Food fight again -- locked mouths.. (sort of)

[RedSidedSPR]

Ok, last time I posted this you guys said there was nothing to worry about. It was just a nip on the back.

This time... They bit eachothers mouths! That was kinda scary.. They didn't hold on, just locked up real quick and let go... but it was a little concerning. They continued eating right away, so I don't think anything is wrong..

sigh.. Should I be concerned THIS time?

[Starling96]

same thing happenes to me
maybe take out 2 snakes and feed one the take him out and put another in

[RedSidedSPR]

I usually dont have a problem I feed like you said, or ton feed... This was a dish of worms/fish...

[Starling96]

yea
was it with the same snakes?

[BLUESIRTALIS]

My baby 100% het albino fl. blues do it all the time. They will start doing the death roll like an aligator. I think they are just fine. Just make sure you are with them while they are feeding or the biggest one could swallow the smallest one and then they will both die because garters can't digest other snakes.

[Kantar]

I only had a couple problems with this, I feed my snakes in their cages.

Once I witnessed a strike on another snake when it was just finishing a meal but onto its head and they both squiggled around maniacly like a posessed noodle for a couple seconds and they both ran away from eachother.

Another time I seen a tug of war between 2 non garters on a jumbo mouse until it ripped in half and they were both happy.

I keep at 2 to 5 snakes per cage and I just have all the meals ready and they usually snatch it right away and as quickly as I can feed them all to avoid feeding frenzies. I try not to let them see the bag with the thawed mice in it because that sets them into a frenzy where they race around their enclosure at a million miles an hour and be cautious of eachother. They look around their surroundings so fast to make sure they get the food first. Its so funny

They should be fine

[RedSidedSPR]

As long as they're not hurt.

I usually tong feed, or hand feed, and have never had a problem.

It was concerning, but they seem fine...

[RedSidedSPR]

How would i know if something WAS wrong?

[katach]

Our pugets do that. They are greedy any like to play tug of war.

[ConcinusMan]

You should never, ever, give them the chance to do that. Better keep a close eye on their mouths. Check daily for a while. Look for swelling around the "seal". Look for gaps, lumps, etc.

More than once I have had to treat (and it's not easy to do or quick to heal) mouth injuries from this. Treat at the first sign of trouble and the chances for recovery are good. Do nothing, and it could eventually lead to tooth loss, infections, mouth pain which causes them to stop eating, and possibly death.

Do everything you can to prevent it from happening in the first place. If it does happen, tapping firmly but gently on their heads should get them to let go. Never attempt to pull them apart.

This should be taken very seriously. There's nothing funny about it.

[RedSidedSPR]

There now see? Now I'm worried again. They both lunged at a worm, ad ended up biting eachoter... the let go instantly, and continued eating.

I'm going back to tong feeding.

[RedSidedSPR]

More than once I have had to treat (and it's not easy to do or quick to heal) mouth injuries from this. Treat at the first sign of trouble and the chances for recovery are good. Do nothing, and it could eventually be fatal or lead to tooth loss.

Dang it treat what? How do I know?

[kibakiba]

It can get infected very fast, I've had it happen with 4 snakes. Squirt and Thumbelina, the worst, and then Snap and Ember. Richard gave me the medication to help them. If there is any redness in their mouths, or any swelling at all, tell us. I'm sure Richard can give you a bit of the medication he gave me. It can get bad pretty fast if you don't do something about it, so keep checking them for swelling and redness.

[RedSidedSPR]

swelling on the outside? Like the "lips?" How would i know whats inside the mouth?

[kibakiba]

It'll make the mouth open a little.

[RedSidedSPR]

What the outside-swelling or the inside damage?... Or both?

[kibakiba]

It will swell around their gums and it will make the mouth seem open on eithe side, or both sides.

[RedSidedSPR]

So no matter how they're injured, itll open the mouth?

[RedSidedSPR]

And what do you mean by open? Is it like a crack? Like, just a little bit of his mouth open? Or is this whole mouth just not shut as much?

[kibakiba]

It wont be shut right. And, in my experience, wherever the injury is, you can tell, because the mouth wont close completely on that side.

[RedSidedSPR]

Makes ya kinda paranoid.. I'm like "is his mouth closed all the way... It looks more open then normal... Oh wait.. Wrong snake"

[infernalis]

Easiest solution in the world... Feed each snake individually.

Even if I am feeding a hundred babies, they each get their own feed box.

[d_virginiana]

Just keep a close eye on them, but if they let go immediately you're probably okay for now. It'd probably be a good idea to tong-feed from now on though like you said. IMO that's more fun anyways. :p

If they've got a mouth injury, you'll notice it. Even slight swelling makes a really obvious change in their facial expressions.

[katach]

You should never, ever, give them the chance to do that.

We feed them separately now. That only happened once. They NW have good table manners. So we feed the pugets by themselves and then when they are done we feed the other 3.

[ConcinusMan]

If you don't see anything unusual from the outside within a day or two, they're probably OK. No need to look inside their mouths.

[kibakiba]

Your lucky, Kat. Mine have absolutely horrid manners. They love stealing each others food.

[katach]

I think because they have different tastes in food they don't really care what the others are doing. Toothless and Cotton (our pugets) are piggies that eat anything so they get a little aggressive at food time.

[kibakiba]

All of mine will eat absolutely anything that I give them. And, for ones that don't really like what I offer.... I pull a little "Well, no food for you, then!" and eventually they get jealous and take it ;)

[katach]

We do that with our human kids. You don't like what's for dinner then you can go hungry until next time we eat. They stopped the picky thing real quick. I am not a restaurant!

[Starling96]

All of mine will eat absolutely anything that I give them. And, for ones that don't really like what I offer.... I pull a little "Well, no food for you, then!" and eventually they get jealous and take it ;)
Ditto :D

[kibakiba]

Haha, I wish my mom was like you when I was a kid. She fed me nothing but McDonalds, now I'm over 100 pounds over weight. I have a hard time trying new food, too. We, well... Actually, I do that with my niece and nephew. My mom feeds them chips and snacks, I wont let them have anything unless they eat their real food first. My mom throws hundreds of dollars in food out just because they don't want it. That's money that could be spent on my snakes!

[katach]

They are my step kids, the oldest lives with us. The younger two's mom gets really mad when they go home saying Kathryn made yummy meatloaf or we love Kathryn's cooking! (I love it though hehehe)

[kibakiba]

Haha. The twins' parents enjoy the fact I make them eat what's given to them, because when my mom gives them nothing but chips and soda, they reject the actual food their mom makes them.

[katach]

yeah, they don't eat if you give them the junk first.

[kibakiba]

I'm glad I'm a bit strict about that, and my boyfriend agrees with my methods for if we ever had kids together. It would make it easier, not having to argue. :D

[ConcinusMan]

Well where's the entertainment in that? :p

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I know what Richard is saying with the babies hurting each other, but you should be able to tell if there is an injury. I've never had that happen though i guess because i always monitor mine and if they lock up i just tap them on the head and one lets go.

[RedSidedSPR]

A few times one will kinda chase the other for his food open mouthed and I tap them or something... This time though, you have no idea how fast and sudden it was. I has to really think hard before I really realized which two it was :p

[Mommy2many]

A few of us have also had the misfortune of a snake partially swallowing another snake during feeding time. I actually had the "swallower" die from injuries sustained during this mishap, rather than the one being swallowed.

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, I'm not too worried about that...

[ConcinusMan]

I think it's only a problem if teeth puncture the soft gum tissue around the inside edges of the mouth. If that didn't happen, you're OK. You would know by now. There would be visible swelling.

[RedSidedSPR]

Good... I'll still be watching to make sure, but I'm thinking he'll be fine.

No more dish-feeding.

[ConcinusMan]

Well, you saw how I do it. I do usually feed small groups of babies in their enclosure. But to keep that from happening (and to keep them from swallowing substrate) I keep the bites small, and I have to play referee, lol.

[RedSidedSPR]

I do too. I feed little peices of fish and worms, from the 'stats, and have never had a problem. I'm always watching. Playing ref. This time, was trying to get the new guy eating silersides and I figured, heck, I'll just mix it up in a dish.

[ConcinusMan]

In a case like that, I would put him in a separate container with the food, and give him some time to calm down and find it.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah.

I did it like this to get my anery AND my flame eating... they needed to have the food mixed in a dish. They both ate their first silverside meal side-by-side out of the dish in the cage. Figured i'd just do it again, since he wouldn't take them from the stats...

Mistake, and i won't do it again... unless they're alone.

[ConcinusMan]

he wouldn't take them from the stats...


Keep trying, they'll get the hang of it eventually. Once they get conditioned to it, they see those stats and just go bezerk and chase it.

[RedSidedSPR]

Oh yeah he does now! After the dish. He took the worms and stuff off the stats, he just didn't want silversides.

He's the most aggressive little guy I've ever seen. He nails 'em off the stats.

Well... not as aggressive as my flame when there's live guppies involved.:rolleyes:

[ConcinusMan]

You want to talk aggressive...

Amy and Tango come flying out of their hides, with mouth open if I just get near their tank.:rolleyes: They act like I starve them.

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, if i move my finger in front of my flames hide, and sometimes just reach in, he'll do that... but this guy mostly just aggressive when he actually sees/smells it.