my snake is sick

[gulpysmom]

I think my sons snake is dying. We noticed on Saturday it was acting funny. It is most often very feisty and will move quickly through out the cage when its feeding time. My son will pet and hold him sometimes but when he went to the cage Saturday and went to pick it up he said it looked like the snake had a seizure. It shook around and then became very stiff. I don't have a reptile vet in my area so I don't know what to do. It now just lays there with out moving and it's body is very stiff . I found it belly up this morning but it is still breathing. I tried feeding it but it wont eat. It's body temp is fine it's not cold to the touch and the other snake in the cage is perfectly fine. We have had it for almost three years and my so is very attached. It is a ribbon snake which im told is similar to if not the same as a garder snake. Does anyone know what could be wrong and what to do? What is the normal life expectancy for that type of snake? And should I be concerned for the other snake as well? I hate that it seems to be suffering. But I have no idea what to do for it. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[xdeus]

Unfotunately it's almost impossible to diagnose something like this over the internet. My best advice would be to get him to a vet. If you can't find a specialized vet in the area, you might want to call some local vets and ask for a recommendation.

From your description it could be a number of possibilities such as poisoning, heat stress, malnutrition, disease, or even something genetic.

You also mentioned that there's another snake in the cage. Are they the same type of snake? I'm not familiar with Ribbon snakes, but it's generally considered a bad idea to keep multiple snakes together.

[Freakie_frog]

the other snake in the cage is perfectly fine.

First thing I'd do is get that other snake out of there with it. If your animal has something transmittable most likely its to late for its cage mate but you may have dodged a bullet.

[gulpysmom]

I did call the local vet but they only know of an exotic bird vet in the next state over. I unfourtunatly live in the middle of no where. I will definitely remove the other snake asap. Thank you. Unfortunately it looks as though the snake won't make it. He is now unable to move at all but is still alive. I'm not sure if he is suffering or in pain and I feel terrible just letting it lay there. I Wish there was something I could do to help it in some way. Thanks all for your help.

[dr del]

Hi,

Ask your local vet if he would consider doing a phone consult with a qualified reptile vet.

What state are you in and we can see if there is anyone listed as close as possible maybe?


dr del

[grim reaper in NY]

One of the first things every herp owner should do is ensure there is a qualified vet within reasonable distance. Fortunately, I have a vet 10 minutes from me that even makes house calls if the situation warrants and he is excellent with reptiles.
That being said, hindsight is 20/20 and now we have to try and figure out how we can help you. From the sounds of it, it might be possible that one snake attacked the other as they can be VERY territorial. As stated above, NEVER put 2 snakes in the same habitat for any great length of time. Doing so only compunds so many issues including illness, territory battles and so forth.
Can you see any visible deformations or signs of injury? Could the snake have fallen from a high distance and possibly injured himself? Is there any audible noises coming from the snake when he's breathing indicating a possible respiratory infection? Has he voided regularly and eaten regularly or has there been feeding a voiding issues? All of these can give us each a better direction to go in when trying to diagnose your pet's ailment.
While it may seem futile at this point, keep the faith. These pets are extremely resilient and hopefully we can get things sorted before it's too late. From the sounds of it, the ailment seems to have been a pretty sudden onset from your description which makes me think a traumatic injury may be to blame. Just my thoughts...

[blushingball419]

Well how old was the snake when you got it? Ribbon snakes normally only live around 10-12 years. If the other snake in the same cage seems fine, then I'd say it's something genetic or age-related but there's no way to tell for sure until you talk to a vet. Like the others, I would also strongly suggest you remove the other snake from the tank if you haven't done so already.

I know it can be hard to find good reptile vets. Try searching for them online. There might be some around that your vet doesn't know about.

That's about all I can suggest. I know it's horrible having to see an animal suffer and I hope everything works out one way or the other. I am sorry though

[gulpysmom]

Well to answer all of you in one shot here goes. I live in New Jersey up in the mountains on the border of New York and Pa. I did remove the other snake from the cage. My local pet store had said that it was ok to have them together and they seemed close as silly as that sounds. They were always tangled up together or hanging out in the same little hut. But since gulpy became sick I moved the other to a different cage. I cleaned the cage really well and threw away all the items inside and purchased new. I also looked up some other things online and was told sometimes putting them in water helps with dehydration. Which I did. I sat up with him til 4am like you would an infant making sure the body temp was good and giving a little nudge each time he looked like he wasn't breathing. His breathing seems to be really slow way slower then normal and he seems to be really extra skinny. I did try feeding him some water through a dropper and some tiny fish with some tweezers lol. His usual diet is tuffys or rosies he eats around 6 per week. The last time he ate was about two weeks ago which isn't normal he always loves his fish. I don't hear any sounds coming from him or see any type of mucus or anything so as far as a respiratory thing I don't know. Luckily so far he seems to be doing a wee bit better. He is moving finally but still wont eat or drink. I placed some tiny guppys in his water in case he gets hungry. they are small enough that he wouldn't have to work hard to eat them. I see no body abnormalities though his head seems to slump to one side and he refuses to open his mouth at all. He will swim when put in the water but quickly gets out. I'm really trying the best I can to keep him comfy. I replaced his bedding with a brand new pillow case and put a bottle of hot water for warmth because the heat pad is with the other snake. He seems to be more comfortable on the pillow case then on the wood chips. He moves around more though I think I will put the wood chips back tomorrow. This was a sudden thing he just seemed to get sick on Saturday but was fine before that. I feel like I'm writing a novel here but I'm trying to cover all my bases. Thanks everyone for your help and support. Now that he is moving around a bit more I'm hopeful that he will be okay.

[gulpysmom]

Oh yeah I forgot to say we got him as a tiny baby we ordered him from a breeder and was told he was a baby he was less the a foot long. And we have had him for about three years. He is now almost two feet long.

[blackcrystal22]

Well how old was the snake when you got it? Ribbon snakes normally only live around 10-12 years. If the other snake in the same cage seems fine, then I'd say it's something genetic or age-related but there's no way to tell for sure until you talk to a vet. Like the others, I would also strongly suggest you remove the other snake from the tank if you haven't done so already.

I know it can be hard to find good reptile vets. Try searching for them online. There might be some around that your vet doesn't know about.

That's about all I can suggest. I know it's horrible having to see an animal suffer and I hope everything works out one way or the other. I am sorry though

Ball pythons have lived for 45 years. 10-12 in captivity is extremely low.

I'm guessing a disease or nerve issue of some sort. What are the temperatures in the cage, and how are you controlling them?

Separate the two snakes immediately, you can put them in tubberware tubs, (a 32quart should be fine) and use those as enclosures.

What was the name of your breeder?