Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think my corn snake had a seizure...
He is 7-8 years old...he was 19" when I got him 7 years ago. He is just under 5' and has always been healthy. Set up: 55 gallon aquarium with aspen and two hides UTH/Heat lamp on wone side UV light on the other (they are left over from my Beardie, so their UV light output are minimal). Temps: 80 on hot and room on the other (around 72)

I was feeding him every week, but ever since my third child came (Dec 2005) I am finding it difficult to keep that schedule. He now gets fed every couple weeks. (and has always been a good eater). Yesterday I was giving him water and attempting to feed him. He took some water and then it happened. He started writhing around and flipped himself upside down (he looked like he was trying to rub something off the top of his head). He deficated and it was yellowish/seedy looking. He then bit himself and begin thrashing even more. I could see that his temples were THROBBING. This behavior lasted about 1 minute or two. Then he calmed. However, he was holding his head strange (like the coiled strike posture only would move around like that with his head and neck twisted.)

He spent the rest of his evening remaining still. I checked on him a few times (he moved, but only a little). He didn't eat but laid on the mouse instead. I was worried I would find him dead this morning. I came out and took him out to wrap him in a "moist" warm towel and see if he would take some electrolytes (pedialyte). He seemed fine. He was tongue flicking and exploring as he always has when I get him out. His head posture is back to normal and he is moving normally.

So was this a seizure? IF so, what happened.? How can I prevent this from happening again? Was it his age? I feel like I did this to my boy. I am going to go back to once a week feeding. (Hubby will just have to pitch in). But for now, should I offer him a more easily digested meal (he is on Jumbo mice now, should I offer him some pinkies instead?).
I feel like a schmuck! How could I have done this to my baby!

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Hangin with the Herps
ZZ

I know for a fact snakes have sezures... its just why?? i know 1 i have heard of got loose and got into something while it was gone and has sezures... i'm really not 100% certain if yours is having one, even though it sounds like it... i'd try asking kathy love or don s. someone big into breeding with millions (not really) of snakes and i highly doubt its the age thing. i have a corn who is about 12 or so.... and shes doing good... just as stubborn as ever...

~kin
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SNAKIES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corns:
.1 Normal (Gertrude) [just a pet...she started it all]
1. Orange normal (Romeo)
1.2 Miami Phase (Hector, Emily, Charlotte) thanks jeff!
2. Miami Phase part zigzag (Starkey, Mcvitty)[Emilys F2]
1. Amel het Blizzard (Dunesbury) .1 Blizzard (no name)
1. Classic het Hypo, poss het Amel, Anery (Cobra)
1.1 Classics (Henry VIII, Cassy) [Emilys F1 babies]
.1 Amel (Pepperoni) .1 Reverse Okeetee (no name)
1.1 Hypo zig zags poss HET Caramel (Bernard, Abegail)
.1 Hypo HET Stripe (Gracie Lou) 1. Hypo Stripe (no name)
1.1 Anery HET Motley (Lleroy, Persia)
.1 Candy Cane (Peaches HoneyBlossom) [Just a pet]
1. Abbotts Okeetee (Albert) [Charlottes son]
1.1 Snow (Crickle, Isis) .1 Green Snow (no name)
1. Caramel poss het butter
.1 Anery stripe (V) [husbands snake...he named it]

Others:
1.1 Black rats (Willard, Cecily)
1.1 Striped Cal Kings (Dweezil, Skunky)
1. High-white Reverse Spotted Cal King (Wishbone)
.1 Albino Stripe Cal King (Eve)
.1 Bananna spotted/stripe cal king (no name) Thanks Jeff!!!
1.1 Thayeri (Giuseppe[MSP], no name)
1.1 Creamsicle HET Motley(Orangejello, Genevieve)
1. Creamsicle motley (no name) Thanks Jimmy!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~LEOPARD GECKOS~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Normal het Midnight Blizzard (Mr. Spot)
.1 Blizzard (Blitz)
.1? unknown High yellow and brown spots... (no name)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~TURTLES~~~~~~~~~~~~
.1 white cheeked mud (Opel)
.1 snapping turtle (no name, ideas welcome)
~~~~~~~~~~~~OTHER~~~~~~~~~~~~
0.0.1 American toad

It sounds like a seisure to me. But, i really doubt that changing a feeding schedule caused it.. You may want to consider bringing your snake to a Herp Vet and having him checked out..

~ Mike Russo

I had a baby gray banded kingsnake that I put in a deli cup to feed a pinky mouse. 45 minutes later I opened the deli cup to see if he ate the pinky and the snake was dead! The snake was stiff as a board too. I couldn't believe it. I mentioned this to a knowledgeable snake guy and he said it sounded like the snake had a seizure.

When you say you gave him water, is there any way that some chemical (like soap residue or bleach) or other substance was introduced in the water? He sounds like I did when I was so tired I accidentally took a big swig of 100% acetone nail polish remover instead of the mouthwash!

Well, our apt was yesterday...here is the vets report.

1. DEFINITELY a seizure
2. He is still suffering neurological damage (sl lean to the left and he takes a long time to "right"himself after being upside down). The good news, he is trying and suceeding eventually. He is also neurologically "alert". He is hearing and seeing enough to be startled.
3. THE CAUSE: Either bacterial or viral infection from our water supply (we had just started collecting rain water instead of buying from a water truck...unfortunately, we hadn't thought ahead enough to add Chlorine to our cistern. )
4. The prognosis: Good/Fair: We are treating with a pretty agressive round of antibiotics/ anti-parasites then feeding pinkies (low energy food). If that is our problem he should recover. HOWEVER, if none of those work, we are dealing with encephalitis (YIKES). We'll deal with that later.

Meanwhile: We have treated our cistern with bleach (I can't believe we were so STUPID!)

thanks for your advice/help.

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Hangin with the Herps
ZZ