Broken jaw on force feeding?

I own an classic motley corn snake with 4 months old, who after shedding refuses to eat.

Today she completed 16 days without eating.

I tried force feeding, and when i push the pinkie down her throat, listen a low noise, like a "cracking" sound, after it pinkie fall from her mouth and she tried to escape from my hands. I tried to examinate her mouth opening it again, but i can't. Aniway, her mouth now still closed and have no external signs of injury.

Is possible her jaw is broken? What i gonna do?

It's my first snake, and this trouble is very frustrating.

All sugestions and help is welcome!

PS: Sorry for my bad english.

If the cracking sound was more like a crackling sound then she probably has a URI (Upper Respiratory Infection).
I would not have worried or tried force feeding after only 16 days. A 4 month old that's been eating regularly can go much longer before the need to force feed.
Their jaws are pretty flexible especially at that age so hopefully you did no damage.
A trip to the Veterinarian is in order.
A pic might help.

get that snake to a reptile vet asap. if you're concerned about her not eating in the future there are a lot of things you should try first before force feeding, which is very extreme.

my guy is a shy eater and needs to feel very safe while eating. i've found that leaving the mouse in his enclosure (on a paper towel), turning off the lights, and coming back in an hour is the most consistent way for him to eat.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

daddio207

This sound was only at the moment, never heard before.
How longer a baby corn snake at this age can go, without eating?
I will post some pics soon.

lazarin

I tried leave her alone with pinkie in a small and dark space, for hours.
Tried cut pinkie's head too, but she shows no interest and sometimes goes away, like she was "scared" of the pinkie.

I'll go to vet soon as possible!

Thanks for replies!

Here some pics, not the best quality, and cellphone camera can't focus exactly on her mouth:





And found this liquid trail at paper towel in his cage, any idea of what is?

The jaw looks normal in the pic but without a physical exam it's just a guess.
I've had hatchlings go 3-4 months from birth before eating anything.
The "wet" mark on the paper is probably urites.
Is this snake new to you?
How many times has it eaten with you?
Keep in mind the more you try to get it to eat the more you stress it out causing it not to eat.

Yes it's my first snake, 41 days with me.

She eats 5 times, the last was on 22/04. Some days after, she enters in shedding procces, and not eat anything until today.

Shed completed in 02/05.

Eating 5 times and a shed cycle in 41 days is a good track record! It's been barely a week since completing the shed so you definitely overreacted in jumping to force feeding. Some snakes make their own schedules on when to eat, shed, defecate, etc. It's not unheard of for a snake to wait a week or two after a shed cycle to eat. Best thing to do is to leave her alone for a few days (NO STRESS) then try feeding her the same way she ate the other 5 times. I can't stress enough the importance of how stress can effect the health of a hatchling!! If she doesn't eat then then wait 3-4 days and try again. Your panicking to get her to eat could be the very reason why she isn't now. My bluntness is not intended harshly but with concern for you and the animal.

Today, after exactly 1 month without eating, she eats a brained pinkie who was left all night in her cage.

Thanks for all replies and support in this thread!

Glad to hear !
Patience pays off when it comes to reptiles. I'm sure it was a stressful month for you...