Sure I'll eat it....but

[guidofatherof5]

Early this morning I was down in the big snake room to turn off the light(late night). While there I decided to feed a few snakes that were giving me the eye.
While feeding my adult Red Sided garters I offered my albino male a worm. This was only after all the females were eating. I didn't time it well enough as one of the females grabbed the other end of his worm. He quickly turned the worm over to her without a fight and hardly a tug. I quickly offered the male another worm. He refused to eat and went off to the hide.
This isn't an unusual situation for this male. Any disturbances to his eating and he drops his food and refuses to eat until the next day. I don't dare touch him while he's eating or he'll drop the food and run.
Anyone else out there have any snakes like this.

[Didymus20X6]

My Little Dude does this too. Any disturbance in her eating, and she won't touch anything for the rest of the day.

[kibakiba]

Snakey is like that, if his food is a live, non-cut up worm... If it fights him he'll drop it and not eat.

[ConcinusMan]

This happened to Big Bertha the other day. I finally got her to take a piece of tilapia (she fasted the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and has eaten little since giving birth) but one of the plants shifted, it scared her, and she dropped it. Flat refused food for days again after that. Well, I'm starting to suspect that something else is wrong. The Baytril is definitely working and her respiratory infection is clearing. Big improvement. That's great.

However, if I can't get her to eat after giving birth.... It's just I've seen snakes go downhill fast if they don't start pounding the food after giving birth. Something else is wrong. 4 times now, I give her a room temp piece of Tilapia, she bites it, starts to work her jaw, and drops it. I can't get her to eat after taking it. It's like maybe something is hurting her? I can't see anything wrong with the inside of her mouth.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Not to scare you richard but are you sure that she hasent retained any babies or slugs. I had a female one time that retained some slugs and she would do that. She would sniff and bite the food but she wouldn't eat. I hope everything turns out ok.

[ConcinusMan]

I don't think so. I have palpitated her several times. Seems she is completely empty. Also, I checked her weight. It's right where it was before she got gravid. Her body mass is good. She ate very well while gravid.(except for the normal fast at the end) She seems to be in pretty much the same shape she was before she got gravid and no excess weight. She grabs it, works her jaw back and forth as if she wants to swallow it, then spits it out.

I don't know man. I don't think she's going to be around much longer even if I clear up this respiratory infection (which is clearing up nicely). She's pretty old and it shows.

[guidofatherof5]

Hang in there Bertha.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Well i hope she will pull through.

[ConcinusMan]

When I'm done with the Baytril, about a week later, I'm giving her a probiotic. If I can get that down her and get her eating, that will be key to her survival. It's a good thing she came out of this with good body mass. That buys me some time.

[kibakiba]

Mama will do that sometimes. Snap and Ember have also done that. It always happens when I watch them, or when the food is too big. If I cut it up into smaller pieces (smaller than their heads) and leave them alone for a couple minutes they get it down and eat it.

[ConcinusMan]

Well sure, most any snake does it "sometimes". This is a little different. She's doing it consistently. she has only had one little bite in 4 weeks or so, and that was about a week ago right after she had her babies. She fasted the last 3 weeks of her pregnancy, which isn't that big of a deal in itself, but now she's had her babies, is getting over a respiratory infection, is still on antibiotics, and it's really a critical time for any snake even without the infection and antibiotics going on. Getting them eating well right after giving birth is important.

I know she's recovering, the antibiotics are working, but if I can't get her eating well soon, that won't matter.

I'm worried. She seems strong enough though. Not limp and weak at all. Even if she won't eat until the antibiotics are done, maybe, just maybe she'll start eating when the medicine is done. She's going to have to, right away if she's going to make it.

[ConcinusMan]

Sure she'll eat it! "BB" ate big fat night crawler this morning. Wouldn't eat any more but that's a start. I let her out on the hallway floor and she took off fast and furious like any healthy snake would so that's a good sign. Lots of tongue action too. The main reason I do that is to get her respiration rate up so I can listen to her breathing. Before that was the only way (besides seeing thick mucous in her throat) that you could tell she was sick. Had to get her moving and listen.

She sounds perfectly normal this morning, even after "running" down the hall. No more wheezing/bubbling/clicking noises. No more mucous in her throat. I'm so happy the Baytril is working. I'll continue 5 more days but she's better! No more respiratory infection.

[guidofatherof5]

That's great news. Glad to hear it.

[ConcinusMan]

I'm just very grateful I didn't wait too long. I noticed the symptoms 3 months ago.:o I just love that snake. She's "nothing special", just a normal concinnus but I am very fond of her. I just love it when people hear I keep garters and they tell me "they don't get very big, maybe 2 feet" so I bring them over to my house, then take her out and they're like :eek: When she stretches out in her 55 gallon long (4ft long) she's really only a few inches shy of reaching end-to-end.:)

[guidofatherof5]

I'm just very grateful I didn't wait too long. I noticed the symptoms 3 months ago.:o I just love that snake. She's "nothing special", just a normal concinnus but I am very fond of her.

"Nothing special" shame on you.:mad:
I hope she doesn't see this post.:D

[ConcinusMan]

Hence the quotes. I'm still not seeing her eat like she should. I'm really hoping this turns around. One thing is for sure, the most pressing matter of the respiratory infection is taken care of. Hope it doesn't come back.

[guidofatherof5]

Really. Thanks for pointing it out to me.
I withdraw my post for being stupid.:D

[ConcinusMan]

Something very encouraging happened yesterday. Big Bertha ate not just one, but two rat pinky heads (full of yummy cream filling) and didn't drop them. She swallowed them and kept them down. This is the only thing she's eaten in nearly two months besides a very small piece of tilapia and one night crawler. She seemed like she wanted more but I was afraid to give her more.

The reason I'm concerned about giving her a big meal is that she's been on the oral antibiotics (Baytril suspension) for quite some time now and I am concerned that this has likely killed her gut flora. I don't want the food to spoil and come back up. I need to wait a few days for the antibiotics to clear her system then I'll be giving her some probiotics. Her willingness to eat combined with the fact that she's not wheezing any more is very encouraging. Also, she puts up a vigorous fuss and feels strong (good muscle tone) and alert when I handle her.

[guidofatherof5]

That's good news.
Hope she keeps improving.

[ConcinusMan]

I think it may have just been an irritated or sore mouth. I have been having to force feed her the antibiotics. Her mouth looks good and it doesn't seem to bother her to eat now. I'm just glad her appetite is back and she's actually getting it down.

I think she's been on the Baytril long enough. Today will be her last dose. I'll wait 3 or 4 days for the antibiotics to clear her system and then give her this: Amazon.com: Bird Bene-Bac® Bird & Reptile Probiotic Gel, 15g Syringe: Home & Garden (http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Bene-Bac%C2%AE-Reptile-Probiotic-Syringe/dp/B0002TR4S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1305409066&sr=8-1)

Then I'll resume feeding her as much as she cares to eat for a while.

Probably wouldn't hurt to give a little probiotic to all my snakes after the rather rough deworming that most of them went through. They're all pounding down a lot of food lately.