Corny goes to the vet

[Bogertophis]

Well, I'm NOT a fan of "force feeding" even small prey items, but it's much gentler to do a tube-feed (liquified Gerbers chicken baby food). This is one of
many possible reasons to tube-feed...just to get some food in there so the vet can diagnose what's going on from a sample. You might want to consider
it if you don't have any luck with his appetite soon. I know how frustrating this is, believe me. I wouldn't think much of it if Corny was a BP...but corn snakes
are chow-hounds, normally. Mine are, except for my OLD guy...he's about 20, so his appetite is flaky these days & his vision is poor. But he has a good excuse.
Anyway, don't blame yourself...snakes have issues just like everything else.

[tttaylorrr]

Well, I'm NOT a fan of "force feeding" even small prey items, but it's much gentler to do a tube-feed (liquified Gerbers chicken baby food). This is one of
many possible reasons to tube-feed...just to get some food in there so the vet can diagnose what's going on from a sample. You might want to consider
it if you don't have any luck with his appetite soon. I know how frustrating this is, believe me. I wouldn't think much of it if Corny was a BP...but corn snakes
are chow-hounds, normally. Mine are, except for my OLD guy...he's about 20, so his appetite is flaky these days & his vision is poor. But he has a good excuse.
Anyway, don't blame yourself...snakes have issues just like everything else.

thanks for your reply, but tbh i just can't respond rationally rn. i'm utterly beside myself. i'm so sorry, but i'm quite literally in tears...im so scared. why did i think i could take him and do better by him?

i'm sorry...i just don't understand what to do. i feel so incredibly lost. should i try a corn snake-specific forum for help? do i call my vet and explain? i've so rarely dealt with vets...im lost.

[redshepherd]

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.



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

Hopefully you feel better soon and hope he eats for you. I thought I'd input that Corny looks to be of a pudgy weight from this picture, isn't underweight at all. Even if he does have an issue that can be resolved after a fresh fecal is done and loses more weight in the mean time, I think he has awhile to spare! It will be awhile to still and offer food every few days before trying assist feeding or anything drastic.

[redshepherd]

I read through the thread and just wanted to make sure I'm not misunderstanding what's been happening- his first missed meal was a little over one week ago, and today he missed the 2nd meal?

Did he miss meals prior to last week? I'm wondering how much weight he has lost from when he was heaviest (whenever that was) compared to now, and how long ago it was that you weighed him at his heaviest?

Maybe some outside eyes to analyze his condition and what's been happening might help, but I apologize in advance if I missed this info in the thread somewhere.

[Craiga 01453]

Taylor, I'm sorry to read Corny refused.

I'm even more sorry to read that you're taking it so hard, and so personally. But I understand, and I admire your heart.

I've come to know you pretty well through the forum, and despite never actually meeting you, I respect the hell out of you and am happy to consider you a friend.

You're a beacon of hope in this world, and in this hobby. I honestly don't know many people who are lucky enough to have the passion you have (for snakes, or otherwise) and you clearly have a heart of gold.

I know it's hard to feel like you can't help Corny, but you've provided a fantastic home and life for him to this point. Keep your chin up, you've done nothing wrong and you definitely have NOT failed him. You're doing what you can. He's a healthy weight, so time is on your side.

You and Corny are in my thoughts. Don't beat yourself up now, you're an amazing snake "Mom". The forum, along with your snake family, are lucky to have you. Keep up the amazing work, Taylor. Corny is lucky to have you.

[Bogertophis]

thanks for your reply, but tbh i just can't respond rationally rn. i'm utterly beside myself. i'm so sorry, but i'm quite literally in tears...im so scared. why did i think i could take him and do better by him?

i'm sorry...i just don't understand what to do. i feel so incredibly lost. should i try a corn snake-specific forum for help? do i call my vet and explain? i've so rarely dealt with vets...im lost.

Please try to calm down and don't be so quick to beat yourself up...you are not "lost" and neither is Corny. Your vet has seen him and sooner or later will get a
stool sample to test, but otherwise she saw nothing wrong. You sound like an excellent snake owner to me, and if I was a snake I'd happily live in your house...

Tell me again, why are you convinced he is ill? I had the impression, perhaps incorrect, that he has refused more meals than perhaps he has?
He's about 5 years old, right? And you've had him for about a year? Maybe his mind is temporarily on mating & he just isn't that hungry for once.
Has he been behaving differently? Hiding more or less? Active more or less?

Your vet will understand that he's not eating & you are still waiting for a stool sample, believe me. Relax...

[Cheesenugget]

I don't have a corn and I don't have a clue what is wrong with your snake. But reading your posts like this shows how much you care for the little buddy. My Nibbler eats like a monster too so I can imagine myself also worrying in bits should she one day refuses for mysterious reasons. I just want to give you some comforting words, if they help at all, as I am not always so good with words:

We as pet owners love our animals so much that sometimes we either do too much for them. This can be both good and bad for the animal's wellbeing. As much veterinary medicine has taken steps to be better at diagnosing and treating disease that were once impossible to do so, we still know very little about our pets, may it be furry, scaley or fishey. I have many different types of pets and seen many vets for their ailments. I find that even the best vet may not have the answer. To say "I don't know what is wrong with your pet," is something you won't hear from them but in reality, there is much we don't know. How can we fix something we don't know?

Sometimes, like people, our pets can be born with genetic defects that don't kick in until much later in life. Some can be diagnosed, others are more difficult to find.

I am not suggesting anything ill towards your snake. You did the right thing by going to the vet. I am saying that sometimes things are out of our hands and you have to trust Corny to do what feels right to him. When he is ready to eat, he will. If he just wants to chill out for now, lets just wait and see what happens.

[Bogertophis]

When was his last shed? Most snakes seem to know long before we do when they are going into a shed, and while some will continue to eat,
others do not. Shedding takes extra hydration (water) from the snake's body, and so does digestion: therefore, many snakes instinctively sense
that they should not eat if & when they feel a shed coming on. In captivity, many snakes will continue to eat when in shed & if their owner offers it,
with no difficulty...because unlike in the wild, they've got a bowl of water sitting right there. But others may have trouble eating at that time & shed
in a zillion pieces, or even get "stuck". If I see a snake refuse a meal, the first thing I think of is that perhaps he knows something that I don't...that
he's going into a shed cycle.

When I mentioned the idea of "tube-feeding" it was meant to reassure you, not stress you out. If you ever need to do that, I'm a good coach & it's
truly not that hard. But I just wanted you to think of it as another means to help a snake that's having trouble- I've found it a very useful skill over
the years. What you actually need at the moment is patience...

And yes, moving him to a different room adds a bit of stress...and certainly the vet visit did. So that alone could make him refuse food. Again, be
patient.

[Bogertophis]

One more thought: How long is Corny? You mentioned feeding him a large mouse in your first post, & most corn snakes do not need that much food,
it makes them fat. It is possible that you've been feeding too much? You also mentioned the vet said 'no' to large mice but suggested, if I recall, that
instead you offer him 2 smaller ones? But that can do the same thing...possibly too much food. Offer one smaller mouse per meal.

How often are you feeding him? As an adult snake of 5 years, I'd feed him about every 10 to 14 days. (from your earlier posts I thought he was younger?)
And remember that there's no delivery service in the wild...snakes do not require an exact feeding schedule...that's only our doing.

What would really help here is a photo showing Corny next to a sample of the 'large' mice he's been eating. Especially since "large" means different things
to each person. It's possible that you've been over-feeding & that's why he just doesn't want to eat yet. I hardly ever weigh my snakes, btw: unless I
need to calculate a dose of medicine or there is a serious issue of weight loss, it's not needed & can stress some snakes.

[Bogertophis]

P.S. Snakes are a lot like us: when too much food is offered, some keep eating while others say no thanks...