Hi there, I’m a college student with four lovely pets, three snakes, and a gecko. My youngest snake, Ellie, had recently been dealing with gastrointestinal issues and a big lump in her stomach. She got a bunch of testing done, and the vet initially thought it could be cancer. She got exploratory surgery and a biopsy done a week and a half ago, and just as she was starting to recover, today the doctor called me with the news, which wasn’t good. They found cryptosporidium, a highly lethal and highly contagious parasite, absolutely everywhere in her stomach. She was already really underweight for her age, and I have two other snakes and a gecko that could become infected, if they aren’t already.

Due to the complications and considering the safest options for the rest of my pets, we ultimately decided on euthanasia and cremation. I talked with her vet, who said a private cremation and euthanasia would cost about $347. I own two other snakes who also need to get tested, which costs $800-900. The surgery and biopsy she got were around $2,200. If the other two snakes test positive, I’ll need to monitor them and make sure they don’t become symptomatic. If they do, that would be another $694 for euthanasia and private cremation. I’m a working college student that spends 4 days a week working and 3 days at college and I don’t have the time to work more hours or the money to supply all of this, but they’re all my babies and I want them to have the best care, so I’m hoping I can help cover the cost through the community on here. Thank you so much for your support.