the best Veterinarian in the world as "our" vet & friend! They are now getting on their feet LOL! Thankfully both are hearty eaters, despite being horribly congested with respiratory infections. It will take a long time for them to be vigorous and beautiful but naturally, they are both excessively gentle natured. Bennie truly loves to be held, and hates to go back in his tank. We will never know his age, but he is very placid and gentle. We used to keep mainly pythons, but are quickly being swayed by these big, friendly constrictors! They will of course be enjoying permanent residence here...someday we will actually have to start adopting these rescues out..."yeah right"! Somehow there are just few things more pleasing than to see first hand all the tiny steps to recovery for a sick or injured animal and to watch them regain their normal beauty and strength. It is very fulfilling and sometimes humbling as well. We hope to have positive updates for them both ~ soon!
Update: August 30,2000 We had hoped to have a flurry of good news to post on Bennie's good health ~ unfortunately we are battling many problems with him still. While his skin is looking beautiful after a shed now and the bite scars are less obvious, his general health swings up and down. The respiratory infection is slow to leave him despite treatments and continual veterinary consultations. Gastrointestinal side effects are now beleaguring him and he is over all failing to thrive. Along with our vet and other reptile keepers, we are trying many courses of action. He has not given up yet, and neither have we. We hope for the best for him. It is not even known to us how old he is, and we also know that while these medications are necessary to treat the illnesses he had, there can be harmful side effects. Hopefully we will have better news after some more time.
Well, we have lost poor Bennie. He died during the night. This is the humbling part. In spite of everything we tried and everything our vet and friends could suggest, Bennie lost his battle. Another conversation with the former owners revealed that Bennie and Scooter had been infested with mites for over two years. He is sorely missed by all of us. What a shame....such a gentle and beautiful creature. Sept 30,2000 |
