Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 mangrove snakes that I can not get to eat.What is the best way?any help would be great
TIA Chris Schott

If you havnt treated them with flagyl and panacur do it.
How long have you had them? what have you tried
Your best bet is to try live. Go with mice or rats, mine liked mice better than rats, maybe somthing on the smallish side if your concerned with feeding live.
Toss one in when the lights go out and if the cage is near ANY people traffic cover it.
What kind of cage setup do you have?

First I have them in 16"w 24"deep 4feet tall.They are about 3feet long.I'v ben putting live rat pinks at night.Its ben almost 4weeks since I got them in.

Have you treated them with flagyl?
Try a live mouse. Something big enough to run around.
It would probobly be a good idea to separate them also.

They are in there own tanks.Ihave not treeted them and don't if they do not need it.

If they are wc they should be treated.

The guy I got them from was suposte to treat and get them eating but said the vet came 2days after he shipped them.My local will not work with snakes of any kind.Do you think I should try frog senting?And can I treat them myself if so how?
Chris Schott

You can buy flagyl and panacur and give it yourself, Its not hard. Try bean farm, I think they carry both of them.
Whoever sold you the snakes shouldnt have shipped them off before the vet had come and he should have had them feeding if that was the deal.
Try frog sent if you want, cant hurt anything. Could also try live chicks or maybe anoles. Have you tried a live mouse yet?
Fresh WC snakes should always always always always be treated with flagyl and panacur.

The method of treatment you are indicating is popularly known as "shot gunning". You will not find a single veterinarian, well versed in herpetofauna, that will agree to such and most experienced herpetoculturists know better as well.
The medications you have indicated harbor unique problems when administered to herpetofauna, as metronidazole (Flagyl) is known to cause neurological disorders and end stage renal disease among several species and it is critical a specimen be well hydrated prior to administration of the drug. Also, most dosing charts provide the indication for mammals, which harbor a much higher rate of metabolism than reptiles, and the dosing indications are generally minute in comparison. As for fenbendazole (Panacur), you run the risk of sending your charge into septicemia, should you administer dosages higher than indicated, as Pentastomes spp., internal parasites which normally take up residence with in the respiratory tract, will be eradicated with the use of fenbendazole, but with incorrect dosing indications, you risk killing too many of the parasites at once which will cause detrimental respiratory infections, due to the dead parasites decaying within the respiratory system.
Unfortunately, a veterinarian well versed in herpetofauna is not always within close proximity, but we owe it to the animals we decide to take into our care to provide them with the best possible care we can provide. This sometimes means a little, or even a great deal, of inconvenience. Accessibility of proper veterinary care should always be considered when acquiring an animal. I would suggest you find a veterinarian experienced with herpetofauna, even if such means driving for a few hours, and have the vet conduct a fecal float and acid fast stain for internal parasite loads. Keep in mind, a single exam will not be indicative of such and I do not consider any new acquisitions clean until they have demonstrated three sub-clinical parasite loads over a three month period.

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947