Jared O.
02-10-2011, 12:39 PM
Well, this is a little bit of a vent as well as to get some more opinions. I posted a while back that my baby corn snake was having problems eating. He was eating fine from July of 2010 through the beginning of January of 2011. He was on a schedule of one pinky every 5 days.
He ate fine on Jan. 2 and then again on Jan.7. He did not eat on Jan. 12, 17, or 22. He would take the pinky in his mouth, so much that he was able to close his mouth around it but he would not swallow. It never went any further down his belly. It wasn’t really a regurge but seemed more like he was having a problem swallowing. I went and talked to one of my local pet stores, the one that seem to have the most knowledge regarding snakes. The gentleman that works there raises snakes, and raised corns for many years although now he is currently doing boa’s.
I brought the snake to him so he could take a look at it and get his opinion. He told me that based off of the size of the snake we must have purchased it when it was really young. He said that it didn’t appear that it had any type of obvious obstruction. However, around his neck area right behind his jaw his skin was a little rough and wrinkly. This wasn’t real noticeable until after the snake was unable to swallow a couple of meals. The gentleman took a closer look and it appeared that there was a small damage area on the skin. I want to call it a tear for lack of a better word, but it wasn’t torn open and/or never bled.
He advised me to try putting neosporin on it twice a day and then try feeding on his next scheduled I have been putting the neosporin on him everyday since then as well (since approx. Jan. 23). So, I did this and then when I fed him on the 27th he ate all by himself with no problems. Since then on his next two feedings on Feb. 1 and Feb. 6 he didn’t eat and was not really interested in the pinky. He wouldn’t even open his mouth or strike at it like he usually does.
I went back to the petstore and he told me to try and put the snake in a small brown bag with the pinky and leave him in his tank in the dark overnight and see what happens. I did this last night (two days after the last attempt because the gentleman said that he didn’t want to keep waiting a full five days). This morning the pinky was untouched.
I have to call the petstore to tell him what the outcome was, but the next idea was to try and give him a live pinky in a couple of days.
I don’t know if anyone here has any thoughts, advice, comments etc. I am trying to determine if my next course of action should be to try the live one or if I should be looking for a vet at this point. I appreciate any input that anyone may have.
P.S. This is my family’s first corn as it is the pet that my 4 year old daughter and 5 year old son wanted. Sorry for the long rant.
He ate fine on Jan. 2 and then again on Jan.7. He did not eat on Jan. 12, 17, or 22. He would take the pinky in his mouth, so much that he was able to close his mouth around it but he would not swallow. It never went any further down his belly. It wasn’t really a regurge but seemed more like he was having a problem swallowing. I went and talked to one of my local pet stores, the one that seem to have the most knowledge regarding snakes. The gentleman that works there raises snakes, and raised corns for many years although now he is currently doing boa’s.
I brought the snake to him so he could take a look at it and get his opinion. He told me that based off of the size of the snake we must have purchased it when it was really young. He said that it didn’t appear that it had any type of obvious obstruction. However, around his neck area right behind his jaw his skin was a little rough and wrinkly. This wasn’t real noticeable until after the snake was unable to swallow a couple of meals. The gentleman took a closer look and it appeared that there was a small damage area on the skin. I want to call it a tear for lack of a better word, but it wasn’t torn open and/or never bled.
He advised me to try putting neosporin on it twice a day and then try feeding on his next scheduled I have been putting the neosporin on him everyday since then as well (since approx. Jan. 23). So, I did this and then when I fed him on the 27th he ate all by himself with no problems. Since then on his next two feedings on Feb. 1 and Feb. 6 he didn’t eat and was not really interested in the pinky. He wouldn’t even open his mouth or strike at it like he usually does.
I went back to the petstore and he told me to try and put the snake in a small brown bag with the pinky and leave him in his tank in the dark overnight and see what happens. I did this last night (two days after the last attempt because the gentleman said that he didn’t want to keep waiting a full five days). This morning the pinky was untouched.
I have to call the petstore to tell him what the outcome was, but the next idea was to try and give him a live pinky in a couple of days.
I don’t know if anyone here has any thoughts, advice, comments etc. I am trying to determine if my next course of action should be to try the live one or if I should be looking for a vet at this point. I appreciate any input that anyone may have.
P.S. This is my family’s first corn as it is the pet that my 4 year old daughter and 5 year old son wanted. Sorry for the long rant.