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My Nightmare Came True :(

ArvadaLanee

ArvadaLanee

New member
I am so very sad to report that I woke up this morning to find Star Shadow dead. I couldn't even move her myself, and my boyfriend had to take her out hidden in a bag so I wouldn't have to see her. Telling the kids was tough. They haven't really bonded with her yet, but it is still shocking for them. The big question now, is do we try again, or is that a bad idea? Of course, the kids want to try again, but I am so worried now. This was my terrible nightmare, and I really don't want it to happen again. But I also don't want to let my kids down. If I do get another one, is Big Apple Herps a good place to order from? If I get another one, it better be healthy and eating alright. I am really upset about Star Shadow. I honestly loved her. :(
 
I am sorry for your loss. Make sure you clean everything before you try again and see if you can figure out what happened.
 
I am going to clean everything with diluted bleach. I am pretty sure my big problem was that I bought the snake from a pet store. That's why if I do get the kids another snake, I want it to be from a good breeder.
 
So sad to hear this x I'm new to this site so can only see this post was she a new baby snake ? I'm all paranoid now we just got our first baby corn yesterday xxx
 
Our from pet store too ,they didn't have any shedding records for him �� so nervous dot com x
 
I would recommend cleaning with vinegar. It's much less irritating to clean with, yet just as effective of a cleaner. Unlike bleach, if not fully rinsed it (vinegar) is organic and will naturally dissipate. I use anything from a 20 to 50 percent dilution for cleaning. The biggest thing you'll need to do is allow contact time. In other words, toss all bedding, soak any decorations you choose to keep, and spray down the tank and lid with the vinegar (or bleach if you elect to stay that route). Any wood or absorptive decorations should be thrown out as rinsing bleach or other cleaning chemicals can be extremely difficult from such porous items. Contact time of 15-20 minutes should be sufficient with either vinegar or bleach. After 15-20 minutes, any items soaked can be rinsed with straight water (though picking up a fish water dechlorinator might not be a bad idea if bleach is used) via 3 rinsing baths, i.e., let them soak in straight water for 15-20 minutes 3 times. Any items simply sprayed with vinegar or bleach should be sprayed down again with whichever cleaning solution, scrubbed, and then rinsed. If scrubbing glass, avoid using the abrasive side of sponges as they can scratch glass.

The risk of getting an ill animal can come from anywhere, be it the wild, a mom & pop pet store, a corporate pet store, or a breeder, large or small scale. Proper setup and quarantine is key when introducing any new pet into the home, even from reliable sources....accidents do happen.

If you genuinely want to try again, see if you can hit up any reptile expos/shows near you to purchase a corn snake directly from a breeder. I do strongly suggest taking this time to get your husbandry squared before getting a new corn, just so that it can be ruled out as any means of leading to possible problems. Take your time and don't rush things.
 
Aw, I'm so sorry that happened. I don't think it was anything you did wrong. It just sounds like the snake was sick to begin with.

I definitely agree with cleaning everything thoroughly before getting a new baby. I would also recommend going with a breeder. There are lots of great breeders that can ship right on this website. If you scroll down, you can look through the classifieds section.

I would also recommend checking the BOI over on faunaclassifieds.com to read reviews of sellers before you send any money.
 
I will use the vinegar cleaning method. I use vinegar all the time so I always have bottles of the stuff. I am not trying to rush or anything. I just feel so bad. The boys were very excited to get the snake for Christmas, and they were being so patient when I told them we had to wait to hold her, and feed her, and all the stuff kids want to do right away. Part of me is really afraid to get another snake at all. If another one died, I would feel even worse than I do now. I think I just need to find a good breeder, though. I really tried to get the viv right, with proper temps, and multiple hides, fresh water, uth with thermostat, reptile vine, and all the stuff I have been reading about for a month. I kept 3 sides covered to reduce stress, and barely held her in the whole month she was here so she would have time to adjust. I had a vet ready to see her if she continued refusing feedings. I would really like to think I didn't kill her somehow. I loved her. I will keep looking into breeders, and thinking about it.
 
In general, even little baby corn snakes are quite hardy. I would say that most first time snake owners don't have prefect setups (at least not right away) and the babies grow up just fine, so I really don't think you did anything wrong. It seems like you did plenty of research and had a good setup, so getting a healthy baby from a breeder should go much better for you.
 
ArvadaLanee said:
I would really like to think I didn't kill her somehow.
Click to expand...

You didn't. It sounds like you did everything right, but she wasn't healthy to begin with. Still, it's hard to deal with, and I'm sorry that you and your kids are going through this.

I have some nice, well-started babies, and would be happy to give you one if you don't find anything locally - just cover shipping, which should be reasonable from Michigan to Wisconsin. Only problem is, it's frigid right now, and we would have to wait a bit. :awcrap:

Kathy
 
Some babies were just not meant for this world. Don't think you did anything wrong, it sounds like you are one of the few who did everything RIGHT!

Yes, jump back in the addiction pool. I agree with everyone to find a breeder, Big Apple is great. Big Box pet stores aren't know for their pristine living conditions for their animals, plus you will have no record on them before you purchased it.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you do try again. I recommend getting an animal from one of the breeders on this site that can talk to you about the individual snake. I'm sure you will have a great experience!
 
I'm very sorry for your loss. I hadn't read any of your other posts but it is likely you didn't do anything. I had a baby die last year out of the blue. Seemed fine until she regurgitated one meal. She died a week later.

If your aren't confident about getting another baby. Maybe think about an older snake. Such as a yearling. You will still be able to watch them grow.
 
Thank you so much for your generous offer, Insomniac101 (Kathy.) If I would have seen it just a little sooner, I would have taken you up on it. I did already pay for another baby, but it isn't coming right away. I found the new baby by searching the BOI. At first, I was a bit discouraged by all the sad stories I read, but then I did find some happy endings, and I ended up messaging back and forth with a very nice lady. She has a "good guy" rating, and she was happy to answer all my many questions. I feel good about this purchase. It was obvious this lady cares about her animals.
The boys and I have cleaned out the viv, and we tossed everything but the plastic leaves that could easily be cleaned. I let them pick out a few new fake plants, and a pretty piece of driftwood, and a small log hide. We are still going to make some hides of our own. I have a new water dish as well. Everything will be either new, or good as new.
The boys chose which snake we ordered out of 3 choices. We are getting a male Anery 2014 baby. He is eating well, once a week, on f/t pinkies, and has had no regurgitations. She said he has his "flighty" moments, but that all babies do, and he should grow out of it.
In my time reading and researching, I have found my future dream snake! At first, I thought it was the palmetto, but then I realized those cost as much as my dream cat (a serval) and I don't want it that bad. Lol. Then I realized that I really love the Silver Queen Corn Snake. They're beautiful! I was told they are somewhat rare, and can be a bit pricey, but hey, that's why it's a dream snake, right?
 
b4eyvm.jpg


Here is a picture of the new baby my kids picked. I blacked out the name because I don't know the proper etiquette in the reptile world of showing names. Is that weird? I don't want to be rude or anything. Hopefully, you more experienced folks will keep helping me learn.
 
What a terrible experience for you! I'm so glad you're not giving up and going to try again. Your new boy is super pretty, anerys are fun, they change so much as they grow! I agree with everyone else. It sounds like you did everything right, and I think this new guy will thrive for you!!
 
I am an animal lover. When I was 13, I literally charmed a family of robins from a tree in my front yard. I caught a chipmunk that got stuck in our basement, and held her, and petted her, and then put her in our flower bed outside where she later had a litter of babies. I have rescued, and tamed feral cats, including 2 adults, one of whom became the biggest lap-cat baby you'd ever see. I have always loved snakes, but my mom was deathly afraid of them. I can't give up now. My heart says try again. :)
 
Really sorry to hear about your little one! Glad you aren't letting it stop you though.

Pretty new baby! I'm sure this will be a better experience for you!

As to etiquette, it's almost always okay to say who you are buying from, especially if it's positive. You do have to be a little circumspect if you've had a bad deal with some one, really negative comments on a person by name aren't generally encouraged on most other boards other than the BOI, because the board owners don't want the possibility to be dragged in to a libel suit or something.
 
I'm sorry about your baby! I'm sure you'll have a much better experience with the new one. It's sad when this happens with a person's first snake, and they never try again- because snakes are just the best.
 
Tavia said:
Really sorry to hear about your little one! Glad you aren't letting it stop you though.

Pretty new baby! I'm sure this will be a better experience for you!

As to etiquette, it's almost always okay to say who you are buying from, especially if it's positive. You do have to be a little circumspect if you've had a bad deal with some one, really negative comments on a person by name aren't generally encouraged on most other boards other than the BOI, because the board owners don't want the possibility to be dragged in to a libel suit or something.
Click to expand...

He's beautiful! I agree with Tavia, it is fine to mention other sellers here and on the BOI when you have a good experience, it lets the other members or newbies broaden their list of "good guys" when looking for breeders or to buy or trade.

If it is a bad situation and the deal went sour due to the seller's actions, then post it on the BOI too, again, helping with other's decisions due to past transactions. Regardless, giving props to good sellers is always welcome.
 
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