my gravid girl

[drache]

one of my favourite garters is due any time now, and I've been hovering

this girl came to me last year from a friend who could no longer keep her collection
She has a tendency toward slenderness, and totally stopped eating a couple of months ago, so she is a bit too thin for my taste
up until about a week ago I wasn't entirely sure that she was gravid, but she did look big in the bottom for her skinny neck
she shed Tuesday, and suddenly looked really really gravid - lumpy in fact
since then she has had some "spotting" of blood now and then - should that worry me?
the lumpy mass has "dropped" toward the vent (yesterday morning there was still a small narrower "waist" before the vent) - there just isn't much happening, and I can't get her to exercise much
I smelled her vent and there is no smell - it looks clean and smooth
I don't think she has much energy, and her back end is too cumbersome to drag to the water bowl to go drink, so I drop her into lukewarm water a few times per day
at one point I was thinking that she's not gravid at all and that this is some grotesque ballooning abdominal infection, but the past few hours she's making birthing type movements from time to time, so I think this is just going to be one of those long drawn-out kind of things
I just hope there'll be a survivor or two

[andycul]

really hope she is O.K. and you have lots of cute healthy babies soon :D

[guidofatherof5]

Keep us posted, Rhea.
She is in our prayers.

[kibakiba]

I hope everything goes well for you Rhea! Hopefully you'll have a ton of babies to show us soon!

[PINJOHN]

fingers crossed.

[gregmonsta]

Hoping for the best Rhea.

[ConcinusMan]

Sounds like a normal labor. Stay positive. I predict live ones.:D

[drache]

nothing yet . . .

[drache]

things are not looking good at this time, and I took the girl to the vet this morning This vet feels that some intervention is called for that she can't do. My best hope would be getting her to the good vet - over two hours away if I had a car, and not an option
at this point I can only hope that these babies will come out one way or another
she is still acting normal for a snake with a humongous rear end to drag around, so I don't feel inclined to take drastic measures myself yet

[guidofatherof5]

Hoping all goes well.

[andycul]

Fingers crossed hoping all goes well

[gregmonsta]

Tell her that her name isn't Sky and she should get on with it!!! ;) ...
adding crossed toes to my crossed fingers.

[drache]

there she is
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5167/5279484871_f48fc11d55_b.jpg

[drache]

Tell her that her name isn't Sky and she should get on with it!!! ;) ...
adding crossed toes to my crossed fingers.
I've been thinking of Sky - it's scary

[gregmonsta]

That's quite a squish! There must be a reason for the hold-up.

[gregmonsta]

I've been thinking of Sky - it's scary

:o Sky didn't even get to the stage of dropping them towards delivery... I'll take that as a good sign in this case. It might be worth helping her as soon as you see any contractions with some gentle massaging. That's about all I could think of here.

[drache]

I am still hoping for a good outcome
she's been getting warm baths and gentle massages 2-3 times per day
she's still behaving pretty normal - seems more active since the vet cleaned out her vent

[ConcinusMan]

That's quite a squish! There must be a reason for the hold-up.

My concinnus girls did that. They had the "squish" but it took them about a week to finally have the babies.

[drache]

she died a little while ago
I don't think she suffered
I'm sad though

[guidofatherof5]

I'm so sad to hear she passed. I know how much you liked her.
I'm glad to hear she went peacefully.
May she R.I.P.

A quick question. Did she have a crusty or overly dry vent?

[ConcinusMan]

So sorry Rhea.:(

[andycul]

So sorry to hear that Rhea. :(

[Stefan-A]

Really sorry to hear it, Rhea.

[gregmonsta]

Horrible news :(, sorry for your loss.

[drache]

thanks for your kind words
her vent looked normal - smooth, dry, no smell
I briefly thought of cutting her open, but I was so exhausted at that point, and I was a little relieved that she passed so easily, just like she suddenly fell asleep

[guidofatherof5]

thanks for your kind words
her vent looked normal - smooth, dry, no smell
I briefly thought of cutting her open, but I was so exhausted at that point, and I was a little relieved that she passed so easily, just like she suddenly fell asleep

The reason I asked was that she looked just like one of my T.s.parietalis that passed away. She was an old snake.
Again my condolences to you.

[drache]

I've got no idea how old Little Bit was
she never did put on much weight, even when she was eating regularly