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I bought a baby corn snake about 5-6 months ago. Always been a really great eater. Had been feeding about every 5 days (pinky). Then about 2 weeks ago, when feeding time came around, I saw the buldge or lump in his belly had not gotten any smaller. So I waited a couple of days to let him digest, but it just isn't going away. It seemed to get smaller for a couple of days and then all of a sudden yesterday, it seemed a little bigger and further up towards the head. I thought that maybe the snake was constipated and I have had it work to give a short shallow bath to help them to deficate. I tried this last night, but it did not help and the snake looks the same this morning. He's active and seems to be acting "normal". I have been waiting to feed b/c of this and now it's been about 12 days since the little guy has eaten and I'm getting worried.

*As a side note, the snake is kept on Aspen, but is NOT fed on the aspen*

I have never seen anything like this before. Does anyone have any idea of what could be going on? And/or what I can do to help the snake??
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Ball Python
Great Basin Gopher snake
California Kingsnake
Corn Snake
Western Hognose

>>I bought a baby corn snake about 5-6 months ago. Always been a really great eater. Had been feeding about every 5 days (pinky). Then about 2 weeks ago, when feeding time came around, I saw the buldge or lump in his belly had not gotten any smaller. So I waited a couple of days to let him digest, but it just isn't going away. It seemed to get smaller for a couple of days and then all of a sudden yesterday, it seemed a little bigger and further up towards the head. I thought that maybe the snake was constipated and I have had it work to give a short shallow bath to help them to deficate. I tried this last night, but it did not help and the snake looks the same this morning. He's active and seems to be acting "normal". I have been waiting to feed b/c of this and now it's been about 12 days since the little guy has eaten and I'm getting worried.
>>

>>*As a side note, the snake is kept on Aspen, but is NOT fed on the aspen*
>>
>>I have never seen anything like this before. Does anyone have any idea of what could be going on? And/or what I can do to help the snake??
>>-----

any way you could post a pic.
especially from the ventral
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

Here is a picture of the snake's underside

Image

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Ball Python
Great Basin Gopher snake
California Kingsnake
Corn Snake
Western Hognose

Here is another picture to show the lump. It now looks bigger than yesterday.

Image

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Ball Python
Great Basin Gopher snake
California Kingsnake
Corn Snake
Western Hognose

>>Here is another picture to show the lump. It now looks bigger than yesterday.
>>
>>Image
>>
man, I don't even know what to think.
You say it has been a while since it ate?
It looks like it could be some kind of impaction but I wouldn't bet on it.
Sorry, no help here.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

You really need to take that snake to a vet, he/she is the ONLY one that can help your snake, I would do it ASAP!!!

That looks life-threatening to me if it isn't taken care of SOON!

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

Well, what do you think it is? It looks very serious to me as well and I called the only reptile vet I know and he is on vacation for at least another week. The other vets are not specialized in reptiles. This snake is very small, I can't see it being able to handle something like surgery. Is there anything that I can do to help in the meantime???
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Ball Python
Great Basin Gopher snake
California Kingsnake
Corn Snake
Western Hognose

It has some sort of gastro problem, maybe blockage, etc...but I really don't know exactly. It could be a number of things, I really wish I could help, but I'm at a complete loss as to what it is specifically. It really does need a vet soon(even several days ago). There has to be a decent vet in your surrounding area somewhere? I think we both agree that it looks serious, maybe even painful.

I really hope you can get some help to the little guy soon!

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

I just looked in his tank and saw what I thought was a new poop. When I went to take it out, I saw that it was not poop, it was a blackened pinky!! Gross. This snake hasn't eaten in 2 weeks, so this thing must have been burried in the substrate. I know that this snake reguritated a meal before we bought it and had done it another time as well (my husband just told me). So this makes 3 times in 6 months and the lil guy has never deficated I'll be contacting vets as soon as they open in the morning.
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Ball Python
Great Basin Gopher snake
California Kingsnake
Corn Snake
Western Hognose

Hope the snake gets better.

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

I hope the vet can help my little friend! He seems to think that he might be able to work the blockage out of him. We'll see what happens. I made the earliest appointment I could. I'll post results when I know something.
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Ball Python
Great Basin Gopher snake
California Kingsnake
Corn Snake
Western Hognose

Good deal!,....hope he can help out. If he DOES work this blockage out, I would also imagine he'll tell you NOT to feed it for a good while either, so it's intestinal tract can heal back from all the inflamation that went on.

Yes, keep us posted, and good luck!

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

it has a gut full of bacteria......

could try pro-biotic / nutri-bac,,,if not ask the vet...he may give you flagyll.........

I wish we could get liquid flagyl here in the US......

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Met with the vet this morning and he looked a little puzzled at first. One odd thing is that this 'lump' has changed in size a few times... after the first week, it started to get smaller, so I had thought it was going away and assumed it had been from the previous feeding. Then it started to get big... then it looked a little smaller this morning. Anyway... the vet started to kind of squeeze the lump area and work it and a bunch of liquid came out. A few hours later, he said that he worked almost all of that out. He's going to keep him for a few days... he will be giving him anti-biotics and tube feedings since he is weak. He doesn't have high hopes for the snake, but there is a chance he will pull through. I'll update when I know more.
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0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Great Basin Gopher snake
0.0.1 California Kingsnake
0.0.1 Corn Snake
1.0 Western Hognose
0.2 Kitty cats
1.0 Cat