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Hoping this isn't Pneumonia - any ideas?

R

Ravenbluemoon

New member
OK, I'm new on here, so I'll give a little background...

We bought our corn, Tyr, as a youngster and he's now been with us for four months. He's generally been very good - ate pinkies like clockwork, never bitten, always friendly. He had a troublesome shed a few weeks ago, but we put that down to humidity and experience.

However, over the last couple of weeks, he's been acting strange - no eating and not bothered with his exercise. The guy at the shop we got him from (very knowledgeable and caring), he said that if he'd had a bad shed, it may be that he's due to shed again. So we thought that was fine, let him get on with his shed and no annoy him for a while.

This afternoon, we looked into his terrarium to find him laid in the middle section (temp wise), he was looking up towards the sky and the top part of him was on his back. He is also opening his mouth quite a lot.

We were worried enough to call the guy at the shop, he wasn't in, but one of his colleaugues suggested feeding again and see if he tries it. Tyr was not bothered. We've put him in his transport box (little tupperware box), and wrapped him up in a blanket with one of those wheatbags. We reckon he might be too cold and are worried about if it is pneumonia. It's unseasonally cold here at the minute, and his terrarium thermometer "reads" between 68 and 74 degrees.

I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas - it's afterhours now and we can't get anyone's advice until the morning (if we can get a herp vet, but the guy at the shop will see him if all else fails).

I know it's a long post, but thanks for reading and I hope someone will have an idea.

Raven
 
Hi, Raven. Welcome, this is a great resource.
I think I would not take the advice of the pet shop owners colleagues, if your snake is showing signs of stress or illness it's a bad time to feed.
Your temps are low right now, probably okay/low for normal days, but a higher temperature aids when your snake is digesting. You have had your snake for 4 months in that temp with no feeding problems, but if it is "unseasonably cold" maybe that is the problem. My snake likes to hang out in 70-75F, but always goes into her warm hide (82-84F) after she eats.
Do you, or how do you provide heat?
I'm a little concerned with the upside-down part of your post. My experience with my snake is that she will do everything possible to keep her "ventral side ventral".
 
What a shame, was the terrarium not heated? Corns do well at the temperatures that humans are comfortable in, as long as they've got a gradient with a warmer end for digestion. @80f should have been fine.
 
Thank you both for your replies.

I'm sorry for the abrupt tone of my second post - it's been a tough week in the family as our cat was shot by some low-life with an air rifle...

The terrarium was heated by a heat mat, and insulated underneath by polystyrene tiles. It usually remained above 70, usually 74, and the hide was at the warm end, which was a couple of degrees above that. All the kit was part of the starter pack, small terrarium (which as good for young up to a year), heat mat, hide, water bowl, substrate, a few rocks etc. I thought htis would be fine for him.

It just seemed so sudden - one minute he was just refusing food, but still happy to slither around at exercise time, next minute he's upside down and dying. I just feel responsible for his demise and wished I had known what to do earlier.

I'll have to have a think for a while about getting a new snake, I don't want the same thing to happen again.

Attached is a photo of him in happier times (don't know if it'll work) - RIP my friend.
 

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So sorry to hear you lost your corn, it's not nice when it happens, but please don't let it put you off of getting another one in the future.

Before anyone else jumps in on this what sort of thermometer are you using to measure the temps? If it's the stick on dial thermometer, that's stuck on the side of the tank, then that's not the temp where your corn sits (on the wall) and those thermometers are usually quite inaccurate :(

The temps you are reporting are probably much lower than the temperature on the actual heat mat :) Most of us here use a digital thermometer with a probe, and place the probe directly over the heat mat, to get the temperature reading at the hottest place our corns can get to, the bottom of the tank.

The other question I would ask is, do you know what those wood chips are made of? As I've not seen blue wood chips used for reptiles and I would be concerned about any fumes or such like, from the dye used on them, affecting the health of your snake :shrugs:
 
Thanks. I'm sure another snake may appear in the future, but I want to make real sure that I get it right next time...

Thermometer: Yes, it was a sticky type one - I was looking at an upgrade to this when he graduated to a larger tank. Maybe a probe type one or a laser thermometer would be a useful purchase (I can make use of both of these in some of my "projects" too). The substrate was nice and warm around the heat mat though. Maybe a small heat lamp would be a resonable buy to boost the temp a little?

Substrate: The woodchips were bought from the same place as the snake was. They don't have any strong smell like pine (I work with pine a bit in the workshop), but they are some kind of softwood. The blue is some kind of pigment that appears to have been sprayed on - there's no chemical smell (although my sense of smell is worse than a snake), and it doesn't "wash off" when wet. I never considered the substrate to be a problem, but will perhaps look for something else for next time, and give the blue stuff to the degus.

Something the wife has mentioned to me - do you think he may have been unwell at the time of purchase? I reckon it would have showed by now though as we had him for four months without any issues.
 
My corns have just heat mats, and the ambient (air, or wall of tank) temp is reading between 69*F and 74*F, but my heat mats when measured with a probe thermometer read 84*F. I've found, as have many others, that the heat output of a lot of heat mats is over 100*F and therefore we use a thermostat to control the heat mat :)

So your ambient temps are good :) You just need to find out the true heat of the heat mat and once you do I don't think you will need a light or other heat source. But you may need to buy a thermostat to regulate the heat mat, if it's too hot :)

The majority of the keepers on here use Aspen bedding for substrate, as it's very easy to spot clean and corns love to burrow in it, it also looks nice :)

I have a friend who recently lost a yearling corn, with no explaination for the death, and the vet said that it's just sometimes a case of, failure to thrive :shrugs:

Hope that's helped some,
 
Thanks, that's put a few worries to rest. It's just the suddenness that got us really, two pet deaths in a week kinda makes you feel that you got a curse or something...

Anyway, thank you very much for the advice, it's nice to know there are people who can help us newbies. I'm going to finish up soon on here and try to sleep. I'll give him a send off to the "big terrarium in the sky" tomorrow after work. He'll be missed, for sure.
 
RIP little one :(

Please do come back if you have other questions, and do let us know if you do decide to get another corn :)

Take care and best wishes,
 
Just a update...

After having time to contemplate things, we've decided we'd like another corn. We went to see the reptile guy today, and he was gutted that Tyr passed, but agreed that sometimes it just happens.

We're looking at a couple that are slightly older than Tyr was, one is a placid and friendly amel, and the other was a slightly older reverse okeetee, we're torn between the two at the moment, but we'll decide next week (when I'm paid).

I'll start a new thread on it and let you know how we go, and no doubt I'll be asking lots of questions!

Until then, take care all and thank you for your help.

Raven
 
Firsty, I am so sorry for your loss, but everything happens for a reason and sometimes nature follows a path that was set out from day one.

Secondly, I think its great you are getting another corn. Deffinatley go for a larger more established specimen. I know you will make a fabulous snake owner someday soon :)
 
Hey,

I'm so sorry for your losses of both your pets. Don't worry it wasn't your fault, just try again with a new snake. You can really never tell with the young snakes, sometimes they just have a health issue that doesnt present itsself until later. I recommend your next snake to be a little older. This way you know that it has been eating mice for a while and hasn't had health issues. My first corn snake was a year old.

I am even more sorry for your loss of your Cat. The complete asshole who shot your cat deserves to be shot himself. I love cats and having just lost mine to a coyote I feel your pain.
 
Thanks to you both.

At the minute I'm looking at a reverse okeetee - I'd reckon he's about 6 months old (I'll ask when the snake chap is in) - he's starting to gain some thickness as well as length - do you think he's old enough for me not to worry? Hopefully I'll be getting him at the weekend and I'll let you know how he gets on on another thread (with pictures!)

As for the cat - we managed to get a good sized piece in the local paper about it. We've since been given information by several neighbours pointing to one man - the police will be investigating, but if nothing comes to it I'm sure I've got a sizable lynch mob at the ready! :eatsmiley:)
 
Id advise the probe thermometer and aspen as substrate for the next snake. You dont really want to use something that you dont know what 'some kind of' wood it is.:)
 
Just to wrap this thread up: I have now got a new snow corn! :dancer:

She (we think it is a she) was born on 07/07/07 (!) so she'll be nearly 10 months old. I've put a new thread up - with pictures - on this thread: >>clicky link<<

Thank you for your support over the last few weeks! :)

Raven
 
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