Yesterday afternoon I was given a SEVERELY underweight yellowtail cribo from a local petstore. They said it had fed on two small rats when they first got it a couple of months ago but hadn't eaten since. My guess is that stress had caused the snake to quit eating and frankly by the looks of it, it hasn't eaten for several months or came to them very thin. It didn't have a hide box and was in a cage at waist level so lots of activity walking by.

I've worked extensively with Indigos, but thought I'd ask the group for some help on getting this thing re-started. I will get a fecal run as soon as I can collect anything from the animal.

I've got it on newspaper with hide box and the temps in the mid-80's. I've wet down the newspaper to get the humidity way up and placed a shallow water dish just outside the entrance to the hide box.

In cases like this I've been most successful by administering fluids (pedialyte, gatorade) through a very narrow syringe tube twice a day in small amounts for about a week to get the animal re-hydrated and then force fed very small food amounts at 3-day intervals until the strength and activity levels pick up.

Usually, when left alone, I find cases like this pick up in a week or two and will eventually take fresh killed small mice left at the entrance to the hide box and ultimately return to a "normal" healthy existence.

While extremely thin and somewhat listless, the snake is nevertheless alert with tongue flicking and I'm hoping salvageable.

As for the fecal, I'd really also appreciate some thoughts on when to administer the standard protocols to treat what I'm sure will be a nightmare of parasites.

I'm glad the shop was at least caring enough to part with it in hopes it could be saved, now I'd really appreciate some input from those of you who have acclimated these animals.

It it of course a stunning yellow with a light banded forebody and at over 5 feet in length, an adult with room yet to grow.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

Matt

[ Hide Replies ]

• Severely Underweight Yellowtail Cribo - matthewkot, Thu May 29 13:36:33 2008
• RE: Severely Underweight Yellowtail Cribo - ectimaeus, Thu May 29 14:01:03 2008
• RE: Severely Underweight Yellowtail Cribo - SSSSman, Thu May 29 16:15:28 2008