Corny goes to the vet

i never thought i'd have to make such a thread, but here we are! i've said over and over again on this forum: "if Corny ever refuses a meal, he's going to the vet!" i was already working on finding a vet and trying to talk to a vet on the phone because Corny has suffered some unexplained weight loss, but this past weekend Corny refused his large mouse, so i just went ahead and booked an appointment for a fecal smear and an exam.

the place is really far from me, but it was one of the only well-reviewed exotic vets around and they also had a pic of a ball python on their website and not just dogs/cats, so i took that as a good sign. our appt is this saturday 9am cst.

when i gave the lady Corny's name she just started laughing lol. i was like "i didn't name him, i just kept it." i was also really, really confused when she asked "Color?" as in what color he was. hahaha.

i'll be updating you all as we go! i'm really nervous!!! :oops: any advice on bringing a snake into a vet? i've only done this once when Yellow was just a baby. :( any specific questions i should ask regarding the smear or other exams/tests?

thanks everyone. :)

Tttaylorrr,

Good luck!

I think a poop sample will get you 95% of what you want to know.

In my experience, most things that will come up in a poop sample can be treated and fairly easily, like parasites.

The more you know the better you are. Just be prepared to get Corny what he needs and make sure they show you how to administer any treatment if they aren't going to do it for you. If you are expected to do it, let them show you and have you do it at the vet, so you feel comfortable.

Good luck again and keep us in the loop!

Be sure to transport him in an insulated ice chest type container, in a snake bag (pillow case) securely fastened inside.

Sun coming thru car windows, as well as other unplanned temperature "fails" have happened, so don't be "one of them".
Hope it's an easy fix, get well Corny! :gj:

what is Corny's last name? do u two have the same last names?

anyways i would just add that u might wanna setup a QT and keep him in there until everything checks out ok. i hope everything turns out well.

Wishing Corny the best!!!!!!

I assume you’ll update us on where you took him?

Our dog-vet recommended Midwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital. Under new ownership and moved since I took my ferrets 20+ years ago, so no personal experience with the current incarnation. :)


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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

I assume you’ll update us on where you took him?

Our dog-vet recommended Midwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital. Under new ownership and moved since I took my ferrets 20+ years ago, so no personal experience with the current incarnation. :)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

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oh hey! i can't believe i never thought to ask your recommendation on a vet!!! i'm going to PM you. [emoji4]

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Originally Posted by AnnieHeart

Wishing Corny the best!!!!!!

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thank you! you're so nice. [emoji4][emoji177]

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Originally Posted by Ax01

what is Corny's last name? do u two have the same last names?

anyways i would just add that u might wanna setup a QT and keep him in there until everything checks out ok. i hope everything turns out well.

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he's just Corny! [emoji14]

that's a good idea, thank you. i'll be sure to move him into a separate room.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Be sure to transport him in an insulated ice chest type container, in a snake bag (pillow case) securely fastened inside.

Sun coming thru car windows, as well as other unplanned temperature "fails" have happened, so don't be "one of them".
Hope it's an easy fix, get well Corny! :gj:

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okay, thanks for the tips!

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Originally Posted by dakski

Tttaylorrr,

Good luck!

I think a poop sample will get you 95% of what you want to know.

In my experience, most things that will come up in a poop sample can be treated and fairly easily, like parasites.

The more you know the better you are. Just be prepared to get Corny what he needs and make sure they show you how to administer any treatment if they aren't going to do it for you. If you are expected to do it, let them show you and have you do it at the vet, so you feel comfortable.

Good luck again and keep us in the loop!

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thank you!!! [emoji3]

Poor Corny! :tears: Nose boops and best wishes for your little buddy.

Hoping for the best. Good luck! :)

Hope a speedy recovery for Corny, or better yet just an over protective parent ;) wishing nothing but the best I am sure everything will come up daisys with you looking out for her she will do fabulously ~healing hugs from across the miles ~

Hang in there Corny!!! You have an awesome mom who is gonna get you the help to be all better... :gj:

Hey Taylor, please let us know how it goes. And also wishing you and corny well!

Aww Taylor you're a great snarent! Hoping the best for you and corny! Let us know how it goes! We love you and corny!

Taylor,

Sending my best wishes to you and Corny. I'll be thinking of you both. Good luck, here's to hoping it's a fluke and Corny will be good and healthy!
Any which way, he's in great hands with you!!

Good luck Triple T, hope Corny get's well soon.

Hope Corny gets better soon and that the vet finds it's only something minor.

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Originally Posted by hilabeans

Poor Corny! :tears: Nose boops and best wishes for your little buddy.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Hoping for the best. Good luck! :)

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Originally Posted by C.Marie

Hope a speedy recovery for Corny, or better yet just an over protective parent ;) wishing nothing but the best I am sure everything will come up daisys with you looking out for her she will do fabulously ~healing hugs from across the miles ~

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Originally Posted by Jus1More

Hang in there Corny!!! You have an awesome mom who is gonna get you the help to be all better... :gj:

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

Hey Taylor, please let us know how it goes. And also wishing you and corny well!

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Aww Taylor you're a great snarent! Hoping the best for you and corny! Let us know how it goes! We love you and corny!

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Taylor,

Sending my best wishes to you and Corny. I'll be thinking of you both. Good luck, here's to hoping it's a fluke and Corny will be good and healthy!
Any which way, he's in great hands with you!!

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Originally Posted by RickyNY

Good luck Triple T, hope Corny get's well soon.

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Originally Posted by 67temp

Hope Corny gets better soon and that the vet finds it's only something minor.

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thank you all for the kind words and positive vibes. it means a lot!!! :) i'll keep you all updated!

Hoping for the best! Good luck Corny!

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

any advice on bringing a snake into a vet? i've only done this once when Yellow was just a baby. :( any specific questions i should ask regarding the smear or other exams/tests?

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You may want to ask if they also test for Crypto or if the fecal comes back clean if that would be a good next step.

My vet always asks me those same questions about color and such, default forms they have to fill out, I usually go with whatever the primary or background color is. Good luck!
I hope there's nothing wrong with your lil guy!

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

You may want to ask if they also test for Crypto or if the fecal comes back clean if that would be a good next step.

My vet always asks me those same questions about color and such, default forms they have to fill out, I usually go with whatever the primary or background color is. Good luck!
I hope there's nothing wrong with your lil guy!

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i will ask about that. thank you!

small update: weights of the crew were taken today, and Corny was 322g. that's 2g more than when he was weighed on 5/7.

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thoughts anyone? that's a weight gain after a refusal. idk, any input would be nice; reassurance is always nice. [emoji4] appt will not be cancelled regardless of forum opinion. [emoji3]

2g? Could have just had a drink.

Probably just more hydrated today.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Probably just more hydrated today.

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Originally Posted by Alter-Echo

2g? Could have just had a drink.

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thank you both. im just so worried about anything with him atm, so i appreciate any feedback. [emoji4]

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

thank you both. im just so worried about anything with him atm, so i appreciate any feedback. [emoji4]

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Funny that we were posting at nearly the same minute, lol...

Think about all the questions you have for the vet and then write them down!

Whenever you think of something else to ask, add to your notes.

I find that I forget half of what I was going to ask once I'm at the vet, because of getting caught up in the examination and what the vet has to say, etc..

Is Corny on live food ?

Ask them to run a fecal for parasites AND things like Coccidia and Giardia .

Bring up Crypto.

Most likely its not those things, but you def. want to discuss that with your vet. Worms and protozoans are treated with different medications.

Do you know Cornys age?

Hoping its nothing serious and you can stop worrying soon :)

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Originally Posted by zina10

Think about all the questions you have for the vet and then write them down!

Whenever you think of something else to ask, add to your notes.

I find that I forget half of what I was going to ask once I'm at the vet, because of getting caught up in the examination and what the vet has to say, etc..

Is Corny on live food ?

Ask them to run a fecal for parasites AND things like Coccidia and Giardia .

Bring up Crypto.

Most likely its not those things, but you def. want to discuss that with your vet. Worms and protozoans are treated with different medications.

Do you know Cornys age?

Hoping its nothing serious and you can stop worrying soon :)

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that's a good idea to write my questions down. thank you!

Corny is on f/t mice from the big box store.

i hope i can learn how to pronounce those before the visit LOL.

good to know.

not exactly. when i got him the owners said he was "about 3 or 4 years old." i've had him for a year and i just say he's 5 years old.

thanks, zina!

Yep, I second what Zina says about writing your questions down. Very good to present the weight charting that you did also. A good history of present illness includes dates, times, durations and the such. If possible bring in a stool sample if you haven't kept one at the ready yet. Good luck and try not to worry too much.

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Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Yep, I second what Zina says about writing your questions down. Very good to present the weight charting that you did also. A good history of present illness includes dates, times, durations and the such. If possible bring in a stool sample if you haven't kept one at the ready yet. Good luck and try not to worry too much.

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I "third" all of that...so easy to get side-tracked & forget to ask something while at the vets, and you need to be listening, not just remembering your questions.
Do take notes on what he/or she says also. The more information you can give, the better the diagnosis you may get.

Remember that stool samples have to be REALLY fresh! Meaning, if you happen to get one, put it in the fridge.

With snakes, its hard to get/keep a fresh enough one. Shouldn't matter to much though, my vet was able to get enough "matter" with a long q-tip looking thing, and that way it was very fresh.

Protozoans are sometimes difficult enough to find in a sample, so the fresher the better.

Definitely take all records with you, not only the ones from Corny, but also all new animals you have gotten within the last year/6 month or so, and if there is anything "off" with any of those.

Most likely it is actually nothing at all. Or if anything, something easy to treat.
But since you are actually going to a good reptile vet, this is your chance to ask about everything and to have all the tests done that are possible on a live animal. Plus discuss any questions, concerns and possibilities.

I'm crossing fingers and toes that its just one of those things, like males taking a feeding break or breeding season or something along those lines.

random update: i have to take my cat in to her vet this weekend too. one of her lower canines is really bothering her and when i tried to touch it the tooth was loose. :( this will be a fun weekend ha...lol.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

random update: i have to take my cat in to her vet this weekend too. one of her lower canines is really bothering her and when i tried to touch it the tooth was loose. :( this will be a fun weekend ha...lol.

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Awe, I'm so sorry! Hope your kitty feels better!!

heading out on our 40min drive to the vet! neither one of us is looking forward to this lol.

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Good luck Taylor and Corny!!

vet says he looks good, not skinny; heart and lungs sound good under the ultrasound. the weight loss is concerning; we're going to do the smear and a crypto test.

the vet has him in the back trying to get him to poop for a fresh sample lol. she was feeling his body and goes "i feel like he has to poop." she seems smart and kind of gave me a look when i mentioned i fed him rats lol. [emoji28]

there was a guy in here with a BRB right before me! he was walking out with a big cooler as i was walking in with my tub and pillow case. we both looked at each other like I know what's in there!

Hopefully it will all work out for the best Taylor, Good luck to you and you animals.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

vet says he looks good, not skinny; heart and lungs sound good under the ultrasound. the weight loss is concerning; we're going to do the smear and a crypto test.

the vet has him in the back trying to get him to poop for a fresh sample lol. she was feeling his body and goes "i feel like he has to poop." she seems smart and kind of gave me a look when i mentioned i fed him rats lol. [emoji28]

there was a guy in here with a BRB right before me! he was walking out with a big cooler as i was walking in with my tub and pillow case. we both looked at each other like I know what's in there!

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Corny & your cat are both in my good thoughts...

But about your transport of Corny in just a tub: what if your vehicle broke down on the way there or back??? (that HAS happened to me with a snake
on board!) If your snake is not in an insulated "cooler" & you get stuck without your auto's A/C, he could die waiting for assistance. How many ppl do
you think will stop to help with your over-heated snake, anyway??? Just think about it for next trip...ok? I know you care, but "things can happen".

Mine went off feed for about 6 weeks. Offered food about 2 weeks ago and ate like a champ (after wasting 4 mice). Sometimes that's just what they do. Hoping that's all yours is!
Best of luck to him!

here's a more in-depth summary of my visit, it's been a busy weekend:

so the fecal samples i brought weren't fresh enough and Corny didn't manage to poop at the vet (she put him in a water bath), so i'll have to go back when i catch his next poop lol. since he refused last week he hasn't pooped much so i hope he eats this next week.

Corny was well-behaved and did really well with the vet handling him. at one point he saw the opportunity to make a dash in to the vet's coat sleeve and she just let him hang out there for a bit. i wish i got a photo of it.

the vet said that Corny could definitely fill out more, but considering the weight i got him at just over a year ago, she said his body condition looks great. mouth, eyes, heart and lungs all looking and sounding great; no masses in his body or other weird things when palpating.

she said i should start feeding two of the large mice i have every 7 days, or one mouse twice a week. when i mentioned buying bigger mice she actually advised me against it.

so for now i'm just hovering over him waiting for a poop. i'll have 24hrs to get it to the vet so they can test it. Corny has also been moved into a different room from my balls.

here's a pic of Corny at the vet lol.
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Corny is very pretty! Now to get his appetite loss figured out. I'm assuming that by "large mice" in the quote below, we're not really talking about adult mice? Feeding twice a week sounds like a recipe for regurge, unless we're talking about pinks/fuzzies??? (how big & how old is Corny?)

"...she said i should start feeding two of the large mice i have every 7 days, or one mouse twice a week. when i mentioned buying bigger mice she actually advised me against it."

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Corny is very pretty! Now to get his appetite loss figured out. I'm assuming that by "large mice" in the quote below, we're not really talking about adult mice? Feeding twice a week sounds like a recipe for regurge, unless we're talking about pinks/fuzzies???

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they're not exactly "large"; they're 25g on their best day, not ex-breeders or anything. they're just f/t mice from the pet store.

i agree feeding twice a week doesn't seem ideal.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Corny & your cat are both in my good thoughts...

But about your transport of Corny in just a tub: what if your vehicle broke down on the way there or back??? (that HAS happened to me with a snake
on board!) If your snake is not in an insulated "cooler" & you get stuck without your auto's A/C, he could die waiting for assistance. How many ppl do
you think will stop to help with your over-heated snake, anyway??? Just think about it for next trip...ok? I know you care, but "things can happen".

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Not sure exactly where tttaylor was driving from, but unless the breakdown was along the expressway or on a road through the biggest forest preserve in the area, there would be somewhere nearby to wait for help - a bin with a bag in it says “snake” to us, not necessarily non-herp people. And at worst, you find a patch of shade and take the top off the tub, so Corny wouldn’t get any hotter than ambient. Yesterday was hot and miserable for us humans, not so much for the snakes.

I also meant to PM tttaylor my cell number in case she needed moral support or anything, but forgot. [emoji17]


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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

I also meant to PM tttaylor my cell number in case she needed moral support or anything, but forgot. [emoji17]

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awe, thank you i appreciate that so much! [emoji4] it's the thought that counts lol.

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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

Not sure exactly where tttaylor was driving from, but unless the breakdown was along the expressway or on a road through the biggest forest preserve in the area, there would be somewhere nearby to wait for help - a bin with a bag in it says “snake” to us, not necessarily non-herp people. And at worst, you find a patch of shade and take the top off the tub, so Corny wouldn’t get any hotter than ambient. Yesterday was hot and miserable for us humans, not so much for the snakes....

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This time of year the temps can be way too hot for herps, especially corn snakes that don't the heat like BPs do. "Ambient" sounds harmless but can kill pets.
And just like dogs in hot cars, they might survive but with neurological damage. Why take that chance?

Using an insulated container isn't a big ask, to me it's just better safe than sorry. We humans are blessed with foresight, it's a shame to waste it. And if your
budget is tight, you'll often find styrofoam shipping containers in thrift stores VERY cheaply. (they're also superb to keep in your trunk, for carrying ice cream
home from the grocery store...:D)

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

random update: i have to take my cat in to her vet this weekend too. one of her lower canines is really bothering her and when i tried to touch it the tooth was loose. :( this will be a fun weekend ha...lol.

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I hope Corny snaps back into shape for you. As for your feline friend, cats handle dentals really well if that is what is recommended (usually, of course - it's still a surgery, so make sure you do blood work to make sure liver and kidneys are healthy enough for anesthesia). Mine; she's 8; just had one done. She had a resorption lesion of two of her top incisors and a very mild one on her upper left canine tooth. The two incisors were removed, the canine cleaned, two weeks of antibiotics and she's fine. The dental itself took 23 min from intubantion to recovery. She will probably loose the canine in a year or two, but for now she's good. (I however handled it badly, took her in on a day that I didn't work, waited by the phone until she was done and stayed up all night counting respirations like a crazy person)

I brush her teeth and have her on a dental supplement daily, it really does help keep the tarter down, if your cat will tolerate it lol.

Back to the subject of transporting your snake in an INSULATED container (ice chest or styrofoam shipping box)- I hope we never see you posting
a sad thread like this: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-is-not-moving

No matter what the season, any time my snakes travel in my car, they ONLY travel in "ice chests" (no ice) for safety and so as to minimize any
temperature fluctuations. May I recommend that you do the same.

Corny refused tonight...

i feel terrible.

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this.

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part of me wants to blame the vet visit and moving him into a new room for QT, but that just seems so unlike how i know him to be. everyone else ate fine tonight (except Yellow, typical)...i feel like i've failed. how am i supposed to get a fecal sample now??? i haven't noticed any new poops.

do i leave him alone? faaaaaadge. what do i even do?? i have failed him. period.

none of this isn't directed at you...i'm just venting. i'm just really upset...