Brooks Kingsnake strange digestion and behavior? (diarrhea and biting himself)

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Originally Posted by mopuim

yeah im going to feed him ive never seen anything like this but hes acting semi normal now just exploring in his feeding cage

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It sounds to me like he has pain, on & off, & the only way he can deal with it is to bite at himself. Internal parasites (worms) can migrate through a snake's body, & get into organs, causing them to fail. Even into heart & lungs. They wouldn't show up on x-rays either. :( I wish there was some better explanation I could think of, that it could be...???

There's nothing worse than watching a pet (or person, for that matter) that you care about that's suffering & needing help- but there's only so much you can do.
I hope a feeding helps for now.

i know there isn't much anyone can do but thank you for replying to this thread today. I don't know what made me create an account this very day and something like this happens. I am going to call the vet tomorrow when they open and maybe see to an emergency visit. The vet I go to has an emergency 24 hour thing and if you have an emergency the doctor can come in after hours. The emergency visits are more expensive but i don't care at this point. I was wondering if I should maybe wait until he poops so I can have a fecal sample just incase the cloacal wash is any different. I don't know if anything neurologically wrong is going on despite his bacterial infection. Thanks again! I am about to feed him so hopefully this helps.

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Originally Posted by mopuim

i know there isn't much anyone can do but thank you for replying to this thread today. I don't know what made me create an account this very day and something like this happens. I am going to call the vet tomorrow when they open and maybe see to an emergency visit. The vet I go to has an emergency 24 hour thing and if you have an emergency the doctor can come in after hours. The emergency visits are more expensive but i don't care at this point. I was wondering if I should maybe wait until he poops so I can have a fecal sample just incase the cloacal wash is any different. I don't know if anything neurologically wrong is going on despite his bacterial infection. Thanks again! I am about to feed him so hopefully this helps.

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I'm glad you joined us, & I sure hope you can get him the right kind of help- I'm not sure about the fecal sample but I suspect the cloacal wash is less effective for something like parasites, so you might just wait & see how he is in the morning after eating...I do think a fecal sample (fresh) would help, & might be worth waiting for, especially since his digestion is pretty fast. Always better if you don't need to do an emergency visit too.

BTW, you mentioned him biting his tail & bleeding- it's not the main concern, but fyi, there are several things you can use as antiseptic on any wounds like that: Vetericyn ointment is water-based & made for use on snakes & such. You can instead use a little Neosporin -as long as it's NOT the "pain relief version"- but it's petroleum jelly based, & can cause shedding problems, so don't use much if you do. Or a little Betadine topically (aka povidone-iodine is the generic name) is ok too.

Has he settled down?

Yes, he ate fine and almost immediately as I opened the hatch of his feeding container, like he was hungry. I let him sit for a little bit in the container and I just moved him back to his tank. He seems calmer and hopefully will rest or something. He's also moving slower and just exploring. I keep checking on him like every few minutes, but I really need to sleep.

About the cuts, they're not my greatest concern. None of the cuts he has had in the past have got infected and they seemed to heal fine, but I wash them with a little warm water and keep an eye on it. I am more concerned on why he is doing it, and hopefully calling the vet can help in any way. He's got a heat pad for digesting, so hopefully he decides to chill there. I'm just hoping for the best. :)

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Originally Posted by mopuim

Yes, he ate fine and almost immediately as I opened the hatch of his feeding container, like he was hungry. I let him sit for a little bit in the container and I just moved him back to his tank. He seems calmer and hopefully will rest or something. He's also moving slower and just exploring. I keep checking on him like every few minutes, but I really need to sleep.

About the cuts, they're not my greatest concern. None of the cuts he has had in the past have got infected and they seemed to heal fine, but I wash them with a little warm water and keep an eye on it. I am more concerned on why he is doing it, and hopefully calling the vet can help in any way. He's got a heat pad for digesting, so hopefully he decides to chill there. I'm just hoping for the best. :)

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Am I correct in thinking you’re feeding in a separate container then putting it back into viv ??

I think it’s generally accepted that you should only feed in their vivs/tubs it’s far easier AND safer ( for you ) plus you’re not moving a snake around AFTER it’s just eaten .

I’d never even try it with my King snakes and can’t imagine the fun and games you’d have feeding a 13’ reticulated python in a separate container !!


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Yes, I do feed him in a separate plastic container. He eats fairly quickly but I let him sit in there a little longer just in case. My vet also suggested that leaving him in there 30 minutes or so more will maybe be better for his aspen ingesting (although he doesn't do it a lot). He's also pretty small at about 3-4 feet long, and when I transfer him back to his tank, I make sure to hold his whole body in a natural position so it doesn't mess with his digestion. I haven't had any problems with that as far as I know, and I didn't want him to ingest bedding or expect food every time I open the tank. He is very docile and sweet, and hardly bites even though he is not feeling good. I am going to call my vet once they open and see what they say. :)

Just an update, I called the vet and told them what is going on. They suggested these options:

-bring him in today to get him re-examined
-get him some new antibiotics that would be administered twice a day
-get a refill on his old medicine

I forgot to mention the possibility of parasites, but I might call back later with more questions.
Also, I would like to bring in a fecal example just in case it is any different from a cloacal wash.
Right now, he's just resting in his little cave.

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Am I correct in thinking you’re feeding in a separate container then putting it back into viv ??

I think it’s generally accepted that you should only feed in their vivs/tubs it’s far easier AND safer ( for you ) plus you’re not moving a snake around AFTER it’s just eaten .

I’d never even try it with my King snakes and can’t imagine the fun and games you’d have feeding a 13’ reticulated python in a separate container !!


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I'm in agreement with this- best to only feed in a snake's own cage...not that the move will deter most king snakes from eating :D but better for you, not getting bit while handling him. But some snakes are much better than others about recognizing their owners & since this is apparently a "routine" he knows, I see no harm. To prevent a snake from ingesting substrate, it's just easier to put down something as a "plate" (if not a real plate, it can be a large plastic or cardboard box top). To your credit, you obviously know to keep him level after his meal when he's transferred, so I can't see that it hurts anything, it's just something most of us do differently- & you might want to reconsider in the future.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I'm in agreement with this- best to only feed in a snake's own cage...not that the move will deter most king snakes from eating :D but better for you, not getting bit while handling him. But some snakes are much better than others about recognizing their owners & since this is apparently a "routine" he knows, I see no harm. To prevent a snake from ingesting substrate, it's just easier to put down something as a "plate" (if not a real plate, it can be a large plastic or cardboard box top). To your credit, you obviously know to keep him level after his meal when he's transferred, so I can't see that it hurts anything, it's just something most of us do differently- & you might want to reconsider in the future.

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This ^


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