I wanted to share an experience with as many people as I can that I encountered with a wonderful snake. Phoenix has brought knowledge, experience and such a new understanding regarding having a snake as a pet.  He is wonderful and without him in my life there would be so much missing.

            Phoenix came to me May 2004 severely emaciated and with mouth rot so bad his mouth was stuck together by the dried oozing pus and the infection was so bad that the odor was nauseating. The infection was eating away at his face from not being treated from a rat bite. I took him to a vet and we gave him Baytril injections for 10 days along with Sub-Q fluids twice a day in 3 spots each time, we also tube fed him 60 cc’s of AD cat food mixed with pedialyte. He had his first solid meal approximately 14 days after treatment started. From then his recovery was incredible and ongoing. He is a great eater and very boisterous and opinionated. He has done about 3 outreaches after a 6 month recommended quarantine, which he was very successful at in teaching people responsibility and he loves to interact with people. He has reached many peoples heart. In December of 2004 is when I decided I would take him in for a complete exam and have several tests done on him. We did a repti panel, C&S on his saliva and a microscopic stool. Results are stool was negative, saliva had 2 strings of salmonella at moderate growth(they do have a normal level of salmonella in saliva and stool and also normal level of e-coli in stool). He received 4 injections of Amikacin .2ml over a 2-week period of time. But unfortunately his system was so full of IBD(Inclusion Body Disease), that was found in the blood, which is very abnormal to find in a blood test, until it  advances through an entire system and it was confirmed through 2 pathologists on slides.

IBD is believed to be a retrovirus, so basically Phoenix has snake aides. So what does life hold for this guy now? His initial owner was very irresponsible and now I can offer him only quality of life. I am very happy to make his last time here with me as pleasant and happy as possible. He has added so much to my life it will be difficult to let him go when the time comes!! But I do have one hope for him, I have come across a special natural medicine called Salivaris that has in the past changed the shape of a retrovirus cell. Do you think Phoenix deserves a chance? I DO and I am willing to put this time into him. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. If you ever get to meet him he will add so much to your life!!

            Thank you for letting me share this wonderful story!!

Written by

Jackie Klakken