Help!

[bryansnake]

I just posted this under one of my other threads, but I figure it should go here too.

ok. I just took my little girl out of her temporary home and she's got me worried. She seems very lethargic and almost moving in segments. I haven't handled her for 2 days, as I had fed her, and I know I shouldn't for 48 hours. I also noticed that down by her tail her scales seem pushed out, shaggy like. Her eyes are clear though. Is she ready to shed? I was just out of the shower though when I handled her, so she may not have recognized me and been her normal squirmy self. I'm worried now as to what's going on.

Also, I had her tank sitting mostly on the heating pad, but is it possible that it just wasn't heating through and she's gotten cold?

Oooh crap. I think she just regurgitated while I was writing this. She opened her mouth really wide like she was yawning, and slimely brown stuff came out. Is my baby sick now?

This is just one catastrophe after another.

[bryansnake]

ok. I'm watching her in the tank there now. and she's rubbing her nose against like, everything. so I guess she needs to shed?

Here's my problem now. I had her in a small container, because she's been getting out of her tank I have. What should I do? I can't put her in the small one. But I can't leave her in the big one. Arg! What bad timing for me.

[CentricMalteser]

Hi fella,

I had a anerythristic motley, only 6 months old, and fed it a pinky, when I got him, and it regurged after a day,

first thing I checked were temperatures on the warm side and on the cool side

and also checked his feeding schedule, as well, and also when he shedded

I then found a pattern then he shed every 4 weeks, and on the 4th week he wasn't fed, as I did not fully read the prev hsitory, I fed him while he was about to shed

have you seen signs of shedding other than nose rubbing? like blue/milky eyes, dull skin etc? if so then he/she is about to shed

ANd some snakes, do actually regurge while in the shedding process and its different to each one.

I would suggest, wait for it to shed, and while it is doing so, just make sure the humidty is there and if in doubt get a small box with a cut out hole and some damp spagham moss inside, as this can help humidity and shed

don't handle or feed until he sheds, and then wait at least a week before trying to feed again

also I tend to leave mine for 72 hours, depending on size of food, as bigger food takes slightly longer,

also make sure there is no shed remains around the cloaca and tail as if this is blocked, also can cause problems

and also if in a large tank which is a little to big, this can cause stress, so, either get a medium size tank, or keep the existing and make it snake proof, and also put lots of hides, fake decor in etc, so it feels relaxed, as snakes and big spaces = huge stress = regurge also

hope this helps

let me know the outcome

[bryansnake]

yeah. not seeing anything was mostly impossible. she had escaped for several hours the day of her last feeding, 48 hours ago. When I caught her she looked fine, and she fed normally. Today was the first day I had her out since. No offense, but your post was only about the shedding, and didn't address anything about the difference in behavior.

She's just sitting by her water bowl now. She's not in it, but her head is partly over it. This is very strange behavior for her and it's got me worried. I put my hand by the glass, and she sort of follows the movement with her head. It's entirely different then her normal, which was straight running away when she sees me. I'm worried she's gotten sick.

[bryansnake]

I apologize if I sound rude. I'm just very worried about her and it's stressing me out. This is such a drastic behavior change and I don't know what to do.

What are the signs/symptoms I should be looking for with all the illnesses? or even dehydration? Anything that could make her sick/lethargic/change.

[Christen]

Most of what you are describing, moving in segments, change in behavior could very well be signs that she is going to shed. However, it does concern me a little that she gagged up brown slime. It maybe an attempt to regurge because she is in a shed cycle. I would watch her, she may need to see a doctor. Have you checked her temps? Is it a human heating pad that you are using? Many times those can get to hot for snakes.

[bryansnake]

the temps are fine from what the thermometer says. I have a sticky heat pad plugged into a dimmer switch. It looked brown and slimy. she definitely threw something up. the aspen absorbed it though. She's still just sitting outside her hide now. the longest I've ever seen her do that. Her energy level and reaction to me are total 180 at the moment.

[bitsy]

Also, I had her tank sitting mostly on the heating pad, but is it possible that it just wasn't heating through and she's gotten cold?
Only one-third of the tank should be on the heat pad - the other two-thirds should be unheated. It's more likely that she's overheating as she can't get to a cool area. When you say the temps are fine, what is the lowest to highest range on the floor in the tank? And what type of thermometer are you using and where are you taking the temp readings?

Oooh crap. I think she just regurgitated while I was writing this. She opened her mouth really wide like she was yawning, and slimely brown stuff came out. Is my baby sick now?
Yes. Sounds like something's gone wrong with her digestion. Could be a number of causes for that, but the wrong temps are the first thing to double check. Also the easiest to put right.

However, the lethargy combined with regurgitation is an indication that something may be seriously wrong.

[bryansnake]

The heating pad is a pet store uth. It's on a dimmer switch so I keep it regulated. When I said I had her tank most on, it was the small tank I had to confine her to as she's been escaping from her original tank. And the regurge happened around the 48-50th hour since her feeding. I had placed her from the confinement tank to the big tank to clean it out. That's when I saw she was acting/moving stragely. Now unfortunately, she's escaped again. And I had all four side corners, the top lid and the front glass doors taped shut. I seriously don't know how she gets out. But at least this time I have my parents here looking. They came to due up my kitchen. finish plastering and paint.

[bryansnake]

and just so you know what I'm going through when I say I don't know how she got out. This is what her tank was like (minus furnishings) today.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1182&pictureid=8914

I don't get it. I really don't. And it frustrates me she can get out, hence the confinement. And it worries me sick knowing she's out and was acting so strange last night.

[OkeeteeMom]

Bryan, did you ever check the screen? I mean every MM (millimeter) of it to see if there's a place she's squeezing through. It only has to be enough for her to get her head through (and you know how flexible they are). Perhaps one of the panes has a place that's not securely attached to the frame and she's squeezing through that? You need to slowly run your finger over every bit of that Viv and back again, checking intently for the slightest place she could get through.

EDIT: Just a suggestion...don't rest anything directly on the screen (like those hides I see in the pic). If you're trying to keep the lids weighted, use the framework to rest things on...like a book.

[annacobb]

Was there anything solid in the throw up? I only quickly read the post and replies but only saw brown and slimy.

[annacobb]

oh and how is she doing today?

[bryansnake]

quick update. you were right. She had pressed herself up against the screen between the top of the styrofoam, and the screen mesh. I only saw her cause I cleaned out the tank, and looked over every edge to see where she could be getting out, and that's where I spotted her. still don't know how she got up there. She was also acting a lot more lively, and her normal self today. For now, she's gone back into confinement. I'll be taking her to the vet monday (good friday, everything is closed) to get her looked at.

the regurg I never got a good look at. but it was a brownish color. and I saw slimely, but I guess it was saliva. I looked, but it disappeared into the aspen.

[OkeeteeMom]

Those snakes have incredible strength and all those ribs assist in climbing. When they go up something vertically, the ribs cause the scales to stick out a bit...then they only need something to catch on...like a ledge, and it's over. So now you can secure the screen, maybe from the inside. But keep checking the whole Viv...there could be other places for escape. I'm glad that part is basically solved.

[bryansnake]

I am too. It looks as though the new tank will be here middle of next week sometime. She looked better today. More active. Like her "normal self". I'm still going to bring her to a vet on monday though.

[bryansnake]

I just spent some time playing with her. She seems her normal self. more active. though she seems a lot more docile. I guess maybe she's finally gotten used to me? but almost overnight. She even reached out and kissed my nose. I had in my hands, and she came right out, flicked her tongue on my nose, and then went back to my hand. She had to come out half her length to reach my face.

Her scales seem to look like they're streaching out a little. I saw 2 on either side near her head had shed. so I let her crawl through a wet cloth, though she doesn't seem to like water/damp. I also noticed it looks like the skin under her head near her jaw looked... chaffed? I guess she must be getting close to a shed. I've had her for 15 days now today. So I guess anytime soon I should expect it huh?

[CentricMalteser]

not many corn snakes do like water as such and some dislike damp areas - males especially since females look for a damp place to lay eggs

i would avoid handling if she is in shedding stages, and leave her for a few days,

you should find in few days when you check her tank tha there is a lovely piece of shedded skin against her hide or somewhere she used to grip it on

[bitsy]

I also noticed it looks like the skin under her head near her jaw looked... chaffed? I guess she must be getting close to a shed.
She may just have scuffed her scales in the process of wriggling into small spaces. Sometimes they don't have much sense of self-preservation, bless 'em, especially when thinking about escape.

No harm in treating her as if she's about to shed though. A bit of TLC never hurt a babe and if she's damaged some scales, her system might go into a rapid shed cycle anyway.

[bryansnake]

ok. update here for anyone who's interested. I just got back from the vet. I fed her today, 1 half pinkie. She hasn't feed since the regurg, which was 7 days ago. I waited the extra 2 days as I wanted to get her to the vet and ask before I fed her. He said she seems physically fine. Told me to raise the temperatures in the tank. from 80-85 warm side to 90 on the warm side, and then to the mid 80's on the cool side. The reason being the warmer temperatures are to promote a better immune and digestive response. He also gave me an anti-parasite powder, to give her with the feedings, starting on her next one depending on how this one goes. Just as a precaution to make sure she's healthy on the inside. He saw how her scales were and said that she's in the early stages to shed and said it would be another couple weeks before she did. He also mentioned that I should handle her a little bit less for the next little while to keep her less stressed. So that's how things are now. I'm glad I took her to the vet. $99 for the exam and the powder is a lot better then having to go through a sick/dying snake. and then paying for a new one later.

Thanks everyone for you help and support

[Christen]

I am so glad that things are looking better for her. Definitely, keep us posted.

[annacobb]

I'm very relieved and I hope she continues to recover so well. She sounds like a lil fighter lol.

[smallet]

Thanks for the update. And glad it was a good prognosis. Keep us up to date on how she is coming along.