Corny goes to the vet

[tttaylorrr]

i appreciate everyone's responses so, so incredibly much. it was late and i was just very upset. i'll give you all replies about Corny later on today; i'm trying to focus on my work and staying positive. crying isn't going to help Corny! i'm feeling better.

i'm currently playing this song on repeat right now lol: Bishop Briggs – White Flag

[GpBp]

Oof late again. So sorry Corny refused!! I know how you feel, when Geno was fasting I held my breath everytime I offered and felt so defeated when I saw a mouse in his tank the following morning! But even though corn snakes don't typically, it's not unheard of for them to go off food for a while! If vet says all is well, I'd trust her/him and relax You have such a big heart, and although it's gonna be hard, just let the baby be and don't stress! Don't forget about it, but don't let it bug you! I thought May was a goner the other day and she was in my head all day. I didn't even want to look in her tank because I was so scared I'd find a dead snake! But I think she's gonna be A-OK! Same with Corny

Bogertophis-
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.

Best wishes Tay!

[Prognathodon]

We’ve got three corn snakes (well, two are my husband’s and one is a long-term boarder), and the two bigger ones definitely go off feed at times. Tanis, the big girl, has the added bad habit of hiding her un-eaten mice. Pew. Henry and Aurora are more reliable, but Henry refuses sometimes, too. They all get what Big Cheese classes as medium adult mice, which are 19-29 grams, once a week.

The last time Tanis and Henry were on an extended refusal run, offering day-old rabbit kits snapped them out of it. I’d gotten the rabbits to give my carpet pythons and the boa some variety, and then realized they’d be what the corn snakes would likely be eating in the wild, and offered. Definitely popular!

If you want to try a kit in a week or two, ping me and I’ll see if I’ve got any the right size left (the last one is thawing for Fezzik the boa, and I think the latest batch from another supplier are all bigger), or if you go to Scott Smith’s All Animal Expo on Saturday or June 17th, I get them from Rat Pack Feeders; they’re usually around the middle of the wall nearest the parking lot. (I get their large mice for the corn snakes, based on eyeball evaluation of size).

[hilabeans]

Just a note to say I'm holding your hand in cyber space. These guys can break your heart when they struggle. Deep breath and day by day.

XOXO,

[Craiga 01453]

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.

FWIW, I'll throw this out there: granted Kings and corns are different species, I've always fed them the same way.

That being said, Django is about 52" and 772 grams and gets a LG mouse (18-32 grams, but most fall in the 24-27 range from Perfect Prey) every 7-10 days. He does occasionally get a refusal from one of the others as a treat, but his regular diet is one Lg mouse/7-10 days.
On that diet, he's still growing too. I got him in Oct 2016 and he was about 49" and 645 grams.
He pees and poops after every meal and is in great bodily shape. He's solid but not plump, no loose skin. He's firm and lean muscle throughout.
So, as long as he's still looking healthy and growing I see no reason to increase prey size and no reason to cut back to a 10-14 days schedule. Once I notice he's plateaued off with growth I'll probably cut back to 10-14 And see what happens.

Just throwing this out there as food for thought.

[dakski]

tttaylorrr,

First, big cyber hug!!!!!!

Katie sends a big one too!

Okay, deep breaths. Let's look at the facts and what you can do now.

You are great Snarent! You care so much about Corny, and your other little ones, and are doing what needs to be done. There is no need for "coulda, shoulda, or woulda," you can only move forward.

Snakes skip meals, not just BP's . Figment, my corn, almost never skips meals, but did the other week prior to shedding.

As said, if you've been feeding him a lot, he might just be slowing down a bit. No way to know.

Now, some opinions, from me, who is not a vet, but keeps multiple species, and has for more than half my 38 years.

If you have had Corny for a long time and he's had trouble gaining weight since you got him, he could have come with some sort of internal parasite, etc. He has been able to gain weight, but that could affect him. The odds of it all of sudden getting really bad, especially when, I believe the vet said he looks good otherwise, is unlikely. The two (him not eating and a potential parasite issue), may not be related right now. He was also stressed going to the vet.

I had a similar situation. I adopted a 5 year old corn a while ago, who was thin, and was fed a live mouse monthly. I switched him to F/T pretty quick, but he was not gaining weight easily. Turned out it was a parasite and a few doses of meds and he was gaining like a champ. He did fine after that.

Of course, it could be something bad, but this has been a long-term/ongoing issue.

Remember, reptiles get sick slow and get better slow - slow metabolisms and they don't like to show they are uncomfortable, that equals weakness.

I would talk to the vet and explain your concerns. Ask if they can preventively treat for stomach/intestinal parasites. The treatment may be similar for a wide array of parasites, but I am not sure. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Corny will probably eat soon and poop after and you can bring it in for testing. However, consider the above if you want to be proactive and waiting is killing you.

I love in Connecticut, and take my reptiles to a vet in Westchester, NY. It's 2 hours from my house, but I trust them, and although pricey, have always been good to me and my pets. I am close with the team there and can run this by them as well, if you think that might help.

I would also recommend reaching out to a breeder or two of corn snakes. I have bought several animals from BHB and they have always been helpful when I have a question, even if it's not an animal I bought from them. Not sure who you know, but it might be worth an email or call and who knows, maybe you get a corn from them down the road!

Hang in there, we are thinking of you and Corny, and although not a clairvoyant, or emotionally involved here, logically, I think things will be okay. Regardless, focus on what you can do now and continuing to be the best parent possible to Corny and the rest of the crew.

[tttaylorrr]

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?

thanks for the reply, red.

and yes, that's correct.

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?

he has never missed a meal with me, except these past two times.
here's his records:

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.

no need for apologies. i appreciate it.

[tttaylorrr]

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.

thank you so much for this, craig. this meant a lot to me.

[tttaylorrr]

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?

i think something is up with him because of his unexplainable weight loss recently despite normal feedings.

Corny has never refused a meal with me, except these past two.

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?

my experience with colubrids is limited to him, and i might be seeing things and applying a "ball python filter" to them and panicking.

i think he's a bit more active than he's ever been, but noting crazy. he's just always out of his hides and just generally hanging out. if this was one of my beeps i'd panic.

you bring up an interesting point about him not being hungry for once and it's got me thinking: ironically, despite this thread, i would assume Corny has never been healthier than he is now. for over 4 years he only ate fuzzies. now that he's got good weight on him and a good steady diet, he can start thinking about other things and not be so preoccupied with food.

thanks for your replies. you're going to get a few more now since you posted a couple more times i think lol. im finally getting aroundto replying.

[tttaylorrr]

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.

<3 thank you friend. your words were helpful.