Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is this just crap or is it something else?
Is it something bad?
She doesn't like the pinkies I give to her but I forced a pinkie head down her mouth yesterday. She ate the whole thing to without regurgetating it. She doesn't move around in the day on at night. Also, she looks kind of skinny but I really can't tell. There are two horizontal lines of skin that runs down her sides. They only show up when she is just laying around or breathing. Am I supposed to be concerned? Do I need to go to the vet?
I have been having a heck of a time feeding her. She just ignores the pinkie and lets it rot on the heating pad. I've tried live and frozen pinkies. CAN ANYBODY HELP ME!

Try another pinky head then follow it with a forcefeed of a whole pinky.When there in feed mode it makes it alot easier to do.And yes those 2 lines your seeing is bad.Does the little guy at least drink water?Do you have a vet that works with reptiles in your area?Please get back with us...Paul.

Yes he does drink water. I don't know if we have a reptile vet in town but I'll check.

If you dont have a vet just keep force feeding.Try getting a head down then follow with a whole pinky.If he cant get a whole pinky down just chop the rest of the pinky up and force feed the rest.Your at the point of no return blaino,you have waited way to long for advice or vet care.I have worried about you and your snake for the last month bro.I wish you the best of luck..Paul.

I agree you have waited to long. Hind sight is 20/20 though. I have one in the same condition. When they are that under nourished the do not have the energy to move the food down or digest. So I usually force feed two pinkie heads a day and move it down most of the way with my fingers. After about two to three days I force a head and then a whole small pinkie. I have had three snake get to this point before and have only be able to save one. In my defense I produce 200-300 babies a year, this happens sometimes. I have a male hypo blood red right not in this condition. Extra heat will also help. This heat helps with digestion. I raise the warm side of the cage to the mid 80's approx 83. I have a rack system, so all the other babies lay in the front to cool off, but the undernurished snake lays right on the heat to help digest. If the snake is not moving much though it sounds like it's near the end, but it can't hurt to try. Good luck keep us updated. Just remeber it's nature and sometimes they do die it's a fact of life (but it does suck)

best of luck and prayers

tom

xtremeherps@yahoo.com

I went to the vet and he's said my baby corn snake is healthy. He said to check the temperature 3 time a day in 3 different spots of the snake's cage, but I only have 1 thermometer. It's a adhesive thermometer. I guess it can do the job.

See I told him I have a heat pad under the snake's cage. I also have a heat lamp that sits on top of the snake's cage. But when I go to bed I turn the heat lamp off so it won't bother me while I'm sleeping. He said when I take the heat lamp off it cools down a lot. So that means the snake is to cold to eat or to do other things.

He checked the snake's weight= 4 g.
He checked the snake's length= 11 1/2 in.
He said the snake (he/she) was doing good except the temperature.
He said to keep temperature records of the snake cage. And after I keep the temperature records of the snake cage he want's me to give them to him or tell him what the records are.

Did you tell him the only thing the snake has had to eat since birth was one pinky head?Those stick on temp deals arent very accurate.You can get a digital from radio shack for 14 bucks and you can use it to check out the temperature at any given level in your cage.Did he give you any suggestions on feeding?Besides heat did he give you any other useful information?The next time you go have a list of questions you want to ask him.Im not gonna knock down vets because they have saved 2 of my dogs lives.From what i have seen most vets know knothing about reptiles except for what they have in there books.The last reptile vet i went to had a adult bearded dragon,a jacksons cham,and local painted turtles in 1,75 gallon aquarium.I stayed long enough to tell him nice try but no cigar.I offered him some advice and he blew me off.I know your trying your best,but after you get your heat working were you want it at you have to try feeding the little guy.I have seen these things called pinky pumps online.There basically a big syringe and you can feed them easier with it.Your vet could even give you a big enough syringe to feed with also.Another alternative is to go to a livestock store and grab the biggest one you can get your hands on.Im just trying to make this easy on you.I know your trying hard and i wish you the best of luck.Keep us posted...Paul.

Do you cut the pinkie up and put it in the syrenge?
How much do they cost?
Can you just a needle one and take the needle out?

O.K. mister this is my 1st time having a pet snake and tried everything except a pinkie pump. So I don't want to hear that you told me that I have a "HALF OF A BRAIN CELL." That's just not right. Maybe I don't know much as you do about snakes but you don't need to be disin on me or other people that they don't know anything about reptiles or anything similar to that.

np
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Sohni
(aka Jeannie, but other people have similar names, too confusing, so I switched)
0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa (Bella)
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake (Bess)
1.1 Rubber Boas (Esther & Isaiah)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (George)
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise (Moxie)
2.0 Adopted DSH Cats (Amos & Silas)
1.0 Rescued English Springer Spaniel (Jimmy)
and...
2.0 Kids (Riley & Noah) w/ 0.0.1 California King
Snake (Rex), 1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa (Lucas), 0.1
Leopard Gecko (Geico)
1.0 Husband (no pets, just us, lol)

Pinkie pumps can run from $40- $100 depending on where you get it from. No you do not cut the pinkie up. You just put it in there and push down on she pump. I have found it easier to put two pinkies in the pump. It makes it easier to get the "pinkie mush" to come out. You should practice with the pump a couple of times over the sink or toliet. This will give you the feel for how hard to push and how much food comes out. Only give the snake a little at a time. Too much can kill the snake, it's a pressure thing. You can force feed a pinkie head though. This is actually safer, but the pump is great because severly undernourished snake do not have the reserve energy to digest a pinkie. The pump puts the pinkie in a form that is easy to digest. Feel free to email if you want any other advice.

tom

xtremeherps@yahoo.com