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He hasn't eatin in over 6 weeks...

Jinknights
11-25-2006, 01:13 AM
(long post ahead.. heh..)
First of all, I must state this is the very first reptile animal I have ever had..., and, at first, everything was seeming to go alright.

I got my snake in July, and he (or she.. i dont know how to tell..) was acting perfectly. He never once tried to bite me, and ate one every 4 or 5 days (he's only a baby, so they told me to feed him abuot 2-3 times a week). Everything was perfectly fine.. Untill october came.

Me and my mother went on a small trip, about a week. I fed him the day we left, so that he could hold out untill we got back 6 or so days later. I had my sister watch over him. Making sure to give him clean water, check the cage temperatures, and such. Things were going fine, untill I got a call on the last day of my vacation, saying that he was not in his cage.

I was hesterical, and my mother offerd that we go home early in the morning the next day..

We got anouther call on the way home, my sister saying that she found him... in the Dishwasher.. Yes, the dishwasher.. My Brother-in-law picked him up(my sister refused to touch him), and put him in his cage, and got him to eat the pinky, no problem.

But, a week later, he got out again, and this time, I found him in the Dog's room. I put him in his cage, and fed him. But, the next day he regurged. I thought this might just be stress from his adventure, but the problem is, he hasn't eaten once in about 6 or 7 weeks. He is loosing alot of weight, and no matter how much i try (and i try every 4 days or so) to feed him, nothing happens. He looks at the pinky, sniffs it, and just slithers off the other way.

I do not think he has been drinking either. He just stays in his little wodden hut, barely ever coming out. I am so scared that he might have eaten something bad when he got out that day, or that he might have gotton seriously hurt.

I have also noted that in his neck, there is a small kink. As if his neck is in a "S" type possition. When i picked him up, and observed it more, he would not let me try and straighten the "s" out, and his jaw seem a bit out of line. Is it possible his jaw is broken?! And if it is, what should I do? I am not sure if there are any vets around that will take reptiles, and I don't want him to starve to death.

(and a just so you know: He is aprox. 7-8 months old, about 2 ft, and the middle of his waist is about the size of my index finger. All the temps in his cage are pretty much normal, around 78 F. Also, since I live in washington, winter is here, and it's abuot 30 F outside, if that could have ANY thing to do with him not eating)

I am thankful for ANY help at all!! thankyou!

BeckyG
11-25-2006, 08:51 AM
First off, does he have a warm side and a cool side? They need a temperature gradient so that they can thermoregulate. The cool side should be in the 70-75' range, and the warm side in the 80-85' range. If your overall temp is 78, then you need to get a UTH and give him a warm spot. If that is your warm spot, bump it up a few degrees.

Secondly, if your snake is escaping, you need to find out how and fix the problem. Snakes are fantastic escape artists, and they will remember how they got out the first time and go right back to that spot.

If you think your snake is dehydrated, try and get him to drink. Where is your water bowl? If it isn't already there, put it next to the wall of the viv. It seems easier for young snakes to find it there. Also, you might try soaking him a bit every day. Many snakes don't like soaking, but they will absorb some water through their skin, and may even drink some. Just make sure the water is not too hot or too cold. It should be around 80-85' or so.

Finally, it is entirely possible that your snake was injured or picked up a parasite during its little adventure. I would try to find a herp vet near you. Perhaps you can call around your area and see if any of the vets treat reptiles. It may be he had an injury in his neck that is making him not want to eat. If he is indeed losing weight, you need to get this seen to as soon as possible. Even if you don't have a herp vet nearby, a regular vet is better than nothing.

Good luck with the baby, and let us know how things went.

MegF.
11-25-2006, 02:00 PM
I would worry less about parasites than injury. A kink in the neck and a misaligned jaw sounds like he got caught under or in something. I would get him to a vet and have him checked. There's no way he'll eat if he's injured. I'm surprised that he's losing weight so quickly at his age. At 7-8 months old, having had regular feedings, he should have plenty of weight to work with. My non-feeding hatchlings didn't even start to look thin until a couple of months of no eating, and these were babies right out of the egg that had taken no food at all. I'd get an immediate vet check.