Histopathology Results on River

[guidofatherof5]

River was a rescued female T.radix from June 17th of 2009. She was very under weight when she arrived. I attributed that to possibly less prey in her area. I felt very good about this rescue since she was in no way ready of the next Winter and would have surely died being so under weight. Looking back on this whole ordeal I can see I cheated death for only a short time. River was a lot of fun to have around and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. She took to Ranch life very well and began to put some girth back on. I was captivated by her big eyes. The largest set of eyes I've every seen on a radix. She had a pleasant disposition and fit well into the chemistry of her enclosure. A few months after she arrived I noticed she was gaining weight in the lower 2/3rds of her body. I assumed it was natural since she came to me so skinny. I assumed too much and didn't see this as a possible sign of illness. I take full blame for that.
River continued to act normal in every way.
This year rolled around and I then thought that river may have become gravid which might account for what now was an obviously larger back end. An x-ray could not confirm or deny that she was gravid. By now it was apparent something was wrong and she was put on prednisone in the hopes of removing some of this edema.
A few weeks later River passed and a necropsy was performed. Samples were sent to the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.
I just noticed something, River was listed as a Gardner under species.
Here are the results:
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/river_pathology.jpghttp://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/River3.jpg
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/river_pathology1.jpg

[mustang]

wow so many terms...sorry bout river...glad i know caus of death... never woulda guessed hepatitis

[guidofatherof5]

I think the bottom line is she was an old snake(by wild standards) that may have died during the coming Winter.
Instead, she ended up on the Ranch. I feel good that she got some extra time.

[drache]

very interesting
thanks
there aren't photos, are there?
I wonder whether these "rims" of macrophages completely enclosed the lesions, and whether that would yield clues as to how long her system had been dealing with this - always very interested in immune processes
I also wonder whether the occasional giant macrophages are abnormal, or a specific kind

[guidofatherof5]

I just got the bill for the histopathology.
$120.00 It's the first one I've had done so I'm not sure if that's a good price or not.

[ConcinusMan]

I would say it is an excellent price. So, I'm still a little confused. It sounds like the liver damage could have been caused by parasites (roundworms) but at the time they examined the liver, no parasites were actually present. I mean, that's what I get from it. Old snake, liver lesions (some with necrosis, eeew), hepatitis, death.

But what a place to be when you're a snake and it's your time. The T. Radix Ranch. Much better than out in some damp hole in the middle of winter.:D

[guidofatherof5]

I would say it is an excellent price. So, I'm still a little confused. It sounds like the liver damage could have been caused by parasites (roundworms) but at the time they examined the liver, no parasites were actually present. I mean, that's what I get from it. Old snake, liver lesions (some with necrosis, eeew), hepatitis, death.

But what a place to be when you're a snake and it's your time. The T. Radix Ranch. Much better than out in some damp hole in the middle of winter.:D

Parasites migrated through the liver. The tunnels(best word to describe) left by them developed a liver infection. The infection reduced the livers ability to produce certain enzymes. That caused the edema and eventually the hepatitis. My Vet said the damage was done long before she came to me and that her days were numbered.
I'm glad the last days were here at the Ranch. It's a good place for old radixes to come for their last days. Plenty of pinkies and good company.