ohmidog!

This morning I’d like to introduce Dr. Maggie Wood. Dr. Wood is a veterinarian with a lifelong interest in, and love of, the creatures who crawl and slither–reptiles and amphibians. When I thought about bringing some snakes to visit Ohmidog!, I immediately thought about Maggie, who has kindly answered a few questions:

Lucy, a ball python, was photographed by her owner/rescuer Mokele

Anne&Spencer: I’ve noticed that youngsters seem fascinated by reptiles and have a great attitude towards them–as long as they haven’t been pre-conditioned by their parents. What kinds of snakes make good pets for families with kids?

Dr. Wood: Many snakes can make good pets for older children.  That said, small children who have the tendency to put their hands and other things in their mouths shouldn’t handle reptiles unless very closely supervised since they can carry bacteria like Salmonella that can make people sick.  Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.  If the snake is going to be a child’s pet, it would be best to get a species that stays fairly small and tends to be more laid back and easy to handle.  A ball python would be an example.  Snakes can be easier to care for than some of the other reptiles.

Anne&Spencer: Often, you see a snake living in an aquarium sort of arrangement with some sand, gravel, maybe a couple of rocks and a green plant, and that’s about it. Is that a suitable arrangement? What would go into creating the ideal snake condo?

Dr. Wood: The cage setup can be pretty simple as long as you have the right temperature and humidity.  Make sure the substrate is not something that the snake could ingest and have trouble digesting.  Snakes don’t tend to actively eat the substrate on their own (this can be a problem with some lizards though), but if you feed the snake in the cage it might eat some of the material by accident.  You just need something absorbent on the bottom of the cage that is easy to clean (newspaper is the simplest), a water bowl, a hide box, and something to climb on. You also need to look up the proper temperature and humidity for your species of snake, and you need thermometers and a humidity gauge in your enclosure to make sure you are doing a good job of providing the right environment.  There should be a mild variation in temperature range within the cage so that the snake can choose how warm it needs to be by moving around.  Heat can be provided in a variety of ways.  The overhead heat bulbs work well and are generally quite safe.  You can provide a day and night cycle by alternating between a “day bulb” and a “night bulb”.  If you have a large enclosure or a cool house, you will probably need to provide additional heat on the bottom of the cage. You do need to be careful with things like heating pads since they can overheat so you always want to buy a reputable brand and attach it to a temperature control device.  You should also test it by hand frequently by placing your hand on the cage bottom-if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the snake.  I have seen bad burns from heating pads.  Hot rocks are not recommended since they only provide focal heat, and if a snake’s enclosure is cold it may wrap around this and get burned.  You can provide humidity with automatic or hand misting.  The enclosure could be as simple as an aquarium for a small snake all the way up to large elaborate enclosure for a larger snake.  Some people create a naturalistic environment which is great, as long as the enclosure is easy to clean and durable.

Anne&Spencer: Are there snakes that absolutely should not be considered as pets? Are exotic or dangerous snakes brought into the country illegally? And in your informed opinion, are there snakes or other reptiles or amphibians being sold legally that really should be taken off the market?

Dr. Wood: Poisonous snakes are not suitable as pets for obvious reasons.  There are unfortunately people who smuggle in exotic pets in general that are illegal.  There are some reptiles that are legal to sell in this country as juveniles, but when they grow to adult size, they are illegal.  I don’t agree with this practice.  A pet should be for life, and pet stores should not be selling animals that the owner may have to relinquish later because it will be confiscated for being illegal once it is bigger.  An example of this is that some areas have laws against owning snakes of a certain length or size.  I don’t think crocodilians such as caimans are suitable as pets, even though you can purchase them in some places.

Anne&Spencer: When we talk about bringing a cat or dog into our homes, we often talk about a “commitment” to that animal. That is, you need to be prepared to offer a home, food, shelter, love, exercise, discipline, and veterinary care for as long as the pet is alive–sometimes fifteen or even twenty years. What kind of commitment is the conscientious snake owner signing up for?

Dr. Wood: You are signing up for the same commitment as you would for a cat or a dog.  They might not need quite as much love since they are not as social of an animal as a cat or dog but they do need to be handled regularly so they are comfortable with you and it also provides some mental stimulation and exercise for them.  They also need plenty of alone time though.  It is definitely important to provide the correct environment for them and to provide them with veterinary care just like you would for any other pet when they are sick.  You should also be prepared for sometimes doing unpleasant tasks for them since they eat rodents.  It’s best to get them trained to thawed frozen rodents, but even when you have trained them to accept this, it’s possible you might occasionally have to offer something live if they are not eating well. Some of them can be picky.  If you do have to feed live mice, you should only do this under careful supervision because the rodents can actually attack the snake and cause some major damage.

Anne&Spencer: Where is a good source for buying or adopting a pet reptile? Are there reputable sources that should be encouraged as opposed to disreputable or uncaring sellers? (We haven’t heard about any “snake mills,” but you just never know…) Do these pets ever wind up in shelters? I sometimes see them in pet stores that don’t carry cats or dogs–what’s up with that? Good or not so good?

Dr. Wood: There unfortunately is no easy answer for where to purchase a healthy reptile.  It is generally best to look in your area for a reputable breeder if you are looking for a juvenile snake.  Talk to them to try to get a feel for how knowledgeable they are and how they care for the snakes.  If you don’t have one in your area, you can also buy one at a pet store, preferably one that specializes in reptiles and offers a health guarantee.  Sometimes there is a local reptile or “herpetological” club that might be able to point you in the right direction.  You should examine the snake before buying it to make sure you don’t see any potential health problems and ask how it has been eating.  It is less risky to get a snake that is a couple months old rather than one that just hatched, especially if this is your first snake because by this point the snake should be eating regularly.  You should also get the snake checked out by your veterinarian to make sure they don’t see any health problems.  There are definitely some snakes in shelters, and it’s definitely a good thing to adopt a pet that needs a home.  Just make sure to handle the snake at the shelter to get a feel for its temperament and ask what it eats.  If you get an adult snake that has only eaten live mice all its life and you want it to eat only frozen mice, this might not be the best choice for you.  The reason a lot of pet stores don’t sell cats and dogs is that there are so many unwanted ones in shelters, so it is not necessarily a bad thing that they sell reptiles as long as the staff is knowledgeable about them and provide proper care.  I unfortunately see a lot of people who did purchase a reptile from a pet store and were given improper advice on how to care for it.  That’s why it is important to take the time to research the proper care for your pet on your own also.

Anne&Spencer: How in the world do you find a veterinarian for your reptile or amphibian pet? What kinds of ailments and care needs bring patients in to visit with you? Is there such a thing as “well reptile” care?

Dr. Wood: You should look for a veterinarian who specifically treats exotic pets. You can also look online for a veterinarian who is in ARAV (Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians) to try to find one with a special interest in reptiles.  Sometimes you can find a good veterinarian by word of mouth also, especially if you have friends who also have reptiles.  Some of the most common problems that are encountered with reptiles are loss of appetite (which could have many causes), trauma, infections, dietary deficiencies, and parasites.  They can also get reproductive problems so it is best not to breed them if you are not an experienced breeder.  With some kinds of reptiles, the females can have reproductive problems and lay eggs even with no male around.  Well reptile care consists of monitoring your pet for any signs of illness and providing a clean, suitable environment and a proper diet.  You should also have your pet periodically examined by a veterinarian.  Many problems can be avoided just by providing proper care for your pet.

Anne&Spencer: I’ve found Ohmidog! readers to be a pretty interested and committed bunch. Is there anything you’d like to tell them about ownership and the welfare of these more exotic companions?

Dr. Wood: If you know how to properly care for them, they can make excellent pets and live a long happy life.

Maggie graduated with her DVM from the University of Illinois in 2001.  She works at Downers Grove Animal Hospital in Illinois.