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deformed hatchling... what to do?

Hjorrdis

Hjorrdis

Hokie
The 13th snake emerged from the egg tonight and appears to have a severly deformed head. The spot where the left eye is supposed to be appears to have the shape of the eye, but instead of there being an eye it looks like skin grew over the spot.... I believe this eye is functional but blacked out, because the snake seems to be sensitive to light. The right eye, on the other hand, does not appear to even be there at all. The lip is curled up a bit under the eye and may hinder the poor thing's mouth function. I have yet to see a tongue flick out, but the snake is moving around all right. It doesn't seem to retain water very well (the skin is dry), but I have seen it drinking water. I suppose I'll try to keep it alive as long as possible, but if there's anything I can do other than keeping it moist, I'd like to know. I'll post pictures tomorrow!

Thanks a lot!
 
Wow, that is unfortunate. I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I just wanted to say I hope things go alright (although it doesn't sound very good, does it?). :(
 
thank you a lot for your support....

I thought I'd post a picture of this poor thing... so here's one of the right side of its head which appears to be the most deformed... the other side is just strange....

this snake does seem to be feeling better this morning!
 

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From what you have described, it seems to be a pretty extreme deformity. I know this isn't the answer you want to hear, but the most humane thing I can suggest is euthanization. Keeping it alive may seem to be the "right thing to do" but in the meantime, the poor animal is probably suffering. Sometimes nature decides which ones will stay, and which ones will go, and we have no control over it. Surely, if this little hatchling was not born into captivity, it would have a very little chance at surviving, and that is something you have to keep in mind, especially as a breeder. Let nature take its course. Sorry to hear about your little guy, but remember, you have 12 more perfectly healthy hatchlings that need your attention. :)
 
i agree with jynx. i, personally, don't see the point in keeping it alive. with the mouth deformity you described, i'd be surprised if it could even eat, and it would be just cruel to let it starve to death.

put him in the fridge for an hour or so then move him to the freezer. that's the most humane way i can think of.
 
I know its hard, but sometimes these things happen. Its not your fault, it's just nature being nature. Just focus your efforts on the rest of the clutch, which is beautiful by the way! There's nothing you can do about that little guy, but you can ensure that his siblings have a healthy and happy start in life :)
 
Not to go totally against the grain here, but I seem to remember reading on here somewhere that freezing snakes is a pretty inhumane way to put them down. If I remember correctly they are still conscious as ice crystals form in their eyes and body... ouch!

I could be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure I remember reading it on this forum. Maybe you could find the thread by doing a search? I'll look for it later this evening if I have time.
 
hmm.. Im in veterinary medicine. Have been for 12 years. The most humane way of euthanasia is an injection of euthasol- which is an OD of an anesthetic- stops the heart and breathing immediatly while going under anesthesia.

BUT... if you do manage to get this little guy to eat, and you want a nice project (all of my pets tend to be lemons, but I love them all) then have at it :)
 
A Kingsnake might be the answer to... Tough to put critters down, but like everyone says, probably the most humane thing to do...

Regards..
 
amcgltdchix said:
BUT... if you do manage to get this little guy to eat, and you want a nice project (all of my pets tend to be lemons, but I love them all) then have at it :)
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For someone that's in vet medicine, I am appalled that you would even give that kind of advice, thus prolonging the suffering of an animal. Especially for someone who has "studied it for 12 years"... that would have made you 16 when you started... hmmm...

Giving advice like that, have you ever thought that maybe there was a reason your pets "tend to be lemons?" :)
 
Em, hi guys, I've never posted before but just read the stuff here, cos I'm getting a corn soon. If the little guy doesnt seem to be suffering why put him down?
 
I'd have to agree that the only one who could know for sure if a snake NEEDS to be euthanized would be the owner or at least someone who's spent time with it. Not like we can just ask them, so we have to go by how they're acting. If they eat, shed and defecate without any seeming problems, and are as active as a healthy looking snake, then who are we to say they are suffering? I understand you can't sell a deformed snake, and commercial breeders may not want to have to keep all the deformed babies as pets, but if someone has a deformed snake, and they say it appears to be fine and acting normal, what right does anyone else have to tell them they should put it down? You can't SAY FOR SURE that's it would be cruel to allow it to live. Nature doesn't throw deformed babies into a freezer. True, they might not have as good a chance at long term survival, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be able to have a full and satisfying life. I'm not trying to attack anyone or anyway of doing things, just think things seem to be getting more and more about who's way is the right way, when in reality, there are usually several different paths that may all work out.
 
I'm going to keep it alive for a few more days, maybe even a week, to at least get a better judgement.... and if I decide it's not doing too well I'll use co2 to put it down.
 
D|ssey said:
Em, hi guys, I've never posted before but just read the stuff here, cos I'm getting a corn soon. If the little guy doesnt seem to be suffering why put him down?
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D|ssey said:
I'd have to agree that the only one who could know for sure if a snake NEEDS to be euthanized would be the owner or at least someone who's spent time with it. Not like we can just ask them, so we have to go by how they're acting. If they eat, shed and defecate without any seeming problems, and are as active as a healthy looking snake, then who are we to say they are suffering? I understand you can't sell a deformed snake, and commercial breeders may not want to have to keep all the deformed babies as pets, but if someone has a deformed snake, and they say it appears to be fine and acting normal, what right does anyone else have to tell them they should put it down? You can't SAY FOR SURE that's it would be cruel to allow it to live. Nature doesn't throw deformed babies into a freezer. True, they might not have as good a chance at long term survival, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be able to have a full and satisfying life. I'm not trying to attack anyone or anyway of doing things, just think things seem to be getting more and more about who's way is the right way, when in reality, there are usually several different paths that may all work out.
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Ok, well lets just ask the snake then... oh, wait...

This is where we as keepers come in. Since nature is not here to take over, we must play that role. No, nature does not take deformed hatchlings and throw them in freezers. Nature will allow the animal to survive long enough to either let the animal suffer to the point of death, which an animal in that condition would undoubtedly meet in no time, thus returning it to the earth or giving that life to another animal who is healthy. If you ask me, I'd rather be put into a freezer or fed to a kingsnake than have to survive in a world where I can't see to even hide from predators and slowly starve to death. That seems like a worse way to go.
 
Hjorrdis said:
I'm going to keep it alive for a few more days, maybe even a week, to at least get a better judgement.... and if I decide it's not doing too well I'll use co2 to put it down.
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This is absolutley your decision. I or anyone else on this forum can't tell you what to do and not to do with your own clutch. You asked for opinions, and they were given by people who have been in this situation before. I am in no way trying to attack you, but I am trying to show you that, though its very hard to give up on something, especially something living and breathing, we can't save them all. I was in this situation as well many a time, and have caused immense suffering to some babies just because I thought that trying to save them would be better for them. If you intend to be a breeder then this is something you will deal with time and time again.

For the hatchling's sake, I hope you make the right decision. Best of luck.
 
Jynx said:
Ok, well lets just ask the snake then... oh, wait...
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Thank you for proving my point, even though it appears you were trying to disprove my point.

Jynx said:
This is where we as keepers come in. Since nature is not here to take over, we must play that role. No, nature does not take deformed hatchlings and throw them in freezers. Nature will allow the animal to survive long enough to either let the animal suffer to the point of death, which an animal in that condition would undoubtedly meet in no time, thus returning it to the earth or giving that life to another animal who is healthy. If you ask me, I'd rather be put into a freezer or fed to a kingsnake than have to survive in a world where I can't see to even hide from predators and slowly starve to death. That seems like a worse way to go.
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So I guess we should now make it ok for parents to tell a doctor to go ahead and put down that baby that was just born with a deformity, since it will obviously not be able to have any kind of decent life, and if we were still living in "nature", that would be the one "nature" wouldn't want to make it anyway. The world is full of disabled humans, and animals for that matter, that are quite happy to be alive.

I wasn't looking to start up some big broohaha, only to point out that some people are a bit too into "their" way of doing things, and there is no other appropriate or right way. Someone was looking for help on what to do with a deformed hatchling, and seems to be willing to give it some time to determine if it might have a chance at a quality life before immediately throwing it out. I think that's highly commendable, and shouldn't be met with posts saying to just put it down cause it'd be cruel to keep it alive. What's wrong with giving it a little time to see how it does?
 
Duff said:
So I guess we should now make it ok for parents to tell a doctor to go ahead and put down that baby that was just born with a deformity, since it will obviously not be able to have any kind of decent life, and if we were still living in "nature", that would be the one "nature" wouldn't want to make it anyway. The world is full of disabled humans, and animals for that matter, that are quite happy to be alive.
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I knew that someone would argue this point. The fact that this was even brought up has just convinced me that trying to push a point to someone who would compare apples to oranges is futile.

I'm sure that were it legal, this would happen. I have been in this situation, and my family has wished for 3 years that there was something we could do to change human laws of "morality".

My aunt got pregnant at 44 accidentily, and did not believe in abortions. She had numerous problems during the pregnancy, and the baby was born 4 months prematurely. His brain was not even fully developed, he was physically deformed, and had numerous other medical ailments that I can't even list. He was kept in a sterile incubator at the hospital, fed through a tube, and on life support the entire time. The doctors pushed my cousin to live for 3 YEARS like this... with barely the ability to even blink. He recently passed and my entire family, although mourning his loss, was grateful that he no longer had to suffer. Now what kind of a life does this sound like to you.

I did not intend to change the subject, but to prove a point. And now I'm done with this thread...
 
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