Looking for advice from more experienced keepers

[Bogertophis]

I really appreciate how honest our vet is. He doesn't have much experience with reptiles but he's willing to try. Willing to do what he can. That's a good quality to have in not just a vet but an animal caregiver. You don't need all the experience but a willingness to try and help. Now experience helps and I can't help but wonder if we have originally brought her to an experience reptile vet, would they have been able to save her however our vet did all he could and I really appreciate it.

My coworker just got back to me and the ER vet said she was definitely over 15 years old. So not as old as your snakes but it sounds like a decent mostly healthy life.

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Many books suggest mid to upper teens for typical lifespan for corn snakes, so 15 isn't bad, certainly. Mine have tended to push 20 & beyond. But egg-binding is seriously bad.

"Your" corn snake may well have been over 15- it's impossible to tell a snake's age from looks (size) alone; I'm sure the vet was basing his guess on her size.

Even a very experienced vet might not have been able to save her- surgery is always risky, & can end up with infections too. Not everyone would even put an "older" snake thru a surgery- in balancing the potential healthy years left against the risks, & pain & suffering during recovery (need for antibiotic injections included), so there's that also. Depending on her age, euthanasia might have been a kinder option.

[Neko_snake]

Many books suggest mid to upper teens for typical lifespan for corn snakes, so 15 isn't bad, certainly. Mine have tended to push 20 & beyond. But egg-binding is seriously bad.

"Your" corn snake may well have been over 15- it's impossible to tell a snake's age from looks (size) alone; I'm sure the vet was basing his guess on her size.

Even a very experienced vet might not have been able to save her- surgery is always risky, & can end up with infections too. Not everyone would even put an "older" snake thru a surgery- in balancing the potential healthy years left against the risks, & pain & suffering during recovery (need for antibiotic injections included), so there's that also.

Makes sense. Thanks again for all your help and knowledge. It definitely got us researching everything that my coworkers thought they knew. I definitely learned a lot from this experience and that makes me happy. Hopefully I'll get to work with another corn snake soon.

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