corns, tails, rejuvination?

[Midnght]

Okay A fellow herp lover of LARGE Boas (he owns my boa as he was getting to big for me) came by the house several months ago and dropped off fairly helthy but abused corn. Someone had dropped this poor guy cage and all on his doorstep. Own nothing but corns now he came to me I adopted the guy.

Now the abuse.

The water dish was very very small. The owners never helped with his shed (I've yet to have to help my snakes with their sheds but then they have water dishes and adequate everything to do the jobs themselves. so far.)
got most of it off save about 1/2 -3/4 of an inch at the base of his tail.
This is not just one left on shed this was multiples (I wish I had taken a picture of it before I doctored the guy up.). suffice it to say it looked akin to a skeleton with skin a little meat and some bulges. He didn't seme bothered by it. But that's no good it was bad.

I had my daughter hold him while I dipped and dipped and removed all this shed this part of the tail was very sickly some scabbing came off but no profuse blood loss just visual it was there and go to clot. He never got agitated and thus removed It will get some what healthier (Though he has needed shed help, it simply gets bunched at the tail here.)

My question is basically will it ever ragain it's meat and girth like that of a normal corn?
Will it fall off and he'll be stubby at some point?
Will it always be sickly but well as healthy as it can be no longer being restricted?

Any ideas anyone? This is kind of a hard issue to look up. Least I don't know the terinology for it if there is any.

Think of it like he had a skin corset on the end of his tail cutting of most of the circulation.

[RobbiesCornField]

It really all depends how long circulation was cut off. If the end of the tail looks dead, it might be. If it is, it'll fall off. How close is it to the vent? If it's a male, and you had ever planned to breed, you might not be able to, because it might have cut off circulation to a part of the hemipenes, and they would be too damaged to work properly. If the tail portion does fall off, closely monitor it for any infection.

[Midnght]

You can't see his tail in these (Taken back when first obtained and in the cage and substrate he came with, cept a bigger dish for him to use, yes is a him my Boa friend sexed him nicely enough. )but you can see despite his neglect he's pretty healthy otherwise.

http://www.thornefolk.net/Midnght/Snakies/Oketee%20Corn%20Snake/DSCF6080.JPG

http://www.thornefolk.net/Midnght/Snakies/Oketee%20Corn%20Snake/DSCF6089.JPG

http://www.thornefolk.net/Midnght/Snakies/Oketee%20Corn%20Snake/DSCF6090.JPG

http://www.thornefolk.net/Midnght/Snakies/Oketee%20Corn%20Snake/DSCF6091.JPG

[Midnght]

It really all depends how long circulation was cut off. If the end of the tail looks dead, it might be. If it is, it'll fall off. How close is it to the vent? If it's a male, and you had ever planned to breed, you might not be able to, because it might have cut off circulation to a part of the hemipenes, and they would be too damaged to work properly. If the tail portion does fall off, closely monitor it for any infection.

Sorry about the image sizes I thought the site resized em down.

Anyway don't really plan to breed. There was still blood in the tail when the shed was removed and a scab came with it.

It's fairly close maybe 1/4-1/2 away from it.
But his excrements are not affected.

[RobbiesCornField]

WOW those pictures are huge!!! Might I recommend using photobucket.com to host them? Or even Myspace.com will do an auto resize. Do you have any pictures of the tail?

[Midnght]

Not when I first got him. Also not that I can take right now. He being in CT me being in DC till I can all three corns to DC with me during the christmas holiday.

[Midnght]

Well since I can't fix the post myself hopefully a mod will come by and just set them to urls and not images on the page least till I can get home and modify them.
Sorry mods. }:>/

[vetusvates]

WOW those pictures are huge!!! Might I recommend using photobucket.com to host them? Or even Myspace.com will do an auto resize. Do you have any pictures of the tail?
I agree with Robbie. Need to see the tail.
However, if the tail bled (had even some small degree of circulation) I suspect you may be O.K.
Looking at the size/maturity of the snake, I will say it will always likely be visible that there was some injury or compromise to the normal growth of the tail.
There is the possibility that a flexible to stiff insensate tip remains at the posterior end of the snake, and the possibility that he will always need help shedding back there.
Regarding the hemepenes, the snake is larger than I thought. Which is good, for the sake of the hemipenes, and overall length of the tail. What is precisely the total length of the injured area?

[vetusvates]

I hope that is not an active radiator that I see his vivarium sitting on.

[Midnght]

I hope that is not an active radiator that I see his vivarium sitting on.

Hehe it is active now because it's winter. At the time he was on it no it was not active and he's been moved since. }:>)

[Midnght]

Well all the kiddies are now in their new homes.
This guy here is doing very well happy healthy well mannered.
His tail problem has fallen off. Seems it was just dead and well his body did the rest once I removed the shed. Now he's a bit stubby.
But no infection and well healthy and happy.
Any ideas if his tail will ever regrow to the normal long taper that snakes usually have or shall he be stubby for the rest of his days now? Any one know?

[danielle]

From what I know the tail on corn does not regenerate, but if it is all healed over and looking good that's all that matters.

[Hallie]

Well all the kiddies are now in their new homes.
This guy here is doing very well happy healthy well mannered.
His tail problem has fallen off. Seems it was just dead and well his body did the rest once I removed the shed. Now he's a bit stubby.
But no infection and well healthy and happy.
Any ideas if his tail will ever regrow to the normal long taper that snakes usually have or shall he be stubby for the rest of his days now? Any one know?

Nope, it won't regenerate. He'll just be a little stubby! I have one like this who had a tail shed problem when I got her, lost about a quarter inch of her tail. Glad he is healing and didn't get any sort of infection! :dancer:

[Midnght]

Most excellent. I was worried about him. Still will monitor the healing process but so far so good and he's a beautiful happy snake. Far more well mannered than first recieved. He was pretty agressive initially what with being dropped on a lawn not fed lack of water and a painful tail. Really glad to see he's much better tempered and takes frozen no problem. }:>)
thanks for your adivce everyone it's been most helpful. I'll get some pictures of his stub soon as I can.

[Midnght]

Wish I had one before.

But here's the after.

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=119&pictureid=774

[vetusvates]

Wish I had one before.

But here's the after.
Midnght, I hate to sound OCD, but could you give us a good picture of the underside of his tail, including his anal vent and the tip of the tail. It doesn't have to be esthetically pleasing, just get somebody to gently hold him or something.
The picture makes him look like a really big snake, and the picture makes him look like he lost more tail than I had originally imagined. In my mind, I just want to rule out 100% that his hemipenes were not involved. Don't be alarmed. I think he'll be A.O.K., I just want to make sure.
If you have already examined him closely, with that in mind, and ruled that out, just let me know and I will be content. ;)

[Midnght]

Midnght, I hate to sound OCD, but could you give us a good picture of the underside of his tail, including his anal vent and the tip of the tail. It doesn't have to be esthetically pleasing, just get somebody to gently hold him or something.
The picture makes him look like a really big snake, and the picture makes him look like he lost more tail than I had originally imagined. In my mind, I just want to rule out 100% that his hemipenes were not involved. Don't be alarmed. I think he'll be A.O.K., I just want to make sure.
If you have already examined him closely, with that in mind, and ruled that out, just let me know and I will be content. ;)

Sure not a problem. I thought about that today as i posted it. And compared to my other snakes with their tails his is quite stubby. Leading me to thik one of two things.

some had fallen off before I got him or his issue had been left an issue for a long time. He's quite grown considering and his tail should be like two inches longer to the taper or so. I'll take some measurements as Timira is about his size and see how long her tail from vent to tip is to give an idea of what is actually lost. Possible he may never be able to breed but I have no plans to do so any how. And his BM's are regular.

[nrfitchett4]

Okay A fellow herp lover of LARGE Boas (he owns my boa as he was getting to big for me) came by the house several months ago and dropped off fairly helthy but abused corn. Someone had dropped this poor guy cage and all on his doorstep. Own nothing but corns now he came to me I adopted the guy.

Now the abuse.

The water dish was very very small. The owners never helped with his shed (I've yet to have to help my snakes with their sheds but then they have water dishes and adequate everything to do the jobs themselves. so far.)
got most of it off save about 1/2 -3/4 of an inch at the base of his tail.
This is not just one left on shed this was multiples (I wish I had taken a picture of it before I doctored the guy up.). suffice it to say it looked akin to a skeleton with skin a little meat and some bulges. He didn't seme bothered by it. But that's no good it was bad.

I had my daughter hold him while I dipped and dipped and removed all this shed this part of the tail was very sickly some scabbing came off but no profuse blood loss just visual it was there and go to clot. He never got agitated and thus removed It will get some what healthier (Though he has needed shed help, it simply gets bunched at the tail here.)

My question is basically will it ever ragain it's meat and girth like that of a normal corn?
Will it fall off and he'll be stubby at some point?
Will it always be sickly but well as healthy as it can be no longer being restricted?

Any ideas anyone? This is kind of a hard issue to look up. Least I don't know the terinology for it if there is any.

Think of it like he had a skin corset on the end of his tail cutting of most of the circulation.

I had trouble with my green ig not shedding in a couple of spots. After several sheds built up on these trouble spots they got black and hard. I put some vaseline on these spots and then a couple of hours later slowly rub them with a butter knife. It took multiple attempts, but finally they all came off and now you can't tell.
I'm not sure if the snake would attempt to ingest the vaseline (the ig couldn't reach it) so maybe someone would know that.
I had to really increase the humidity and now he has had no problems.
Hope this helps.