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Help! My cornsnake can't open his mouth!

Other than what others have suggested and a post-haste visit to the vet I really don't know. Sorry.

Best of luck getting your little guy healthy again. :)
 
Okay, I had another theory this morning. I am sorry if it comes out like a rude suggestion, but if he is four years old and is only eating fuzzies he may have Metabolic Bone Disease. This is caused by lack of calcium. Pinkies and fuzzies don't have a real skeleton, they only have cartilage and they are very high in fat. So feeding on these for long term can lead to health issues. Like I said before, a corn snake should be eating jumbo mice or even small rats at four years of age. My two year old is eating adult mice. Difficulty eating and swelling of the jaw area are both symptoms for MBD. MBD is very rare in snakes as they should get their calcium from their food, but if he is not eating properly then he may have gotten ill from this. My suggestion is to take him to a herp vet as soon as possible.
 
Will do. I thought fuzzies were about as large as he could tolerate... I guess I was being overprotective and didn't want him to choke. :( Hopefully it's something that can be fixed. Thanks so much!
 
Just read this. I am new myself so can't really offer any advice, & honestly it seems like other people have that area covered anyway. But I'd like to wish you & the snakey all tge best. I hope the problem gets resolved soon.
 
joneshannsen said:
Will do. I thought fuzzies were about as large as he could tolerate... I guess I was being overprotective and didn't want him to choke. :( Hopefully it's something that can be fixed. Thanks so much!
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Unless he's a super small guy he should be able to handle larger. You want to try offering him food that is the same width or just a little larger around than the thickest part of his body. Unfortunately your picture still didn't show up :( So I'm just throwing out hypotheses. You won't have to worry about him choking, snakes can eat come impressive things!
 
At 4 years old being fed only pinkies and fuzzies... He has MBD, it's severe and I'm going to be frank and blunt- it's probably beyond repair. Sorry to inform you, next time do some more research on the animal before purchase so you avoid things like this.
 
Sorry.... I think everyone has started out with a new pet and little knowledge. I've tried my best with him and truly care about him. I'm sure there are people with dogs who don't know that certain things can be very harmful. I intend on taking him to a herp vet ASAP. A little compassion goes a long way with someone who is already upset.
 
I completely understand your hesitance to move on to larger food items. And if you were never given all the info then I don't think you are to blame. Popcorn is about 8months old & I kept her on double pinks for longer than she should have been because I was worried she would regurgitate. She had her 1st small furry last week just to see if she would be ok with it, I slit it's back (icky but I did it to help her) & she handled it without any probs. Snarfed it down in fact. This Sat I gave her the last 2 pinks I had left just to use them up (I don't like to let them go to waste) & yesterday evening (Sunday) she was cruising the enclosure looking for more food. The pinks barely made a bump in her tummy. She'll have small furry mice from now on & I won't be so hesitant to move her up as she gets bigger. But I completely understand why you kept your lil buddy on fuzzies. You weren't to know the damage but you'll know for the future. As much as it sucks right now. My thoughts are with you & the poor snakey :(
 
Hi everyone. Just a quick thank you to everyone who tried to help out.... vet says it's not MBD.... probably a tumor or an infection, and he's pretty much leaning toward tumor. :( We've been giving him Meloxicam and it KILLS me becuase I can tell it really bothers him when I give it to him. He's still losing weight and I'm not sure the meds are doing any good. Thanks for all the insight and words of encouragement though! Now it's time to deal with breaking the news to my 9 year old.
 
I'm so sorry to hear that. Sending all good wishes your way.

Off tpoic now, but just to take this issue forward:

At 4 years old being fed only pinkies and fuzzies... He has MBD, it's severe and I'm going to be frank and blunt- it's probably beyond repair.
Click to expand...

if he is four years old and is only eating fuzzies he may have Metabolic Bone Disease. This is caused by lack of calcium. Pinkies and fuzzies don't have a real skeleton, they only have cartilage and they are very high in fat. So feeding on these for long term can lead to health issues.
Click to expand...

There are people here - experienced keepers - who have adult Corns that have refused to eat mice with full coats of fur and have lived all their lives on multiple pinks and/or fuzzies. MBD isn't an inevitable outcome, so I'd maybe be a little more cautious with this advice.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your poor lil one. I'll keep him in my thoughts & send get well wishes along too :-/
 
Thank you to EVERYONE for your kind words. I had to put "Spiderman" down today. Turns out it was a tumor and it was growing at a pretty fast pace. Can't believe I cried over a snake. :( BUT.... I would like to get my son a new corn.... they are such easy keepers and so very docile.

Can anyone recommend a reputable breeder? Maybe I can avoid "inbreeding" issues like tumors and such......... any advice is appreciated.

thank you all!!!!
 
So sorry to hear that :( And crying over him is no shame, when I lost Jasper, my first snake I cried almost all day. I still cry when I think about losing him. Sadly your situation was unavoidable, I lost Jasper due to my own mistake. Never feel shame for mourning the loss of a pet, we all understand being upset over a loved one.

As for getting a new corn, check out the classifieds section on this website.
 
I'm sorry for your loss :( I also agree that there is no shame in crying over losing a pet. I cried when I lost both of my gerbils. I wish you well with your next pet, even though I understand that it will never replace spiderman. My thoughts are with you.
 
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