Aaaaargh--- so that others may learn

[Lori P]

All I can do is either scream in frustration or cry. Or, type this up so that it may help someone else avoid this....

I just discovered that the sliding top to the 40 gallon tank that Esme, pueblan milksnake, lives in was slid slightly open. And no Esme. And here is how it happened...

One of the cats loves to lie on that tank. Apparently, the weight of the cat was enough to unsnap the clips at the back of the tank that hold the sliding hood closed. Can you all picture what I mean? Do any of you use these tanks/hoods? So when the cat was on the tank, the locking clips unsnapped, and then apparently as the cat moved around, the lid slid forward in small increments... enough to allow a one year old milksnake to scoot out.

I can't even type the words I want to scream. Wait, yes I can, they'll get bleeped. ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.

Of course there is no sign of Esme. I saw her the night before last, did not specifically look for her yesterday morning or yesterday evening. I just saw the tank open when I turned her light on this morning. So I'm thinking she got out last night or I'd of noticed the gap in the top yesterday when turning lights on & off.

****.

I want her back. I love that snake. This sucks. I HATE THIS.

I'm starting to think I'm not qualified to have snakes. This is the third time I've lost one... tho I got Squiggles back, that was luck. Well, maybe luck will hold out and Esme will turn up unharmed.

It never, ever, ever once occured to me that this could happen. I was specifically pleased with that tank because the top slid into those locks.

Shows to go what I know. :(

Please send good karma for Esme.

[anji1971]

Ohhhh,
Lori.........poor you!:(
I hope you find her. That really isn't something you saw coming. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Hugs.........

[count dewclaw]

That sticks, Lori. Sorry you have to go through this. Praying that Esme will be found soon, safe and sound.

[guidofatherof5]

Praying that you find your Esme.

[drache]

oh Lori, so sorry - this really sucks
cats are a scourge on screen tops
some of mine have turned into hammocks, and I don't see cats on top of tanks the same way I used to
on one of my hinged tops, the weight of my big cat pulled the metal screen off the frame
I sure hope you find Esme

[reptile3]

Lori, don't beat yourself up....

I hope you do find Esme, she will show up!!! {{big hugs}}

Aundrea says your a great snake mommy, & you will find Esme

[misskris]

So sorry Lori. I hope Esme turns up soon.

[garterchick]

so sorry, hope you find her.
that's just more proof that cats are good for nothing. i keep getting more of them in search of the best one....

[diamondsirtalis]

I'm starting to think I'm not qualified to have snakes.

That's not true at all. A comment born of your frustrations:(

Fingers crossed for a speedy return.

Big hugs...

[infernalis]

Oh sorry, Sammy never logged off last night.. My bad.

Never noticed until I hit post.

I'm sure she has her fingers crossed for you as well Lori.

[olive oil]

That is rotten! I hope she will turn up for you.

[mtolypetsupply]

Take heart, Lori. She may not be far. I had a "feline-assisted escape" with one of my corns. Keep looking, and I've read stories on here where people found snakes climbing up high, so she could be anywhere! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, and keep you and esme in my heart and prayers.

[snakems]

i hope you find your snake!.... and I second the fact that they sometimes can be found up high. Snakems Once escaped the first day I brought her in before I could find a good enough cover for her tank, and she was on top of my closet!! I have no clue how she got there but somehow she made it!
be optimistic and I'll be praying for your little snakey.

[guidofatherof5]

Lori,

Give you missing snake a place it wants to go. Get a heating pad and put it it a cardboard box. Cut a few entry holes and put it in a good place.

Check it often. Here's a link to a trap I designed.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/4368-lost-snake-trap.html
Put out some water so she doesn't get dehydrated. Good luck:)

[jitami]

Sorry Lori... I'll keep you and Esme in my thoughts and prayers...

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Lori, don't beat yourself up.... my cats cant even get in my snakeroom, but I do know what you mean with those lids, some of my tanks have them and I actually love them... but i can see how frustrating this must be. Don't give up hope, I have found snakes months later after an escape! you never find them until you are least expecting them. I lost a pueblan once for 4 or 5 months, and we had a friend over whos terrified of snakes. We were in the basement when suddenly he screamed and ran all the way out the house, and down to the end of the street!

[guidofatherof5]

Shannon,
Don't you mean a former friend?:eek:

[Lori P]

Thanks Shannon and everyone. No sign of her yet. The good thing about loosing a snake is, my closets get cleaned out more often... why do I keep so much crap??!!

I really miss her... I think coming so close to the death of the Florida blue makes it worse. But I'm not giving up hope that I'll trap or find her. It's the worst feeling looking at her empty tank!!!!!

I don't have a snake room... I have a snake house... lol. So I can't keep the cats off the tanks... I must just learn from this and make better security. My worry too is that it won't be me who finds her... it will be one of the cats or dogs. :-(

[guidofatherof5]

As far as the cats go you could always.... Never mind:D

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Lori, try keeping in mind when placing traps that snakes love to crawl hugging the walls of the room. I have actually helped myself locate a snake by placeing heaps of flour at intervals lining the room, and I could clearly see which ones she had crawled over!

[Sid]

Good luck, Lori. I let one of my male Easterns escape during burmation, so know how it feels.

[infernalis]

Any news on Esme yet Lori?

[Lori P]

No sign of her. It's so upsetting. I worry about her all the time. I just keep looking and looking and putting out more flour and traps!

[brain]

Lori,

Give you missing snake a place it wants to go. Get a heating pad and put it it a cardboard box. Cut a few entry holes and put it in a good place.

Check it often. Here's a link to a trap I designed.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/4368-lost-snake-trap.html
Put out some water so she doesn't get dehydrated. Good luck:)


Steve

This might just be workable for WC’s don’t you think??

I mean no stress from chasing the critters?

I’ll have to go to Pet Co and find this “door” you mentioned.

[guidofatherof5]

Michael,

Don't go to Petco. Walmart sells the Mice Cubes. I have a wild trap version in the works. I just need to put the prototype together.
I will be posting a thread soon with photos, needed materials and assembly.

[Lori P]

I FOUND ESME---- or rather, a cat found her. :( She is not well. She is very cold and dehydrated. I put her in a plastic bowl with some warm wet paper towels and then into her tank with the heat up. I can't see any obvious wounds but know she has to have punctures. I can take her to the vet tomorrow first thing-- I'm sure she'll need antibiotics. Any other ideas for her???

[drache]

keep her at the high end of temps, hydrate
do you have any electrolyte type stuff?
you can give her a warm bath - is she drinking?

[Lori P]

Rhea, she isn't moving at all. I can give her a warm bath, just didn't know if I should move her more.

[guidofatherof5]

Esme is in our family prayers.
They're tough as nails, she my surprise you.

[Lori P]

Ok, we just let her soak in a warm bath and she really perked up. I still can't make out any wounds, but cat punctures are so small... she was going into a terrible shed and both eye caps are still blue, but her body is covered in old shed. I put her back in the warm damp bowl with a top on it. Should I let her stay in that for the night or let her loose in her cage? (New, double locked cage)

[Snake lover 3-25]

i'd let her stay for the night.... but just make sure the water stays warm...... i'm glad you found her...:)

[infernalis]

Great news Lori - Glad you got her back!

Sounds like good advice already, so I'll just leave it at congratulations for now.http://www.dekayi.info/1fun/smiley-clapping.gif

[drache]

yeah - forgot to say that - glad she's back
and I agree - she still needs to hydrate and she needs to be warm
it sounds like she has a good chance of recovery

[mtolypetsupply]

So glad you got your baby back!!! :)

[olive oil]

I'm so happy for you Lori, hope everything turns out for her!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Congrats Lori, glad shes OK. Leave her in a shallow soak overnight. I do it all the time for various reasons, a bad shed here and there or even if they just look kind of dry and rough and worn out. It's like an overnight rejuvenation, and since she's dehydrated, it will take a while for her body to replace all the fluids, and she can only fill that little belly with a bit of water at a time and has to wait for her body to absorb it before she can drink more. usually, overnight will be sifficient to replace all the lost water. keep us updated on her progress!!!

[Lori P]

THANK YOU ALL. I haven't actually felt excited about finding her yet because I'm too worried about her.

I just called my vet's office and my herp vet is off today!!! Aaaargh!!!!!! I have a 9:30 appt with him tomorrow... well, maybe another day and night of rest will do her good before being transported to the vet and stressed.

I woke up around 3 this morning and cracked the lid of her damp hide in case she just had had enough. This morning, she is lying across the tank partially under a hide, under the heat lamp. I'm keeping the humidity up, too, with misting and a damp towel on top... sound ok?

Incidentally, she was in the room with the mice tanks when the cat found her!

[guidofatherof5]

Hoping for the best outcome. Keep us informed.

[jitami]

Glad you found her Lori... will keep her in my thoughts...

[Hornets23]

Good luck lori...hope her condition improves for you.

[Lori P]

YES!!!!!! Esme checked out VERY WELL at the vet's!!!!!!

He could not find any puncture wounds or even scratches-- what he found were missing scales and some bruising. But no swelling and at this point he didn't see a need for antibiotics. He thinks she's going to be fine!!!!:D:D:D

NOW I can celebrate!!!!!! I'm SO happy... Wayne!!! Esme needs the kitty!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D

[infernalis]

For Esme and you Lori, No problem!

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/happy.gif

[Snake lover 3-25]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D:D:D:D:D

[guidofatherof5]

Lori,
That's great news. Give her plenty of quiet time for recover.

[prattypus]

That's awesome news! Given what they can pull through out in the rough, I have a high level of confidence that all will be well. Hell, sometimes after a night out, I don't bounce back that quickly!

[Jack Neary]

Great News, Lori!
Now.... can you help me find my lost Female Puget?:mad:
Glad to hear she got a great check-up at the Herp Vet!
Regards,
Jack

[infernalis]

And while your at it, I lost my Santa Cruz, 2 Infernalis and I'm sure my female flame is around somewhere.

When you find them, please just fed ex them to me with that 100 pound bag of 20 dollar bills.

[olive oil]

Yay, Esme is going to be ok!

[reptile3]

Awesome Lori, i am sooo happy that you found Esme, & that she is ok!!! yay!!!

[Sid]

Great news, Lori:D. So glad she's back and OK. I'm sure she will be back to her old self soon.

[drache]

Lori - that's great news
you must be so relieved

[Lori P]

Thank you all so much! Wayne, I'm busy looking in my sofa cushions for your lost snakes and money... hmmm, no luck so far... do you really have 4 lost snakes?? Omg, I'd be in the looney bin by now!!! I'm really hoping all of you with missing snakes find them. This just makes me nuts.

Here is what she looked like... I snapped these before going to the vet this morning. See why I was so worried?! She looks a little better tonite, she's had another long warm wet soak.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/Esme_after_her_walkabout_002_resize.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/Esme_after_her_walkabout_003_resize.jpg

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

that appears to be scale damage from being stuck in something and just barely being able to squeeze out. I've had three snakes get injured from being stuck somewhere somehow, including my very first, Bandit, aout 2 months ago I found him stuck trying to squeeze through his door.... and that is exactly what the scales affected looked like, it looks like she was REALLY stuck... oh poor girl!!! she's probably really sore... blow her a kiss for me!!!

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow scary!!!! i can def. see why you were worried!!!!:eek:

[Lori P]

Oh gosh... my poor girl!!!! I wonder just what she's been thru the last few weeks... thanks, Shannon. She is back in her tank with just the night heat lamp on and I have most of the tank covered. I figure lots of warmth, humidity, and darkness are best for her right now.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

no problem,

If you're going to feed her, i would recommend using pinkies so that her body doesn't have to stretch out, since she's probably bruised a good bit from whatever she went through I am sure being distended would hurt!!! :eek:

[Lori P]

Well, and she's also in the middle of a shed (a very, very bad shed!!!) so I don't think she'll be wanting to eat for a bit. But very good suggestion, I'll start with pinkies when she's ready. Thanks!!!

[jitami]

Oh, poor baby girl! So glad her vet visit went well Lori. More good thoughts headed her way...

[drache]

boy, she does look pretty beat up
she'll probably shed again soon after this one
good thing she turned up

[infernalis]

[quote=Lori] I'm busy looking in my sofa cushions for your lost snakes and money... hmmm, no luck so far... do you really have 4 lost snakes?? [quote]

Lori, those are all "wish I had" snakes, I threw in the sack of 20's to confirm that I was being rather silly at the moment.


As for Esme, I agree with Shannon, Our Pueblan escaped once last year, he forced his way through a large wood cover made from 3/4 inch wood and VERY heavy, he raked scales down his back and his belly in a very similar fashion getting out.

[count dewclaw]

I'm so glad you found her, Lori!

[Lori P]

[quote=Lori] I'm busy looking in my sofa cushions for your lost snakes and money... hmmm, no luck so far... do you really have 4 lost snakes?? [quote]

Lori, those are all "wish I had" snakes, I threw in the sack of 20's to confirm that I was being rather silly at the moment.


As for Esme, I agree with Shannon, Our Pueblan escaped once last year, he forced his way through a large wood cover made from 3/4 inch wood and VERY heavy, he raked scales down his back and his belly in a very similar fashion getting out.

Sorry Wayne. I missed your silliness. From now on, please preclude your silliness with a disclaimer. :D:D

Thank you all again. She is still resting in her damp hide. It's plenty toasty in there and hopefully soon she'll be her old self. Her cage now has a lock on the front to keep that lid from ever sliding forward again.