Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just noticed that the corn had defecated in the tank, and it looks different than what I'm used to. Does it look ok to you guys?

I have never had problems with parasites in any of my reptiles, and any advice/opinions on the subject would be appreciated.

... it's NOT normal. Consider having it checked out by a vet. Expensive, but often worth the investment.
South Mountain Reptiles

I know for a fact that this snake was being offered crickets (and possibly some mice) before I purchased him. I will be contacting the vet next week, but I wanted to ask: what are indicators of internal parasites in snakes?

Strange looking and/or smelly feces(like the one you pictured), snake that regurgitates, loss of body weight.

If you do those things we all mentioned(to the letter) in your earlier posts, and the snake STILL regurgitates a VERY small meal, such as a pinkie head, then it is extremely important you get it to a vet ASAP!. Small snakes like yours do NOT have enough body size to cope with such problems for very long at all.
As Don mentioned(and I agree) that stool doesn't look normal.

Medication(s) can quickly turn things around in a positive direction. I suspect Flagyl(Metronidazole) might be very beneficial for the snake in this instance, and I have used this in the past with great success on a few snakes, but leave it up to a qualified vet to diagnose.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I know that these are probably redundant questions, so a big thank you to everyone who has replied.

Without a microscope, the indicators for internal parasites are what you see. Atypical stools. I know that's vague, but non vets should never diagnose or blindly treat their pets, based on what they hear or read. Better to get a diagnosis from a qualified reptile vet.

Good luck,
South Mountain Reptiles

Could an "abnormal" (non-rodent) diet also cause some of the symptoms? I know that the snake had been offered crickets and possibly some mice, but other than that, I have no idea how often or how much the snake had been fed.

All of the answers are very helpful.

I will be calling the vet tomorrow just to get a general opinion.

Not likely-even if the snake was "offered" crickets, it would not have accepted them....
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Brad Chambers

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

I would assume that a cricket diet could cause abnormal stools as they are made up of almost nothing except chitin. And yes I have unfortunately heard of and seen first hand pet stores feeding baby corns nothing but crickets.

That being said you need to take it in to see the vet. Even IF it did eat crickets for awhile and even IF that did cause the stool to look weird you still need to make sure that no toher damage was done. And if it wasn't dietarily caused then you need that same vet visit to know what treatment will get your snake healthy again.

Sean.
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1.1 BRB
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

I will be taking him to the vet next Thursday. Unfortunately, that was the only time I could take him. I'm going to try to feed him Monday or Tuesday of next week so that they can get a fecal sample - probably Monday so that (hopefully) he won't regurgitate when being examined. It sounds like it's going to be a little expensive, but it's worth it to get him healthy again.

It's probably going to be around less than $50 bucks. That's not really what I would consider expensive, when you consider having to buy another cornsnake to replace the one you already care a lot about. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, and learn from the experience.

The snake will have a MUCH better chance of pulling through this if you take action soon. Do just like you said, and get him to a qualified vet ASAP.

best regards, ~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

The quote from the office was: $59 for the office visit, $20 for the fecal, and $X for any meds.

I didn't even notice the pic the first time. That's a gorgeous snake. I can't get mine to hold still long enough to get a good outdoor pic. None of them realize they're supposed to be posing.

Thanks for the compliment!, I caught her as a small juvenile across the street in 2005.

~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"