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Ok, so I think my snake is going to starve to death

FARTICUS
07-05-2009, 08:19 PM
Ok, so any help would be really appreciated. I have a hatchling about 6 weeks old today, bought 2 weeks ago. the day i bought him (from a breeder- silvergrin on here) was the day he was to eat. i fed him and im pretty sure he regurged. so i checked everything, and only could determine it was stress. left him alone for a few days and tried again. he ignored the pinky. so i figured still stress. i checked the tank temps, put in aspen so he could burrow if he wanted to, since he was burrowing under the newspaper anyway, and i figured it was more natural too. he seemed to enjoy that, and i can see little snake holes all over the place. i also covered the tank, so there is privacy, my cat leaves it alone, its high up on a bookshelf, so its away from traffic etc... he is very active at night, so that's good. i decided not to handle it for a week, and just leave it alone to acclimate, and de-stress. i waited a few more days and i fed it, and it refused at first. so i tried some of the tricks listed on here, like chicken broth, braining, slices, putting it in a container with the pinky overnight, and nothing. ive tried almost everything, and nothing is working. i don't know of anywhere here in Chicago that i can get a live pinky to try, so im considering trying an anole. any suggestions? if it takes an anole, how hard is it to go back to pinkies? or should i just try scenting the pinky with an anole? i even tried to get the pinkies from a different source! that didn't work either. the snake like literally avoids it, ignores it and all. i had it in the deli cup overnight with a brained pinky, and the cup was covered, and in the morning, the snake was on one side, and the pinky on the other. this is so frustrating. im pretty sure its not going into shed either, it looks the same as when i got him, eyes are fine and all. the nice lady who i got him from did offer to take him back and exchange for another if he still will not eat, but that isnt until aug 16th, at the earliest. im thinking he might die before that. she did say he ate a couple times before i bought him, so i don't know whats up? :(

danielle
07-05-2009, 08:37 PM
If your snake was eating frozen thawed pinks thats all I would offer. How often have you been trying to feed the snake? If you are trying more than once a week you may be stressing him too much so give him some time and try half a pink once a week only warmed and brained and left overnight. It is a sign of an awesome breeder who is willing to replace your snake, but be patient and think positive.

Cornsnake124
07-06-2009, 12:10 PM
you could try braining the pinky. Which is slitting open the head so the smells come out. I have also heard of scenting the pinky with from anything between chicken broth to tuna juice. I hope what happened to my 2nd snake doesn't happen to yours. Mine was so defensive it would just strike at everything but would not eat it. He starved to death because he could not be coaxed to eat.

FARTICUS
07-06-2009, 01:45 PM
yeah ive tried the braining this last time, but i didnt like split it open, i more like poked a hole in the head , and saw the brain juice start comming out. i tried the chicken broth. i took him out yesterday to get a closer look at him, and he is not going into shed, and really doesnt look like its lost weight. it was pretty scared as far as i can tell, but lively as hell, so im guessing that the couple of weeks without feeding hasnt done it too bad. im just going to try leaving it alone again for the week, and trying again on sunday. and suggestions on how i should go about it? just a plain old pinky? brained? scented..etc?

diamondlil
07-06-2009, 01:48 PM
Have you tried a washed pinky yet? Wash it with unscented dish soap and rinse it well, then pat it dry without touching the pinky with your hands.

FARTICUS
07-06-2009, 01:59 PM
no i havent tried that yet either, but here is the question.. do i try just one method a week or what? say he doesnt take a washed pinky within the first 2 hours or something like that, do i try a different approach? or just try again a different way next week?

diamondlil
07-06-2009, 02:02 PM
Try one trick at a time, one trick each week. Too many approaches could just put the snake off. Good luck!

FARTICUS
07-06-2009, 02:14 PM
sounds good. im going to try the washed pink, and see how it goes. now do you think i should put them in a container together, or just drop the pinky in the tank with him?

diamondlil
07-06-2009, 02:23 PM
I'd try a small feeding tub inside the viv overnight, no peeking 'til morning!

FARTICUS
07-06-2009, 02:25 PM
sounds good. wish me luck!

diamondlil
07-06-2009, 02:27 PM
I've got a baby from last year just ready to go back to her owner. She hatched, fed well for me, but never ate for her owner. I ended up having to feed her live pinks and she's just converted back to f/t...so good luck with your little one!

FARTICUS
07-06-2009, 02:29 PM
yeah im trying to find a place now that might have live pinkies, but so far the closest place is over an hour away
still hunting....

FARTICUS
07-06-2009, 03:55 PM
ok, so i found 2 places that have live ones! should i go with a live one or try a frozen one again? any thoughts?

Cornsnake124
07-07-2009, 01:04 AM
i would only use live as a last resourt. I would not want the snake to get hooked on live. Hatchlings can go up to a month without food so keep on trying every 3 days or so with diffferent methods. But if you absolutely have to, live is an option.

Asbit
07-11-2009, 03:53 AM
Farticus...what makes you suspect that snakey regurged??? I ask because if he did you could run into other complications, esp. if it gets to stressed.

Kathy Love, Author of Corn Snakes The Comprehensive Owner's Guide, keeper and breeder for approx 40 yrs, has taught me that if the snake regurgitates:
1. Wait a full 10 days, with no bothering the snake so that it can destress.
2. Give it a dose of Nutir Bac, you can get it from her web site http://www.cornutopia.com/ (it is a probiotic which helps to restore the good bacteria in the snakes gut, regurge kills them off and allows the bad bacteria to take over, making snakey susceptable to infection and the bacteria eating his gut).
3. The next meal should be at least 1/2 to 1/3 the size of the last attempted meal. So if you are trying pinkies, then only try the pinky head, in the little feeding container (with holes, in the viv, over night, undisturbed).
4. If and only if the snake takes that meal and keeps it down, then again in 7 days feed the same amount(pinky head only), do this until the snake has eaten and retained 4 or 5 consecutive meals. At this point you may increase the feed to 2/3 or 3/4 of the original fed amount.

Kathy states that bringing a snake, esp. a young one, back from regurging is very important to do the right way with as little stress as possible and in a way that prevents any further regurges or refusals to feed. As stress coupled with the regurges with allow the bad bacteria to flourish to numbers the snakes stomach can not control and balance. In the end that will inevitably kill it.

Hope all works out for you and your little one!!

Tisha

FARTICUS
07-11-2009, 02:21 PM
i think it regurged because it the pink i fed it initally was passed in less than 24 hours. so it could be either a previous meal, or it regurged this one. BUT, he has been active and drinking lots of water etc.. so i was reading and i guess the placement of my temp probe was wrong, so i adjusted it and the temps were too high. so i adjusted the rheostat, and it sits at a nice 85 for the past few days. so im going to try again on tuesday, and see what happens. oh, and i tried a live one and he wouldnt take it. but that was before lowering the temps.

Asbit
07-11-2009, 02:47 PM
Sorry Farticus, I did not understand.

i think it regurged because it the pink i fed it initally was passed in less than 24 hours. so it could be either a previous meal, or it regurged this one..

What does "was passed" mean??? Does it mean it pooped in 24 hrs??? if so that just means that the pinky was very small and your guy digested it well, and once you get him eating he could probably handle 2 pinks.

Or did you actually see the pinky looking much like a pinky or a slimy pink blob in the viv somewhere?? If so, then this is a regurge problem, and I suggest you revert back to the info I gave you on dealing with regurge problems.

About your temps, to high of heat as well as to low, will also cause feeding problems and stress out your little guy. Now that you have the temp regulated, I would wait closer to 5-7 days, allow him to settle after all the disturbances and attempts to feed and the high temps, then offer the pink again (brained).

This may sound gross but I had one here that was reluctant about eating and i made sure I split the pink all the way from nose to tail, then squished some brain out,so that the snake could really smell it, as well I thaw in the hottest water(in a ziploc of course) my tap will give me which will burn my hands then brain, by then the pink cools enough to safely feed it but still be nice and warm. When my guy would still try to avoid eating I would slowly and gently(so as not to scare) press the brain goo on to his nose and held the pink right there in front of the nose until he flicked and smelt and tasted, then he usually then took it.

Hope this helps some.

Tisha

Asbit
07-11-2009, 02:52 PM
Edit as well I thaw in the hottest water(in a ziploc of course) my tap will give me which will burn my hands then brain, by then the pink cools enough to safely feed it but still be nice and warm.

Should read ....as well I thaw in the hottest water(in a ziploc of course) my tap will give me, which will burn my hands then I brain/slit it. By then the pink cools enough to safely feed it but still be nice and warm.

Tisha

FARTICUS
07-11-2009, 11:14 PM
well thanks for the info, actually i just tried again. temps are a steady 85-86.
gave him the now thawed pinky (previously live). i did 2 things. i washed it, thinking it may have been turned off by the smell of the previous ones, and i ran the head under hot water for a while. put him in a container, and boy in less than 5 minutes he had it almost 3/4 the way down its body. i let him slither out on his own, and closed it all up, and turned out the lights. he is chilling in the warm side now... crossing my fingers hoping he keeps it down, and finally be able to ave a normal eating snake! wish me luck everyone!
:eats02:

danielle
07-11-2009, 11:21 PM
YAY congrats hopefully after a few meals you can give up the tricks and he'll just eat!!

FARTICUS
07-11-2009, 11:24 PM
i sure hope so. i actually just covered the whole tank with a big blanket to give him some privacy just in case. .

Asbit
07-12-2009, 03:40 AM
Great to hear Farticus!!! Hears hoping it stays down and comes out the other end in a few days!!! Congrats.

FARTICUS
07-13-2009, 10:49 PM
OK, so here is an update...
Haven't seen the lil guy since he ate. he has been hiding. not even at night. so i needed to change his water, and i started to sift through the aspen, and didn't find any poop, he probably didn't poop yet, but if he does, and its IN and not ON the aspen, i think im going to have a hard time finding it. Anyway, i sifted until i found him, and guess what he is in blue. no wonder. so i gave him a damp hide and misted the cage just in case. how long does a shed usually take? and how long after he sheds should i try another meal?

Asbit
07-13-2009, 11:01 PM
Well I can't remember Faticus, if you said he was really little or not. But i am going to go with really little. "Blue" for a really little guy will last approx 2-3 days, then he will clear up and with in the week he will shed.....keep in mind most not all little onse are very fast with this cycle so it may be a couple of days for the whole process. Once done shed feel free to offer food at your next regularly planned feeding day. Usually, once done shedding they are ready to eat again. Hope this helps.

Tisha

FARTICUS
07-18-2009, 11:12 PM
Ok, so its been 7 days exactly since Turok's last feeding, (named him Turok) and since then he hid nearly everyday since. had to check on him, and figured he was digesting for a day or 2 so when i did find him (had to shuffle through aspen for a while) turned out he was going to shed soon. so ive been misting the cage often, and gave him a moist hide (that he will not touch) and today when i get home from work, he is there perching on his dragon (gave him a big dragon in his viv) and a clean one piece perfectly shed skin. so i put him in his cool whip container, washed 2 pinks this time, and popped them in there, and in less than 10 minutes he downed them like cold beers. Success! looks likes everything is going good. maybe i can finally start handling him more that a day or 2 a week without worry of him not eating or something. im still going to take it slow though.... :dancer:

danielle
07-18-2009, 11:26 PM
Sounds like he's on the right track congrats on another feeding:)

Asbit
07-19-2009, 03:58 PM
Whoo Hooo little man is chowing!! just what we all want to hear.

haydnrobinson
07-20-2009, 10:08 AM
Congratulations! :D hope it all goes well now!