Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well,

One of our babies puked up a mouse 8 days ago...

I left him alone for 8 days only offering water.

Today I cut off a pinkie's head and placed it in his hide where he was sleeping...I just checked and the head has not been touched.

When is it critical for the snake to eat again???

I can wait as long as it takes...I just don't want a dead baby corn. Any suggestions on how to get this little guy eating again???
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Chris Vanderwees
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I lost one hatchling in 2002 from regurgitation. She died a little less than 2 months after her first regurgitation. She died at 4 grams. The last week she was alive she was also obviously weak, barely able to pull herself around the cage. If yours gets to this point, you've probably already lost him.

Wait another 2-3 days and try a pinky head again.

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alstiver@hotmail.com

Current snakes:
1.0 2001 Hypo snow cornsnake
0.1 2002 Pastel Ghost cornsnake
1.1 2002 Bloodred cornsnakes
To be added when it gets warmer:
0.1 1998 Het Hypo, Het Caramel cornsnake
1.0 2000 Hypo Het Caramel cornsnake

-He ate a pinkie on February 2nd.

-He seemed to digest that fine...so we fed him again on February 6th.

-He regurgitated on the 7th.

-Now it's the 13th...

-I've offered a pinkie head to him yesterday night.

-It was uneaten his morning...

His temps are good and he has water and a hiding spot which he spends his time in.

I guess I'll wait a few more days and try to feed him another head again.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Is this normal for him to not eat his food after about a week? How long does it take for them to build up their stomach acid again? (bout a week-10 days I'm assuming?)

I hope he makes it...
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Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
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Ya, four days was probably too soon to try and feed your corn again. Especially if he/she was used to eating once a week. SOME babies can handle being fed every four days, but it is something you have to do gradually... Fed them every six days for a couple of times, then next try after five days for awhile. It is a real "touch and go" process. Don't be at all concerned with the fact that your corn hasn't eaten in 11 days. I have had non-feeder hatchlings last three months before eating thier first meal! From years of experience, the best thing to do is be patient. I can assure you, rushing your corn back into eating will do much more harm then giving it some more time. Your corn may just still have some stomach upset, or he/she may be going into shed. I'd wait three more days and then try another pinky head. If your corn does go into shed, I would just wait until it does shed completely before feeding... EVEN if that means a week or so from now. Unless your corn has some sort of health problem (genetic weakness, parasites, etc.) the time without food will not harm it. Good Luck!

n/p
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Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
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1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
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I have a honduran milksnake that was rescued from the animal shelter, where they were keeping them on cedar. The oil fumes damaged his insides to the point where I have to feed him smaller than normal meals all the time. If I give him two very small food items at a time, he will regurge. I know that a lot of the other snakes from this particular rescue (it was a long story, confiscated snakes and all), ended up dying after they went to live with other people, because of the oil fumes. I am not saying that this is definitely a problem for you because it is pine, not cedar, but there have been definite reports of pine oils causing problems in snakes. Why risk it?

I would suggest that you take the snake off the pine, put him on a paper towel substrate, then wait for two weeks after the last regurge, try a small meal at that point. If he eats it, then wait another 10 days and try again. DO NOT HANDLE HIM AT ALL during this time! DO NOT DISTURB HIM by going to peek in his cage, other than to check for regurge mouse. If the snake is in his hide, do not pick up the hide to check him. If he has regurged in there, you will be able to smell it without any problem.

Make sure that your temp are accurate. Do not measure the temperature by using a stick on type thermometer. Get a good digital thermometer, you can buy one for $15 from Radio Shack. Measure down on the substrate, directly over the hot spot and on the cold spot, also. The temps on the hot spot can be significantly higher then up on the side of the cage.

Just my opinion.
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sue

Nope he was never on pine. He's always been on paper towel. He actually pooped last night so I figure he absorbed a little bit from the last mouse he regurged. He is offereed water and he has a nice snug hide. I am confident he'll be okay...as long as I don't stress him out and feed him at the appropriate time. I'm going to try feeding him again on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.
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Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas