Serpentes Species Basic Info (Illnesses)

There are many sicknesses that Animalian can get, however there are a number of them that only Serpentes can contract.

Respiratory Infection

A respiratory infection, or sometimes referred to as a RTI, is a somewhat common ailment that Serpentes can get when they are feeling unwell. When their airways become infected with bacteria they will start to excrete large amounts of mucus from their noises causing the mucus to start to bubble as they attempt to breathe. As their airways become clogged they will soon find it hard to breath and will resort to gasping in an attempt to get any air into their lungs. They often will try to keep their head and neck as straight as possible during this time in an attempt to keep their airways open. Along with struggling to breathe most will also become restless and their noses will burn painfully making it near impossible for them to sleep causing all there issues to compound rapidly as they become exhausted. The next most common side effect of RTI next to restlessness is lack of appetite. Some claim this happens because their bodies run out of energy to properly digest the food easily while others state that their lack of an appetite is due to the fact that they are already struggling to breath so trying to swallow something with their inflamed throat makes them feel as if they are choking constantly. If they are not forced by those close to them to eat they will quickly lose weight and die of starvation. With some strong medicine and a good diet it is very possible for a Serpentes to recover from a respiratory infection, the hardest part of recovery is keeping the Serpentes eating and so care from others is highly suggested, however RTI is also extremely contagious so those taking care of the sick must be sure to wear proper protective gear or risk getting sick themselves. Next to catching it from other sick Serpentes, the most common ways to get RTI is from chronic stress, long term exposure to inaccurate temperature control or bad hygiene. Any one of these situations can lead to RTI so it is highly advised that most Serpentes try to keep track of their stress, hygiene and external temperatures or risk slowly suffocating to death.

Stomatitis

Stomatitis is more commonly known as mouth rot. Like the common name suggests its symptoms often consist of necrotic tissue in the mouth that eats away at the Serpentes skin and if left untreated can even burrow into their bones. Stomatitis often starts from damage inside of Serpentes mouth, either from something that they ate wrong or a cut they got from a fight. Cuts and damage inside the mouth will rarely heal on their own and if left untreated will quickly become infected leading to mouth rot. As well as the deterioration of the skin inside their mouth, they will also may start to form puss and bleed inside their mouth leading to their breath becoming unbearably bad. Their jaws will quickly become swollen making it hard to eat and much like RTI if they don’t eat despite the pain they will quickly collapse and die. Although it is most commonly caught by trauma to one's mouth, it also can be transferred by contact with the infecteds liquids such as blood and spit. Because of this, anyone who treats or takes care of a Serpentes with Stomatitis must be extremely careful and wear the proper protective gear. Some medicines can help reduce the spread of Stomatitis  but the best way to cure it is to constantly clean out the infected’s mouth. Removing dead tissue and pus can be extremely painful, but is what is necessary for them to make a full recovery.

IBD

The disease known as Inclusion Body Disease (or IBD) is extremely faital to any Serpentes who catches it. The disease has no known cure and causes intense neurological symptoms. Soon after infection the host’s central nervous system will start to break down leading to uncontrollable shaking, uneven pupil sizes, vomiting, impaired reflexes, the inability to talk or make rational decisions and the most damaging sign of of the disease is when the host’s whole body is force into a backward arch becoming locked and unable to move. The last symptom is commonly referred to in hushed tones as ‘stargazing’ due to the Serpentes inability to right themselves forcing them to always be looking upward. It only takes a few weeks of symptoms before the host dies, their brain simply giving up on them. Although some claim that IBD is transmitted by liquids, the more likely culprit is actually mites. If a Serpentes finds mites on them they must quickly seek medical attention to make sure that they don’t contract this fatal diseases.

SFD

SFD (or snake fungal disease) is a sickness that attacks a Serpentes from the outside in. A fungus will attach itself to a Serpentes scales and try to push its way past them to their skin. As it does so the scales around the infected site will start to become discolored and get crusted lesions and the skin underneath becomes inflamed as it tries to fight the fungi. As the fungus gets larger it can lead to pain and make any movement difficult as scabs, blisters and swelling will break out near the infected site. It is fairly common for the Serpentes to become dehydrated as their body fights the intruder and their eye caps may become opaque making it hard for them to see. Even though the disease can be very painful, it is quite easy to cure. Many Serpentes can even cure it on their own as it is very common for the fungi to be removed with their next shed. However if the shedding process doesn’t get rid of the fungi it can be treated quite easily by keeping the host hydrated and constantly cleaning the infected spot. After doing this for a while it should clear up quickly. SFD is spread through physical contact so keeping it banged up is suggested as well as cleaning anything the infected site comes into contact with.