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Emergency! Pinched in his tub. :(

Thanks for the reply Bitsy! I'm taking the hide out now. :)

Now I just need his appetite to come back... I'm sure he will eat when he's ready. It's been almost two months now since his last mouse.
 
Have you tried offering something much smaller than he'd normally eat? (Sorry if you've tried already - haven't read the entire thread, just start and the current outcome!). As he's an adult, maybe a fuzzy, or even two or three pinkies, might tempt him. They'd also mean that there was minimal stretching as the food passed the site of his injury.
 
No I haven't tried smaller yet. He seemed so disinterested in even the smell of food at first that I didn't think to try anything smaller. Other food sizes I have are peach fuzzies and hoppers. Do you think a hopper is too big?
 
I'd say the smaller the better at the moment. The main thing is to get him eating anything reliably - not necessarily to get him eating normally. It's possible that a "little and more often" feeding regime might be more appropriate whilst he's healing.

Think of the lengths we can go to, to get an ailing cat or dog to eat. Cooked chicken... scrambled egg... tinned tuna... We don't just stick to canned pet food if they go off their meals. Same principle with a snake, really.
 
I've been keeping track of this since you first posted about it. That really looks like a horrible wound. I bet it's really painful. I feel so sorry for him. I really hope he makes a speedy recovery. It's a good thing he has a caring "mom" to take care of him.

I agree. Offer him a peach fuzzy and see if he takes it.
 
SUCCESS!!! :D

After two months of no food, he finally ate last night!

I offered him a peach fuzzy when he was coiled up in his hide. At first he was almost scared of it, so I left it at the opening to his cave. After thinking about it a moment his hunger must have kicked in because he snatched it up and yanked it back in with him.

After he finished it he stuck his head back out and looked around for more. So, I quickly thawed another and he struck it right out of my tongs. :) I stopped at two because I didn't want to overdue it the first feeding. I'll probably put him on a 6 day schedule and slowly increase food size.

I'm feeling soooo relieved that he's finally eating again!! Thanks again for all your help guys (and gals!). I absolutely love this forum. :)
 
Oh that's great news! I totally understand the feeling of excitement when a reluctant feeder finally eats. :)
 
He's much more active and eating regularly. :) Still not 100% but definitely on his way there.

I've been giving him 2 or 3 peach fuzzies every 6 days. I'm thinking about upgrading his next feeding to a small hopper. He's even striking his food again, but still isn't coiling. I don't expect him to until his wound is completely healed, if he ever does again.

He's also really active and insists now on destroying his clean tub. He keeps getting water everywhere and turning his cage into a giant moist hide. About every 3 or 4 days I'm finding it like that.

I keep his wound super clean and regularly do his antiseptic wash. He has too much vigor now and refuses to open his mouth for antibiotics. He literally clamps his jaw down and lets nothing in. I'm nervous to try to hard and hurt him. Plus he thrashes too which makes me nervous, even when I have a helper.

Will not having antibiotics be a major issue? He definitely looks super healthy. I do my best to keep his cage pristine too to make sure there's as minimum risk as possible to infection. I'm poop checking at least twice a day.

I'll try and get photos up asap. My camera is being stubborn and not cooperating. His colors are getting dull and dark again so I'm assuming he'll be shedding in another week, give or take.

Thanks Xep (and everyone else!) for all your concerns and thoughts.
 
I'd "insist" he takes the antibiotics, despite his protest.

You can prise their mouths open using something flat like a credit card. As the teeth point backwards in the mouth, sliding it over the top of his lower jaw gently but firmly, shouldn't do them any damage. You can then use it to prise his mouth open and get those antibiotics into him. The easiest thing is for you to open his mouth and get someone else to administer the antibiotics.
 
He just shed a few days ago and is eating hoppers regularly now. He's also as active as ever.

With his last shed there a lot less bleeding which I take as a good sign.

I also could see the edges of his scab coming up to reveal healthy, clean skin underneath complete with scales.

Everything seems to be going along smoothly. I'm curious to see when his whole hard scab comes off what he will look like underneath.
 
I'll try to post pictures soon. My camera is acting up at the moment and won't recognize my memory card.
 
Wow..I am glad he doing so well also, but part of this thread brought a question to mind when giving antibiotics could one not load their F/t with the medicine befor feeding, and avoid the force feeding? I am new to snakes and ask for future reference should it ever be needed.
 
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