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Force Feeding and hydrating a sick snake

B

buddithegreat1

New member
Although I hope that I don't have to do this again I would appreciate it if someone with experience could give specific instructions for feeding and hydrating an incapacitated snake. This would be a snake that is not able to be force fed a mouse, or portion of mouse. I found alot in the threads about feeding, but it would be helpful if there was a specific list of dos and donts in one central area.
My questions would be:
Regarding nutrition
- What to feed
- Consistency of slurry/food
- Amount of slurry per weight of snake
- How often ( since the snake isn't getting a full feeding)
- How far down the throat does one put the syringe or tube

Regarding hydration
- How much water
- How much pedialyte/or supplement
- How often
- How far down the throat does one put the syringe or tube


Other questions:
-How long should a person hold the snake vertical, with its head up to keep the fluids from coming back up
-Should the snake also be given Beni-Bac

I am asking this because I have successfully rehabbed multiple incapacitated iguanas but my last two experiences with cornsnakes have been disasterous. Both snakes were healthy, consistently feeding snakes, when I got them (both were rescues) and I followed all the snake husbandry, feeding, and health info on this and other sites and BOTH of them got sick and died. I must say that, since they were plump and feeding well when I got them, I must have done them in somehow. I am sure that Maizie got her RI from something in the wall, maybe mold, because she was only in the wall for three hours and it is warm in Florida walls at night. She also came out because I tempted her with a mouse (which she ate). I want to have the best information out there so I am throwing this question out so, if this ever happens again, I will have all the tools necessary to care for the snake.

Jan
 
The reason why I personally didn't respond is I am of the opinion that you are asking for something your veterinarian should be answering and showing you how to do properly. I don't personally think it wise for someone who doesn't have experience with force feeding snakes to learn such things off the internet. I wouldn't be surprised if that is why you've received no response at all. No ones wants the responsibility of providing the information you ask, and you or someone else who reads this kills their snake from doing things improperly.

One thing I will mention is that forcing liquid down a snakes throat is not required to hydrate them. Soaking them in water or pedialyte for an hour or so every day or two is sufficient...That's what they do with import ball pythons.
 
Thank you for your response.

My vet just told me to force water and food with a syringe. I did the best I could do with the information I had from her.

I have force fed iguanas with excellent results but the snake was a different story and the vet, although very nice, was not very helpful with these issues with my snake. I moved from WA, where I had a herp specialist who was excellent, to FL, where the only herp vet was actually a dog cat vet. I am back in WA where I have excellent vets.
 
I'm sure there is more than one vet in Florida. If you were in Gainesville, I could recommend a good one!
 
Thanks everyone. I tried to contact all of the vets listed on an earlier post I received regarding another issue in April 08 but the vets within a 75 mile radius reported they were not herp vets and saw herps infrequently. I did see several posted for Gainesville, a three hour drive, which I would have done but my snake died immediately after being wormed (there was no evidence of worms in stool sample I provided. The vets was grasping at straws and I think the snake was to immune compromised to live througha worming. I did contact several vets on the list and I will look through the new lists and see if any of those vets refused to see my corn.

Thanjs again.
 
I just checked all the sites you provided and not one vet in my area was on their lists, except on herpvet.com, the two vets who would not see my snakes and denied being herp vets were listed.

Thanks again

I am back in Seattle and my Seattle vets are listed on every site. Rah for Tracy Bennet and her husband, who is an excellent surgeon. I have also used Dr. Kamaka in Kirkland WA who is very knowledgable with herps.
 
I would recommend contacting the websites and letting them know what you were told so the vets names can be removed. No use in continuing advertising them as herp vets and wasting others times making calls into them.
 
buddithegreat1 said:
Thanks everyone. I tried to contact all of the vets listed on an earlier post I received regarding another issue in April 08 but the vets within a 75 mile radius reported they were not herp vets and saw herps infrequently. I did see several posted for Gainesville, a three hour drive, which I would have done but my snake died immediately after being wormed (there was no evidence of worms in stool sample I provided. The vets was grasping at straws and I think the snake was to immune compromised to live througha worming. I did contact several vets on the list and I will look through the new lists and see if any of those vets refused to see my corn.

Thanjs again.
Click to expand...

I'm so sorry you lost your snake, buddi. *hugs*
 
I put a comment under the names of the vets who were listed on herp vet regarding their refusal to treat the snakes and that they stated that they were not "herp vets". Thanks again.
 
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