Meet the gang!

[kibakiba]

I got her to drink some water, she's flicking her tongue a little bit.

[EasternGirl]

Oh Chantel..I'm sorry to hear this...so it's a failure to thrive situation? That is rough. At least she has your love for the short life that she has. As far as the Runt situation goes, have you had snakes escape before? I just read something about putting a pile of warm towels on the floor...something about it attracting snakes that have escaped.

[kibakiba]

She's never really eaten much, just 2 tiny pinky pieces since she was born in Nov or Oct. She's flicking her tongue a little bit but she's really not doing well. With Speckles, I'm not sure what really caused her to die. She had a lump near her cloaca which was a tiny piece of carefresh with some poop, but it was small enough that it would be easily passed. She was all deflated looking, much like this baby is right now. She looks less folded and weak now that she's had her fill of water. I'm going to call her Angel for the time that she is alive, she's always been the sweetest little thing. I would really like her to pull through...

I found Runt... She was on my toilet.

[chris-uk]

It's always sad to read about these FTT situations, if she's drinking that's a start so there's still a chance that her feeding response will switch on. From what you described it sounds like she doesn't have an awful lot of time though.

I'm impressed with your toilet training. I've just checked on Lacrimosa and have a steaming pile half on the glass to clean up, if I could train her to slither to the bathroom....

[kibakiba]

She's still hanging on, ever so slightly. I'm tempted to chop up worm and pinky into a liquidy mush and using a syringe to get at least a tiny bit of foood in her... But, I don't want to risk that killing her.

[chris-uk]

I decided, after reading a lot about it, that I won't ever force feed a baby. If the feeding response isn't there, then force feeding seems to be unlikely to help (based on the balance of the reading I did) and with a baby snake there's the risk of damaging the mouth.
My personal decision when I was faced with a FTT was to look after her as long as she wasn't suffering, give her every chance to eat by herself, and to ensure that she didn't suffer by starving herself to death.

[kibakiba]

I'll admit that I probably would, depending on the circumstances. In this case, Angel has eaten, but a very small amount in a long amount of time. I've had to deal with mouth infections of tiny babies before, so I do know how to open the mouth without harming them (though, Angel is literally a ton smaller than the runt from my first litter, Azul). A death of a beloved snake, and another possible death of another, slightly more beloved snake is not how I would like to start my year, and it wouldn't help the fact I'm currently without a constantly working antidepressant for my already quite severe depression. I love all my snakes like my children, and it isn't something one can say "just put them down and deal with it" like my boyfriend did. If there's something I can do that could possibly save one of my snakes lives, I'd be happy to do it. I think Angel deserves a chance at living, she's gone this long. It seems to be longer than most, considering I sort of knew she was doomed from the start. I'm too much of a softy for my own good, I figure most people would have put her down a month ago if they were in my place.

[Jeff B]

I have assist fed many a baby garter that just didn't want to get started and would have surely died, and had them take off and be perfect and grow up to be very healthy and robust adults and breeders even. All they needed was a little help to get started. Basically I just stick a guppy up under the side of there upper lip the point it strait to the back of the throat and usually they will then start swallowing if not I push it in a little farther untill they have to start swallowing. I usually only have to do this once or worst case a few times before they will start feeding on their own. Granted some babies just fail and there is nothing you can do, but it's worth trying in my oppinion. Good luck with Angel

[kibakiba]

Thanks Jeff. I'd try guppies, but Bridges never carries them.... And likes to tell me gold fish are the same thing, and when you even look at the goldfish they are infested with weird white worms. Blech.

[EasternGirl]

I like the name Angel...that is a beautiful name for her, Chantel. I understand what you are saying completely. When I found that snake in my basement around my birthday..Sammy...I only had him for two days...but I cried when he died. I am so oversensitive when it comes to animals...I can't even watch animals die in movies. In general, I'm not much of a softy at all...I never cry and I watch crazy serial killer movies all the time..lol. But when it comes to animals...I just have this compassion that is overwhelming. I think it probably has something to do with our inability to connect with people. But anyway...maybe you could try just a tiny bit of the food mush in a syringe. If she has eaten before and she doesn't have an impaction, a little tiny bit probably wouldn't hurt her....but you be the judge of that. If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't have put her down either...I would be trying to find a way to help her too.