Lori's snakes and such

[Lori P]

Ok guys-- I have a problem with one of the rat snake babies. When I first got them, they both devoured a pink (I was told they were eating whole pinks with no problems) the first day. This one then regurged. I waited a couple of days, then offered 1/2 a pink. She attacked it, and so a couple of hours later I gave her the other half (my thinking was, a whole one was too big, but maybe two halves were easier on her). She regurged both the next day.

I did not offer her anything at all again until this past Thursday. Gave her just a pinky head. She kept it down. So last night-- Sat-- I offered her 1/2 a pinky. Again, she devoured it like she was starving.

This morning, she regurged not only the 1/2 pink but the head from Thursday-- and lord, what a nasty mess that was.

What do I do?????? Why can't she keep food down?? Temps are good, no stress (I don't handle them, and they are in the bedroom which is quiet). She is active; she climbs around as much as her sister.

I'm very worried, so any help would be SO appreciated.....

[drache]

Lori - sorry
wish I could offer advice, other than suggesting a vet visit
there's warm baths and pro-biotics, but it's be best to know the cause of this
it's beginning to sound serious

[Garter_Gertie]

Worms or parasites. I think that's what's been said about this here before.

Yeah. High thee to a vet.

Hugs, mk You've been having the worst way to go lately...

[Lori P]

I'll take her in as soon as I can this week. I hadn't thought of parasites. Her sister eats like a bottomless pit...

The poor little thing!! :-(

[Zephyr]

I'll take her in as soon as I can this week. I hadn't thought of parasites. Her sister eats like a bottomless pit...

The poor little thing!! :-(

One of my corns did this when I got him last year.
Ate like a beast, but he would regurge constantly.
I think it's more from the anxieties of getting settled in in a new environment.
Raise the temps and the humidity (slightly) an don't feed for a week or two.

[Lori P]

Kyle... was your corn a baby at the time? These guys are about 3 1/2 weeks old. You know, she does not look thin. So... instead of stressing her with a vet visit... think I could wait a week, then offer her a small piece of pinky again? And if she keeps it down, wait another week to offer more (instead of just a couple days)? Or are we at this point beyond the "try it again" phase?

I'm not opposed to taking her in, but am trying to stress her as little as possible. In the meantime, I can run a fecal at work and see if we've got any parasites.

Just trying to get a feel for the best way to help her...

[Loren]

Lori, I honestly dont know what to tell you, as I havent had this yet. I was wondering though, might it be worth while to try to contact a rat snake breeder or 2, that have experience with raising up hundreds of these species, and ask them if this every happens to them?

[adamanteus]

It seems to me that quite often in a litter/clutch of snakes, there are one or two that seem determined to die. In nature these would probably be the first to fall foul of a small predator. Of course in a captive situation we want them all to survive, and so it takes all our wit and guile to get them through these early days. All I can suggest is that you persevere, at some point the little thing will acquire that will to survive and begin to behave as you would want.

[Lori P]

Thanks Loren and James. :-) Loren, I am kicking myself because I can't for the life of me find the breeder's card that I got them from. I have every other card from the expo... and I can't remember their name. I've emailed the puter-togetherer of the expo, hoping they will have a chart of all the vendors and can put me in touch with them.

I'll go search out some other rat snake breeders, tho. Good thinking.

James, I'm gathering up my wit and guile as we speak... :-)

[Lori P]

I made another video of the Florida Blues eating... are you tired of them yet?! Sorry, but these guys are SO cool....

YouTube - Florida Blues Breakfast

And here's the video follow up to the turtle/kitty love story...

YouTube - Forbidden Love

LOL!