Year-old corn snake

[Bogertophis]

Yeah I know of a good vet. Should I take him to the vet as soon as I can, or wait and see if it gets worse?

I'm not seeing anything (old shed pieces) in his nostrils...are you? Have you looked inside his mouth? I wonder how long he's had these symptoms...did you get any info from whomever you got him from? His face looks a little smushed-in...some snakes get a mouth infection after hitting the glass (often being teased or just over-eager about food). I can't tell from here what's going on...vet seems like a good plan, there's only so much we can do online to sort this out. Most infections respond better when treated promptly, & after seeing him close up, that appears to me to be what's going on. (short answer: sooner)

[Countach]

I'm not seeing anything (old shed pieces) in his nostrils...are you? Have you looked inside his mouth? I wonder how long he's had these symptoms...did you get any info from whomever you got him from? His face looks a little smushed-in...some snakes get a mouth infection after hitting the glass (often being teased or just over-eager about food). I can't tell from here what's going on...vet seems like a good plan, there's only so much we can do online to sort this out. Most infections respond better when treated promptly, & after seeing him close up, that appears to me to be what's going on. (short answer: sooner)

Nope I did not see anything in his nostrils. I haven't checked his mouth as I am trying not to stress him out since I just got him. How would you recommend I check it? (I've never checked a snake's mouth before.) I got him from a local exotic reptile store, and asked them about it but they just said they haven't had any issues with him.

[Bogertophis]

Nope I did not see anything in his nostrils. I haven't checked his mouth as I am trying not to stress him out since I just got him. How would you recommend I check it? (I've never checked a snake's mouth before.) I got him from a local exotic reptile store, and asked them about it but they just said they haven't had any issues with him.

Of course, they wanted to make a sale. Normally a yearling corn snake is a great choice for a pet, as hatchlings are tiny & delicate...but it also depends on the care they've had up to now, & a certain percentage of "available yearlings" are offered for sale because the breeder or previous owner knows there's an issue & they don't want to deal with it.

You can use something like a tongue depressor to open snake's mouth but if you're uncomfortable doing it (& won't know what you're really looking at anyway?) there's no point in adding to his stress right now, save it for the vet. (I'm assuming you've had him too long to return to the store or don't want to, or there's no guarantee anyway?)

IMO the store took advantage of you...it takes a practiced eye to spot issues like this in snakes...& I'm not saying all their staff is equally-experienced either, but surely the manager/owner is & would have known. I don't think much of stores that "play dumb" giving answers like that ("haven't had any issues" ).

So...you just got him yesterday? Vet care can get expensive & you should NOT have to take this on, IMO. It's up to you though...as an animal lover I want
to help any that are in my care, but you only just got him, & it would be hard to hear his clicking in a busy store...you may want to reconsider whether or not to keep him or try to return for refund. Gee, what a bummer...

[Bogertophis]

So...is this your first snake? One thing that jumps out to me is that you got him from a store & put him straight into a really nicely decorated cage...and I hate to
say this but you should have kept him in a rather bare cage (w/ plastic hides) & white paper towels on the "floor" for the first couple weeks while making SURE he
has no mites. This is critical...because in a set-up like this, mites will hide EVERYWHERE & their population will explode exponentially...they can & do kill snakes due
to blood loss (dehydration, shock & organ failure), so please, for future reference, keep this in mind. When you posted that you just got him, and he's a yearling, I
assumed that you got him from a friend or other home situation, because of the way you set up his cage. You did a nice job, truly...but it's premature for best results-
it's impossible to see mites in aspen & other substrates...but they show up on paper towels if you look close & know what to look for.

[Countach]

Of course, they wanted to make a sale. Normally a yearling corn snake is a great choice for a pet, as hatchlings are tiny & delicate...but it also depends on the care they've had up to now, & a certain percentage of "available yearlings" are offered for sale because the breeder or previous owner knows there's an issue & they don't want to deal with it.

You can use something like a tongue depressor to open snake's mouth but if you're uncomfortable doing it (& won't know what you're really looking at anyway?) there's no point in adding to his stress right now, save it for the vet. (I'm assuming you've had him too long to return to the store or don't want to, or there's no guarantee anyway?)

IMO the store took advantage of you...it takes a practiced eye to spot issues like this in snakes...& I'm not saying all their staff is equally-experienced either, but surely the manager/owner is & would have known. I don't think much of stores that "play dumb" giving answers like that ("haven't had any issues" ).

So...you just got him yesterday? Vet care can get expensive & you should NOT have to take this on, IMO. It's up to you though...as an animal lover I want
to help any that are in my care, but you only just got him, & it would be hard to hear his clicking in a busy store...you may want to reconsider whether or not to keep him or try to return for refund. Gee, what a bummer...

I guess I will take him to the vet soon. I don't want to try to check his mouth and end up hurting him. The manager was the one that sold him to me too which kinda sucks. I don't want to return the snake though. Also thanks for the tip about mites, I will remember that for my next snake. Yep this is my first one so I am not 100% sure what I am doing yet haha.

[Bogertophis]

I guess I will take him to the vet soon. I don't want to try to check his mouth and end up hurting him. The manager was the one that sold him to me too which kinda sucks. I don't want to return the snake though. Also thanks for the tip about mites, I will remember that for my next snake.

As they say, "buyer beware". His lower jaw is swollen, but I agree that it's best to let the vet check it all out...& since you're planning to keep him, I hope he makes a
full & quick recovery. None of this means that he doesn't have mites too, btw...so pay close attention & if you see any tiny (pin point) moving specks (red/brown or black)
on the snake, in his water bowl or anywhere in his cage, be ready to clear out that lovely set-up, because mites hide eggs in all porous materials. I HOPE he didn't bring
home any such "guests", but this is not an ethical source, so you certainly can't rule it out or let down your guard. If you see him soaking in his water bowl, that's some-
thing that many snakes do that have mites...it helps them to relieve the itch (we presume) & some may even drown (but most mites "need our help" to drown).

I hope you find a better exotic pet store next time...many stores cannot be trusted, they're all about making money & are all too happy to sell unhealthy animals to un-
suspecting customers.

[Countach]

As they say, "buyer beware". His lower jaw is swollen, but I agree that it's best to let the vet check it all out...& since you're planning to keep him, I hope he makes a
full & quick recovery. None of this means that he doesn't have mites too, btw...so pay close attention & if you see any tiny (pin point) moving specks (red/brown or black)
on the snake, in his water bowl or anywhere in his cage, be ready to clear out that lovely set-up, because mites hide eggs in all porous materials. I HOPE he didn't bring
home any such "guests", but this is not an ethical source, so you certainly can't rule it out or let down your guard. If you see him soaking in his water bowl, that's some-
thing that many snakes do that have mites...it helps them to relieve the itch (we presume) & some may even drown (but most mites "need our help" to drown).

I hope you find a better exotic pet store next time...many stores cannot be trusted, they're all about making money & are all too happy to sell unhealthy animals to un-
suspecting customers.

Thanks for all the help! I'll take him to the vet, and I will defiantly keep a close watch for mites. Let's hope he doesn't have any. One last thing: he's supposed to get fed tomorrow, should I wait a few days to let him get settled in?

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for all the help! I'll take him to the vet, and I will defiantly keep a close watch for mites. Let's hope he doesn't have any. One last thing: he's supposed to get fed tomorrow, should I wait a few days to let him get settled in?

Good question! Wait until you see the vet with him...don't feed yet, as going to the vet can cause him to regurgitate his meal anyway, & if he's given certain
medications that can be an issue too, so it's just best to wait. I'm so glad that he has a caring new owner now, I really hope for a good outcome- and no mites!
And yes, even if he was healthy, it would be better to wait a few days to let him settle in before feeding...but in THIS case, see the vet first.

Do keep us posted...corn snakes are wonderful pets (I currently have 5 & have bred them in past years) & I'm happy to help you sort this out. I just wish you'd gotten
an easier start with keeping a pet snake.

[Countach]

Good question! Wait until you see the vet with him...don't feed yet, as going to the vet can cause him to regurgitate his meal anyway, & if he's given certain
medications that can be an issue too, so it's just best to wait. I'm so glad that he has a caring new owner now, I really hope for a good outcome- and no mites!
And yes, even if he was healthy, it would be better to wait a few days to let him settle in before feeding...but in THIS case, see the vet first.

Do keep us posted...corn snakes are wonderful pets (I currently have 5 & have bred them in past years) & I'm happy to help you sort this out. I just wish you'd gotten
an easier start with keeping a pet snake.

Thanks, I will keep you updated!

[Bogertophis]

By the way...do you know what he was being fed? What size of mice, and live or pre-killed (fresh or frozen-thawed)? I'm assuming they didn't give you a feeding
record either and this is important for your success in feeding a snake, knowing what they prefer & are used to. Most corn snakes are great eaters (but may
not be if they have a mouth issue as this one appears to) and very few refuse to eat f/t mice (frozen-thawed).