My corn snake passed away...

[aself]

I am a new member and just joined. I have lurked here and there, but have never posted. I am very confused and upset about it. I bought Josey when she was only about 3 weeks old in July of 1998. She was a dream snake. I never had problems with her eating, even pinkies. So this July she turned 8. She was a very healthy snake. On Friday afternoon I went in to check on her and she was fact down in her water bowl, with her mouth open. She had bled out her mouth into her water bowl. I also noticed blood spatters on the sides of her cage. I called my vet and she said it sounded like she hemorraged (sp). I had checked on her the previous evening and she was just fine. She had eaten a mouse two nights ago and the vet did say that there could have been a bacteria in the mouse. The mouse was from the same bag of mice that I always buy - frozen from Petco. So I have no idea. I just hate to think of her suffering like that. She was already starting to bloat, so a necropsy (is that what it is called on reptiles?) wasn't possible. I just don't understand. This was my first and only corn snake. Isn't their life span longer? What did I do wrong?

[Roy Munson]

Sorry to hear that; that's really terrible. It is doubtful that you did anything wrong, given that you kept her healthy and happy for the better part of a decade. A sad fact of life is that not every organism lives out its full expected life span. Maybe the vets and vet techs who post here can offer more insight if they are given more details. :(

[starsevol]

I am so sorry about your loss.
I have heard corns usually live 10-15 years but I have known of some that lived longer. I had a healthy 9 year old eat and die 2 days later last January. He was too far gone to necrospy too. Sometimes it happens, I guess.

[:..becca..:]

I feel bad. Sorry this happened.
~becca

[susang]

I am so sorry for you, I'm sure you gave this snake a wonderful life, and did nothing wrong. :crying: susan

[Paradox]

So sorry for your loss. I'm sure it was nothing you did, and it is doubtful you could have done anything to stop it. Again, so sorry.

[zwyatt]

Sorry this had to happen. I know it sucks. I've been there before. Also sorry that I can't really give you any insight into what might have happened. Hopefully, things will work out for the best if you decide to get another.:)

[bitsy]

So sorry for you.

As you've managed to rear a Corn to be 8 years old, I seriously doubt that you did anything wrong at all. Poor husbandry will kill a Corn in weeks or months, not years.

It's an unfortunate fact that unexplained deaths occur in the healthiest animals. Sometimes perfectly healthy humans die suddenly from things like blood clots or haemmorhages, for no apparent reason other than "it was their time".

Yours could have had a problem from birth that would always have killed it eventually. Under those circumstances, you should be congratulated for getting the snake through 8 good years.

It's gutting that you can't have a necropsy to be absolutely certain, but your Corn had a good life and was clearly cared for.

[Chris Olson]

Aself,
Don't be so hard on yourself. As other posters have stated, it doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. This is a live animal hobby, and things like this happen sometimes. I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope it doesn't put you off from getting another corn.....

Chris

[BeckyG]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes these things happen.

[aself]

Thanks everyone for your posts. They made me feel a lot better about Josey's death. I suppose I will never know what caused it, but it time the grief will get better. Thanks again.

[MegF.]

Very sorry to hear about your girl. Hope things get better for you.