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please could someone help

tanya1012

I feel like i run a zoo!!
hi to all , i got my first ever corn snake (tango)on sunday and was told he was eating well and that i should feed tango on monday evening so last night i put a pinkie in the viv and watched as tango ate it , but this evening i have found the pinkie in the viv , is this normal? i was thinking he may still be stressed from his move , should i offer tango another or leave it for a day or two?
 
Not normal. It's a regurge, which could be caused by stress, temperature problems, illness, etc., etc...

Definitely do not try feeding again for at least a few days. During a regurge, all the good enzymes and bacteria get expelled along with the mouse. If you try to feed again too soon (before the enzymes and other stomach juices build back up) then you'll just get another regurge.

Read up on the FAQ's here at the top of each sub-forum and make sure your set-up is right as far as temps and other general things go.

Definitely read this:

Kathy Love FAQ's

FAQ from Kathy Love on Regurgitation Treatment

"THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - once a snake has regurged, especially twice or more, it is more likely to keep on regurging until it dies, unless something is changed about its care and feeding. It is very important NOT to let this continue. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW VERY CAREFULLY. This is from my FAQ on regurges:

I suspect your problem is probably not bad mice, but about handling too soon, feeding too soon or too large of a meal, a stomach "bug", or improper temps. If you make these mistakes once, or even twice, it is not usually a problem if you FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY. But remember, each time it regurges, the stomach acids are depleted, and the whole electrolyte balance is thrown off more and more each time, and it makes it MORE likely that it will continue to throw up until it dies. (those consequences are just my opinions - I do not know if science backs up my conclusions, but my experience certainly does!) That is why it is so important to NOT ALLOW another regurge.

The next month or two is crucial. DO NOT feed it for AT LEAST 8 days since the last regurge. NOT ANYTHING AT ALL! Then get a newborn frozen pinky and cut it in half (or cut off just the head) If she eats it, leave her alone for a whole week. (no handling). Repeat the partial pinkie feeding the following week. Then feed a whole newborn pinkie a week after that, if there has been no regurge. Leave alone for a whole week. If she regurges, wait a week and repeat 1/2 pinkie. If she keeps it down, wait a week and repeat whole pinkie. If she holds down a couple of meals, DO NOT rush back into larger meals and more handling. Treat this seriously. Go very slowly. After 3 successful meals, go to a newborn pink every 5 days. Go back to normal feedings only after 6 successful meals. Always wait to handle until after 3 or 4 days, but only AFTER 6 successful meals. No handling until then (causes stress, need to keep stress down). And NEVER feed again right after a regurge - ALWAYS wait AT LEAST 7 or 8 days, maybe even up to 10 days, and then only feed something that was about 1/2 the size (or less) of what she regurged..

Also, be sure that temps are not too warm or cool. Try to give an area of low to mid 80s on one side and 70s on the other. Too hot or cold will cause regurges.

Grapefruit seed extract can sometimes help if the snake has some sort of "stomach bug" (any microbial problem) as it is a natural remedy that is good against many kinds of pathogens, but not as strong as an antibiotic prescribed by a doctor. This product has been used in agriculture for many years and seems to be very safe, as long as you dilute it with enough water that the acidity does not burn the tissues. A vet has told me he feels that it may somewhat alter the pH of the animal and thus change the way medicines are absorbed. So if you use this product and then take the snake to a vet, mention the treatment so it can be taken into account if the vet decides to change the prescription because of it. It is best to mix it in a glass and taste it to make sure it is not so bitter that the snake refuses to drink it. I have used it on myself and so has my husband. I find it works better on stomach problems than for other symptoms (such as respiratory - I didn't have any luck treating colds or other respiratory problems).You can buy it at a local health food store or online. Please refer to the following website for more background info:
http://www.nutriteam.com/index2.html

I have also had success with a probiotic called Nutri Bac, a fine powder containing seven different microflora that should be inhabiting the gut of reptiles, but may be absent due to stress, disease, antibiotic treatments, etc. Using the powder as a supplement will sometimes allow the reptile to get back the natural balance of microbes in its digestive tract, and then its own immune system can take over. See my website for more details, or go here:
http://www.cornutopia.com/Corn Ut...information.htm

The number of days and amounts of food, etc, suggested above are not set in stone. Other people may have success with slightly different formulas, but this is what I found works for me and many of my customers. If this protocol does not work when carefully followed, it is likely that the snake has some severe problems. Your only hope is a QUALIFIED herp vet, who may or may not be able to save your pet.

Please follow my care sheet for the first month or so when starting with new acquisitions (posted on my website for the first month's care of new corns).. The first month is crucial in getting the baby established. It is worth a little extra "coddling" for the first month in order to have a trouble free pet for the next 10 or 15 years or more."
 
Hi, Usually the advice is to leave the snake alone in viv for at least three days, to let him get adjusted. Feeding in the viv is not a good idea for a few reasons: they can ingest substrate(which can cause regurge or blockage), they associate your hand coming in viv with food and become more territorial... You could feed in seperate container with paper towel in bottom or just container. I would leave him alone for a couple days and try again, out of viv. good luck susan
 
Sorry Zwyatt, I type slower, your answer is much better than mine and more comprehensive. susan
 
thanks for the advise im a bit worried about the heat i was told tokeep it around 72 in the evening and 82 in the day but here in the uk we are havinga small heat wave and i can not get the viv temp below 80 i was told to turn the heat off totally is this correct?
 
tanya1012 said:
thanks for the advise im a bit worried about the heat i was told tokeep it around 72 in the evening and 82 in the day but here in the uk we are havinga small heat wave and i can not get the viv temp below 80 i was told to turn the heat off totally is this correct?


Ideally, you can keep a gradient inside the viv with a cool side and a warm side. The temps should range from low 70's to low to mid 80's on the warm side.

You don't have to have a gradient. If it's hot where you are, you can just maintain the whole viv at a constant temp. In the summers here, all my tubs were usually between 80-85 with no cool side. I also kept heat on at night, because snakes don't stop digesting at night. Some folks let the temps drop at night like they would in the wild, but it's not essential and I think it's easier just to keep things constant all the time.

Edit: Your snake needs temps in the low to mid 80's to digest properly. Personally, I would try to maintain at least one end of the viv with these temperatures to ensure that there is always a place he can go to digest.
 
tanya1012 said:
thanks for the advise im a bit worried about the heat i was told tokeep it around 72 in the evening and 82 in the day but here in the uk we are havinga small heat wave and i can not get the viv temp below 80 i was told to turn the heat off totally is this correct?

Keep the heat on, i have noticed temps here are dopping to low 70's at night even though its roasting through the day.

Have you got it regulated by a thermostat? If so the heat mat will just switch itsself off all day.
 
tanya1012 said:
how is the best way to keep one end 80 on end 70 i have a heat lamp with a thermostat ?

The first priority is keeping one end hot enough to aid digestion. If you can't keep the other end down in the 70's that's fine, your snake will be fine without having both a warm and cool side.

Personally, I would switch to an under tank heater (UTH). Heat lamps are more difficult to control, tend to dry the air and also heat the top of the substrate, which isn't ideal (in my opinion).

If you switch to a UTH place it so it is under about 1/3 of the viv. What type of viv do you have?
 
sorry to sound silly but what types are there?!!! i went to a reptile center neare where i live and they sold me every thing i needed its a 30 x 15 x 15 viv
 
Go to the reptile store you bought him from and tell them that the snake you bought from them regurged. They might have some advice and may offer to take it back to see what's wrong. The most important thing about telling them though is that if he doesn't stop regurging they will know that it had a problem and be more willing to replace him (just in case if there is a problem, more than likely he'll start eating after he adjuts to his new enclosure).
Good Luck! :cheers:
 
thanks for the advise i hope he/she will be ok tango is so small and very scared every time it sees someone he/she goes back into hiding
 
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