Royal Corn Snake???

Well - we went to vet yesterday - he's an Exotics Specialist in Swindon (Bev - you may know this one - magic roundabouts and all!!!)

Well he looked her over and said she would need a 10-day course of antibiotics to start with and once the wound (it's like a large lump with crusty black scabbing on top) was stabilized (I think - you know what it's like in those places) he would have to have her in for a 2-3 days hospitalization when it would be lanced off and any matter drained. Then she would be kept there in a nice warm stable hospital viv for a couple days afterward. For now though he administered some Baytril by injection - checked with me if I would be willing and able to give injections which she'll need once every 48 hours. I looked a bit dubious but when he said she could stay in for the 10 days but it would cost £25 per day I said I'd be willing to learn :) (I'm not squeamish). I counted up the days on my drive back home - and realized that operation day would fall precisely on Christmas Day LOL! - so I guess it'll be after that.

So after he took her upstairs to get some bloodwork done to test for which antibiotic to use (chose Baytril) - I carefully watched and learnt my lesson - knowing that I'd have back-up from experienced people back in the Oxford area. (I've since spoken to our local Reptile guy who was totally unfazed when I asked him if I could do my first performance supervised by him :) ) "Sure, love, just come in when you want" - like I merely wanted to pop in to borrow a bowl of sugar ;)

I have to phone in to report to vet on Saturday - but I swear (and so does my daughter) that last night she (her wound) had no smell at all whereas we were aware of it before.

The vet said it would be OK to offer her a meal (I bought a large mouse which I guess will be OK for her - it's the same size I feed 7-month old Emily - our BP). Is anytime during the day a good time to feed a Corn? I normally give Emily hers when she first wakes up in the evening - but then New Snakey isn't a BP ...

Sorry for the really long post - but thanks for all your advice I really appreciate it.

What an awesomely warm and generous heart you have! Good luck w/your new family addition. Sounds like the snake is off to a strong start w/someone who CARES to do the RIGHT things for it!


Hang in there. Just another fine example of the TRUE meaning of the season of Christmas----caring, loving and generous giving!!!:clap:

well i feed my lil corns in the evening as theyre nocturnal too, as long as the mousey is the right size she should wolf it down, some corns strike and some dont so just put it in her tub and watch incase you have to do the mousey dance lol.

unfortunately our nerest reptile vet is in manchester lol so im hoping nothing goes wrong with any of my guys. in not squeamish either so giving injections wouldnt be a problem to me.
i went to llandudno yesterday and saw a load of huge (about 3ft) plastic tubs for 6 quid and the lids are snappable so they would be great for a corn. i have all mine in glass vivs atm but if temps get to be a big problem ever i will just switch to plastic, but for now my vivs are ok an i can see my lil guys all the time.
good luck with your anery lady, my lil anery is called soot.
you could call yours phantom

Thank you Sweetie314 - but I'm like that with critters - once they get in the door I just can't seem to part with them :hmm: it was the same with a couple of cockatiels I "borrowed" to call down a lost cockatiel - they were babies so the owner didn't want them back and after they'd done such good service to me I couldn't bear to part with them.


[QUOTE=Bev]well i feed my lil corns in the evening as theyre nocturnal too,

I thought corns were diurnal ...! and there was I thinking I could have a corn to cuddle during the day and the BP at night ...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bev

unfortunately our nerest reptile vet is in manchester
i went to llandudno yesterday and saw a load of huge (about 3ft) plastic tubs for 6 quid

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Is this the Pound Store? I must go there it sounds good - do you have a separate thermostat for your mats?

well as of yet i havent had the money for a stat, as soon as i get spare cash after xmas im gettin a few. for now i just keep a really close eye on my temps, hard going and i'll be so glad when i can get hold of a few stats and relax a lil lol. as far as i know corns are nocturnal, but some do come out during the day, and they arent as fazed by things as royals are so theyre fine to pick up and clean out etc in the day,they can adjust to a diurnal routine.

yeah the shop in llandudno was a pound shop, poundstretcher i think, but like i said ive seen the huge plastic tubs in BWise too.

Thanks :) I'll keep an eye out on those shops - trouble with living in a village you always have to trek off to find stuff - parking in Oxford is a nightmare. I know what you mean about having to keep an eye on temps - last couple of nights I've got up in the night to check she isn't cooking to death :/

lol i have the smaller mats as mine are only baby corns so i dont think they can cook unless it goes all pear shaped an the mat freaks out, i worry about em freezin to death lol, but they seem fine, specially since the hot side isnt used loads, theyr have lots of hides and chippings on the floor an the heatmat isnt in contact with them so i dont think they can get burned easily.

dont even start me on small villages lol im in wales an thats all we have, i can walk thru 3 villages in an hour lol.

oh an i just thought if anyone wants to add me to thir msn or yahoo feel free

its AlyssaMulcari@yahoo.com
lol i always like having new ppl to talk to.

Well I did it - I had my "medical bag" with the syringes, swabs, iodine etc in just like any well-prepared doctor and took it and Miss Snakey (that name really seems to be sticking!) along to my local reptile guy so he could supervise my first "operation". After looking at her (he hadn't seen her before) and tut-tutting at how people can be so useless in caring for their animals we settled down to the business and I did a perfect injection between 2 scales at the prescribed 45 degree angle as taught by my vet. It was easier than I thought it would be - he held her still while I did it and she hardly moved. She was so good.

And to top all that she even ate a mouse for me that evening! I gave her a much smaller one than I tried her on the first time (medium - it looked tiny!!) as opposed to a large adult. She wouldn't strike or take it from me so I left it in there and later on it had gone!

I think I'll give her another one tomorrow later on after she's had her next injection - just another small one again to get her used to the idea of feeding again - do you think that's the right thing to do?

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Originally Posted by Razaiel

I think I'll give her another one tomorrow later on after she's had her next injection - just another small one again to get her used to the idea of feeding again - do you think that's the right thing to do?

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i would wait till next week and work up gradually each week until she's back to normal sized prey. you dont wanna feed 2 days in a row.