Corn vs. Duct Tape

[Ronzie]

I came down tuesday morning and saw my little guy (4 mths) had shed. Then I saw him stuck up top under the screen to the duct tape. :uhoh:
My daughter had stepped on the screen and ripped it away from the frame. So I used duct tape to cover the hole until I got a new one.
It took the wife and I 45 minutes to get him free. He has no scale/skin damage but he's alittle stiff.
I gently washed him in nice warm water and letting him rest as he probably used alot of energy while he was stuck. He has been out and about getting drinks but he just isn't curling up.

What is the best/safe soap to use on a corn?
I know he's hungry since he just shed, when should I offer him food after something like this?

[dwyn127]

Unless he's got a glue residue from the duct tape I'd leave him alone for a couple days. What just happened for him was pretty stressful. He'll do fine without food till then.

[medusacoils]

If it's not tacky, I would just let it be. It will come off with the next shed. If you had to, use a little dawn and water. The water shouldn't be warmer than 90F. I would also wait a few days to maybe a week until you try to feed. This is so he calm down from the ordeal.

Wayne

[Tinkerbeller87]

If it's not tacky, I would just let it be. It will come off with the next shed. If you had to, use a little dawn and water. The water shouldn't be warmer than 90F. I would also wait a few days to maybe a week until you try to feed. This is so he calm down from the ordeal.

Wayne

Yea, I would wait at least 5 days, if not even 7. This being so stressful may make him regurgitate if fed too soon. I'm not sure about the coiling up but I hope he recovers completely.

[BCnJs Dad]

What got into your head that you thought duct taping with the glue side exposed to the snake was a good idea? Wow

[MotleyCrue]

What got into your head that you thought duct taping with the glue side exposed to the snake was a good idea? Wow

People make mistakes. It's what we call learning. No need to chastize.

I hope your snake feel better!

:eatsmiley

[Nanci]

If you feel the need to remove tape residue (like stuff is sticking to him) olive oil on a Q-tip works well. (It also works on pine sap!)

[Ronzie]

He's now coiled up in his smaller hide.
The sticky part of the tape wasn't showing. We still don't know how a 15" snake extended 12" to even get into the position. He somehow got his nose in there and pried in

[Fatman608]

Hey Ronzie,

Now if it was me I would try to feed him his normal size meal. If he took it great if not then I would wait until next feed time.

Love the Fatman

[Ronzie]

Hey Ronzie,

Now if it was me I would try to feed him his normal size meal. If he took it great if not then I would wait until next feed time.

Love the Fatman

I tried, but he's not taking. I'll wait till the weekend.

[jrh3]

If a snake is ever stuck to any glue like material spray it with Pam cooking oil. This is what I use at work when i find snakes stuck to the sticky rat traps.

[Ronzie]

He's doing alot better now. He still hadn't ate so I took him to the vet since he's so young. They ended up putting a tube down into his stomach to feed him. Hopefully he'll eat tomorrow or I'll have to tube feed him. Not as hard/bad as it may sound, but I hope he gets back to normal soon.
It was totally my own fault. A bit of a costly one, but they say he'll fully recover.

[SnakeAround]

How long had the guy refused before the vet got to force feeding? That's only a last option for starving snakes who really need nutrients to recover, especially when it's also ill.

[Ronzie]

How long had the guy refused before the vet got to force feeding? That's only a last option for starving snakes who really need nutrients to recover, especially when it's also ill.

The last time he ate was Sept 25th. Then by the next feeding he was going into shed. Oct 5th he shed and I was expecting to feed him but this all happened. I took him to the vet Fri Oct 8th and they said to give him a couple more days and try again to feed and to bath him in warm water for exercise to get his muscles moving. That really helped, but he still wasn't eating. The vet was great and phoned me a couple of times early the next week. He still hadn't ate so I went back Fri Oct 15th. The vet thought it best because of how small he is to tube feed him. I think he weighed 5 grams (hatched June 3rd).
He hadn't ate in 20 days and with his small size she thought it best. It went really smooth and he kept it down. His energy level sparked up. I