Can corn snakes have MBD?

[Stygian Faerie]

I know it's a calcium deficiency that causes MBD and corn snakes generally get plenty from eating mice/rats. But say you fed your corn on pinkies (not just one at a time) for much longer than you were supposed to, could that give your corn snake MBD? Seeing as pinkies have much less calcium in them.
Don't worry, I'm not asking because it's something I've done. Just trying to find out if it's possible for corn snakes to get MBD.

[AliCat37]

As far as I know, yes, it is possible. Just not common.

[bitsy]

Must admit I've never come across any reports of it. Then again the kind of owner who'd feed pinkies for long enough to cause that type of problem, rarely ventures onto a message board!

[Stygian Faerie]

I'm trying to figure out what's going on with my Blizzard. I got him last year at three years old and he's just not right. He's small, he sheds at least once every two to three weeks, he never manages to shed by himself I always have to bath him, he's a nightmare to feed, he's painfully shy and lethargic and scales randomly fall off every now and again.
He sometimes eats a mouse or a rat pup but the only thing he really goes for are pinkies. I can't get hold of his previous owner to ask for a more honest history than the one I was given and I've taken him to the vet but was told not to worry and he's fine. But I just know he's not right. So I thought maybe the reason he goes for pinks so readily is because he was fed them for a long time so maybe he has a calcium deficiency so maybe he has MBD.

[Stygian Faerie]

I meant to say "because maybe he was fed them for a long time". I don't actually know if he was or not.

[bitsy]

You can always give him a calcium supplement if you're concerned. Make sure it's one with Vitamin D in it, as without Vit D, the calcium can't be metabolised.

Here in the UK I used one called ZolCal-D, which you put in their water.

[Stygian Faerie]

I've been using a mix of nutrobal and euro rep's calcium powder to coat the back end of his food. I think nutrobal has D3 in it? I'll go double check that the now.

[Stygian Faerie]

Just checked the tub, it does have D3 :)

[bitsy]

Sounds good!

Is there anything that looks wrong with his scales other than them dropping off randomly and his sheds being bad? MBD is more likely to result in skeletal abnormalities, as it causes bone structure to soften. If he doesn't have anything like that, then you might need to look for other possible causes.

It's a shame that the vet isn't taking it seriously - shedding every 2-3 weeks is by no means "fine". It wouldn't be normal in a hatchling, let alone a three year old. Is there another one in your area you could try?

[Stygian Faerie]

His scales aren't as flush to his body as the rest of my corns, some of them stick out as if there was something under them but there's nothing there. The scales on top of his head are incredibly hard, almost like a callous but he's had that the whole time I've had him and I've not been able to soften it so I assumed that he was just born like that (the vet said it was nothing to worry about too). I think I'll look into going to a different vet. I think I've heard someone say there's a good one in either Dundee or Dunfermline. Shouldn't be too hard to find them. Thank you for the advice, it's good to know that someone agrees that there's something not right about my boy!

[bitsy]

With his problem sheds, can you tell whether the whole of the head shed comes off? Sounds almost like he has a historic build-up of stuck sheds in a particular spot from long before you got him. Is there any chance of some photos?

Can you get hold of Shed-Ease where you are? A solution of that comes in very handy for soaking off problem sheds - much more effective than just water. Might help him (and you!) on the next cycle.

I definitely think a second opinion would be good if you can find a decent vet.

[Stygian Faerie]

He's always managed to get the top of his head off in one piece, he struggles with under his jaw and down his body. I'll try to get some pics of him but it's difficult considering the colour he is lol. I'll have a look online for some shed-ease, thanks for the tip! When I bath him, he gets put in a spare RUB with about an inch of warm water and an old towel then gets left for however long it takes (usually about half an hour) he normally gets most of it off with the odd bit that I need to give him a wee help with and he always leaves me a nice big poop to try to squeeze out the towel without making a mess. He's so thoughtful...

[Chip]

His scales aren't as flush to his body as the rest of my corns, some of them stick out as if there was something under them but there's nothing there. The scales on top of his head are incredibly hard, almost like a callous but he's had that the whole time I've had him and I've not been able to soften it so I assumed that he was just born like that (the vet said it was nothing to worry about too).

Do you have a photo? Any chance you have a hybrid or non-corn? Some snakes have more keeled scalation than corns, only if that's the case does this sound "normal" to me.

[bitsy]

Yep that's what I normally do as well, just with the ShedEase solution. Using the towel really seems to help the process.

Ah the poop trick. They all manage to do that one way or another. Mine indulge in Stealth Poop - hiding it behind the farthest hide or deep in some plastic foliage where they think I won't find it...

[Stygian Faerie]

Do you have a photo? Any chance you have a hybrid or non-corn? Some snakes have more keeled scalation than corns, only if that's the case does this sound "normal" to me.

I've just had him out and I never realised how difficult it is to get good photos of him. You can't see what I'm talking about :(
It's not all his scales, or even in any distinct pattern, just random patches of two or three on his back then a couple patches of five and six next to his belly scales. They don't look sore, no redness or swelling and he doesn't mind me poking and prodding so I don't think they're bothering him but I'm going to bring it up again when I take him to a new vet just in case.



Ah the poop trick. They all manage to do that one way or another. Mine indulge in Stealth Poop - hiding it behind the farthest hide or deep in some plastic foliage where they think I won't find it...

I think it's a game to them, my anery loves pooping right in the vents of his viv and again down the glass from the highest height he can get his scaly little butt to!

[Weda737]

maybe you can inject his food with some repto boost or something like that, I even use bird vitamins for my tortoise. Best of luck to you. The missing scale thing makes me thing of vitamin A, but A injections can cause skin to come off, not an A deficiency. I dunno, just my 2 cents.