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Is Snakey going to be ok?

T

T-SULLI

New member
Hey guys!

So I used to be a semi-active member a while back but I am back now with a new username. I forgot my old login and the e-mail I used for it is no longer active...

Snakey (yes that is her name) decided to surprise me with the wonderful gift of 14 slugs under her water bowl about 3 weeks ago while I was out of town. Since then she got another one out about 10 days ago. The problem is that she sill has one to go... It is a visible bump right up against her vent that she cant seem to push out. I have seen her make the attempt a couple of times with no success. So i decided to take her to the vet since she fed on 3 mice about 12 days ago and has yet to poop...

So... The vet visit went ok I suppose. He doesn't seem worried at the moment and just decided to give her some oxytocin which is apparently supposed to help her with the contractions? She took the shot like a champ and immediately tried to push the egg out again with no success. He said don't worry because with snakes it can take a while for the medicine to work its way through her system... Well its been 4 days and still no slug!!!

I guess I am much more worried than the vet is... She hasn't pooped in what seems like an eternity so she has to be backed up in there! I never thought I would see the day where I would be soo excited at the prospect of fresh snake poop... HAHA! Also the slug is still in there!

Now she does seem to be fairly active and hungry so he said to just go ahead and feed her. Thoughts on this? Another question is there anything else I can be doing for her other than cheering from the sidelines? Any advice would be awesome and very much appreciated! She is my buddy... She deserves any help I can giver her.

Thanks!
 
I would probably recommend calling the vet back and explaining she still hasn't gotten the egg out. I don't have any other advice, I'm sorry. Hopefully someone else who has dealt with a similar situation can help you out.

Best wishes!
 
What feels like a slightly warm bath or slightly warm she can swim in with something to slither into slightly above water level can help with digestion and defecation. It needs to be between 80-90°F, if you have a thermometer to measure it with, if I remember correctly. Could someone verify the temperature?

I don't know if it would help with laying slugs/any eggs, but I don't think it would hurt to try. When done after five to fifteen minutes, put her in on the cool side of her tank after drying.
 
Hey T-Sulli!

Welcome back! How ya been?

I would do a search on this forum for "egg bound" snakes and read through some of the threads and maybe you and your vet can agree on the next course of action? I remember seeing a thread or two about aspiration and how it works with eggbound snakes. Sorry I can't be more helpful as I can see how much you love your little sneaky one.

You and Snakey are in my thoughts and prayers!
 
Hi, I have no good advice either, except to ask if your vet is experienced with snakes? I can only second what axis1 said. Do some searches and maybe present your vet with some options, unless they are really experienced with reptiles. Many vets aren't.

I would be really worried too, and will be watching for updates on this thread, since this is one of my fears for my own snakes. But I bet there is probably some good advice on eggbound snakes in previous threads. Good luck, I hope everything turns out ok!
 
Thanks for the responses!

I have a couple of things to add that I forgot to mention in the original post...

I asked the vet about alternatives and he was hesitant to do some of the other procedures such as aspiration. He says that if the eggs pops or leaks while it is still inside, it can potentially cause a serious infection. He was quick to inform me that the worst case scenario would be surgery but since the slug is literally just on the other side of her vent, I find it hard to believe that we would need to resort to that... This guy has a decent reputation with exotic pets and he seemed to know a thing or two about reptiles as far as I could tell.

I also wanted to add that I tried a warm bath as it was a suggestion on pretty much all the postings I read. This pretty much just freaked her out and the bath was short lived... All hell broke loose after about 5 seconds in the water. It was around 90ish degrees but she HATED it. I tried to keep her in there but she was positive that a bath was not for her...

I also did a search and looked up some other posts on egg bound girls. While there is a wealth of useful knowledge, I didn't quite feel like I was able to get the information (or maybe comfort/reassurance) that I was looking for. I don't know... I just feel completely helpless! Other than taking her to a vet who will charge me a million dollars to perform an unnecessary surgery, I am not sure of what else I can do. I am not comfortable with trying aspiration or trying to get it out myself because I have literally zero experience doing something like that. I don't want to hurt her.

I am making an egg box for her in case that makes her a bit more comfortable but from what I have read, some people say its not necessary considering she has already laid all the other ones and others say that it is needed. Either way it is an easy thing to provide her just in case it helps...

Thanks for the love! I will try to post a picture of her later if I have the time.

Anything else that anyone can think of would be awesome! In the meantime, I will just read as much as I can on the topic and cheer her on from the sidelines!
 
I hope snakey is ok! And definitely add the lay box. I had a female blow out a ton of amber-like infertiles last year, and she didn't lay the last few until I supplied a lay box.
 
axis1 said:
Welcome back! How ya been?
Click to expand...

Thanks Axis1! I have been doing pretty well... Just work work work you know? Haha! That is one thing I missed about this forum. Everyone is nice and the atmosphere is inviting. Other forums that I am a part of have some very unpleasant people doing a lot of the posts... It is refreshing to be back in a forum with nice people!
 
DuxorW said:
I hope snakey is ok! And definitely add the lay box. I had a female blow out a ton of amber-like infertiles last year, and she didn't lay the last few until I supplied a lay box.
Click to expand...

Ohh awesome! that makes me feel a little better... Maybe she just isn't quite comfortable yet. Thanks for sharing!
 
Best wishes with snakey. I hope she passes the egg soon. I can't add much else. Just wanted to lend a little support.
 
Thanks for the support and love everyone! Still nothing yet as of this morning before I left for work. Hopefully soon!
 
Yeah, I'm also wondering and actually feeling nervous for you and your little sneaky one!

It's AMAZINGLY IRONIC! I can handle human drama & tragedy on many levels - I've been a social worker for the past quarter century and have worked with death & dying in every neighborhood of NYC where cops are even afraid to tread, but if something goes wrong with one of my snakes or if I even read about it here, I am suddenly transformed to something similar to a NUN IN A CUCUMBER PATCH!!! A topic for a separate thread but can anyone explain this?
 
I'm not a professional but I think most of us have a compassion for animals, especially those whose care depends on humans. I think it may come from the same place that makes us want to parent our children. That certainly is important for the continuation of the species and is probably quite hard wired into most of us.

Axis, love the mental picture of a nun in a cucumber patch, lol. You certainly have a way with words :rofl:

P.S. Do any of the rest of you feel an oxytocin rush when you handle your snakes? I get one by their just looking at me. Mandy stuck her face out at me from her warm hide when I was cleaning her humid hide this morning and I just about melted.

I forgot to add that I too hope Snakey is okay. Egg bound is on of those really dicey things.
 
Don't really know if it's oxytocin or endorphins but what's the REAL difference? Give it a name, huh? I DEFINITELY get a warm, fuzzy feeling and it might also explain why my other hobbies in life included skydiving and long-distance running!!!

Besides, I THINK oxytocin is more common in females, but I may be wrong and am open to suggestion or correction!

And glad you like my analogies or metaphors (forgot which is which!) Dollysmom but I AM from Brooklyn so I have to represent, sorta. Not everyone from NYC is rude or stupid (and I don't think that Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company either!! :nyah:)!
 
That was neat article. Unfortunately there is no money in a lot of those research projects. So the theory is not validated. Anyway I agree New York is awesome and you snake needs a name!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Well, I stand corrected (re: oxytocin in men) and it just goes to show that no one is EVER too old to learn!

I also appreciate the confirmation that New Yorkers are indeed good people, as I have lived in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx during my tenure on this planet. One thing about growing up in the city, you grow up FAST, being exposed to things at 11 many just don't get to see until adulthood! But that is fodder for a separate thread and I'm not so sure it would be appropriate for this forum. However, on behalf of most New Yorkers, fuhgeddaboudit! Youse are da best baby!!

BTW, T-Sulli - are you still around? Inquiring minds wanna know: how's snakey doin' nowadays? Pass that stubborn slug yet? This has GOT to be a case that conjures up images of ex-lax for sneaky ones. I read in a thread somewhere that laxatives actually worked on snakes. Anybody remember this? But it might be for constipation only, as eggs travel via a different highway, I think? And it wasn't ex-lax but something else. Can't remember right now, not the BRIGHTEST bulb on the MARQUEE at night (better after coffee in the morning). Sorry.
 
Hey guys! Yeah I am still here! I am in the middle of looking at houses and jobs in a different state all while working around 65 hours a week... LIFE OVERLOAD! Haha! I apologize for not giving updates and I appreciate the interest in how Snakey is doing!

I am a little confused actually. Snakey still has not passed that last slug or pooped for what seems like forever. The vet said if she is not feeling well she will be sluggish and lethargic but in fact she has been the opposite! She has been more active and curious than ever! I did make an egg box for her and it took a couple of days until she decided to go inside but now that she is in there, its her new favorite place.

The vet said wait 2 weeks and if nothing happens, bring her back... Well this Wednesday will have been 2 weeks so it looks like it may be time for another vet visit. I was REALLY hoping to avoid this but I think she may need a little human intervention to get that last slug out...

She has been a trooper though! I hope we can get this resolved without having to do surgery! I will continue with the updates as often as I can!

Thanks again guys!
 
Thanks for the update. Glad she found her lay box and that she's active. Everyone here is pulling for her and for you. You have a very full plate. Hang in there!
 
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