Unexpected death: RIP Vera (necropsy?)

[4theSNAKElady]

I am soo sorry to hear that. Soo young too. She was a beautiful snake. I hope you get some answers in her necropsy so you can at least have some type of closure.

[CrystalRose]

I am so sorry for your loss

[S.I.R.]

Very sorry for your loss! It's amazing how an animal can become so close to you. Hang in there

[Daybreaker]

Thank you everyone for your support, it really means a lot.

After contacting my local vet and finding him out of town for a week and no one else being able/knowledgeable enough to see her up here, I will be driving two hours down to Phoenix to see a trusted exotic vet here shortly who will do the necro later today.

I will update this evening with results.

[Pyrate81]

I'm sorry. (hugs)

[Daybreaker]

Well, got some news and will be waiting on others:

Necropsy found that her heart was enlarged and she had hemorrhaging around it, also that her lungs looked abnormal. He said this could account for her odd breathing/mouth movements I saw on Saturday.

He couldn't say for sure if this was caused by a illness/virus or if this was a case of her just not being well (ie like when seemingly healthy twenty years olds die abruptly due to a brain hemorrhage) so I opted for a full histopathology on her tissues/organs: this will help determine if she has something that may put my other snakes in jeopardy. I won't know these results for 10-14 days.

What surprised me is that after examining her he considered her obese and mentioned by feeding regime could be switched around for healthier snakes. It was truly eye opening as I've fed my colubrids the same as many other people do and after what I've read many times over and I didn't have the slightest idea that she was so overweight. He mentioned that a 7 day schedule is too much for an adult corn and I should scale back to 10-14 days, and also feeding leaner/younger mice instead of the larger fattier ones will be overall healthier for the snake (which makes sense). I will be re-evaluating my feeding schedules/habits with my snakes after this. He didn't think her being obese had anything to do with her passing.

[elbee]

Thank you for the update. Sounds like maybe it was just something congenital. I am so sorry but at least now you have some answers. Like I had to tell myself with my hognose; sometimes these things happen. Vera was a good snake and you gave her a great, loving home.

[4theSNAKElady]

Obese? Wow....why did the vet think that? Did she have a lot of fatty tissue? Im just curious.....dont want to upset you.

sent from my incubator

[Mike41793]

Obese? Wow....why did the vet think that? Did she have a lot of fatty tissue? Im just curious.....dont want to upset you.

sent from my incubator

x2... Did he give any more of an explanation on that?

[Daybreaker]

Thank you for the update. Sounds like maybe it was just something congenital. I am so sorry but at least now you have some answers. Like I had to tell myself with my hognose; sometimes these things happen. Vera was a good snake and you gave her a great, loving home.

Thank you, for the sake of my other snakes I'm hoping it was congenital but of course I wouldn't wish anything ill of any of my snakes or others'. It's just sad thing that happened.

Obese? Wow....why did the vet think that? Did she have a lot of fatty tissue? Im just curious.....dont want to upset you.

sent from my incubator

x2... Did he give any more of an explanation on that?

The fatty tissue and he explained that when he checked her exterior instead of having the healthy body shape of a slight triangle or circular she was actually shaped like what I would call an apple (ie fat actually bulging out from her spine, if that makes sense)? I feel bad that I've never noticed her shaped like this before (she always looked and felt circular to me) and tomorrow I'll be looking everyone over to see if they're showing this body shape. If any are (I'll be looking especially close at my adult King who's been on the same feeding schedule as Vera) I'll take some pics and they'll be going on a diet.