My cornsnake died..

[Shelby]

..and I have no idea why.

Last time I checked him was on Wednesday. He was perfectly fine, active and zooming around like always.

He lived in my 12 slot shoebox rack which has flexwatt back heat set to 94 degrees on a johnson thermostat. There are 6 other snakes in the rack, all perfectly healthy.

He had newspaper bedding with crumpled up balls of newspaper to hide under and burrow in and a fresh bowl of water given in disposable water dishes.

I have had him for four months. He has shown no sign of being unhealthy in any way. He has been a bit of a picky eater from the start.. he was a very nervous baby (tail rattling and defensive posture were normal) The last two weeks in a row he didn't eat, but the week before that he did. I always offered him F/T pinkies. Nothing remotely too big for him or anything.

So, I opened his drawer today, and peeked under his hide. I saw him sitting halfway upside down (head and first third of body) I had a little panic attack.. it's obviously a bad sign.

So I picked him up and he was very weak feeling and quite limp. He moved feebly around, and couldn't seem to keep his balance.. so I'm thinking something neurological. I put him in a small container with a paper towel soaked in water. He drank a couple mouthfuls, and moved around a little. If put on his back, he couldn't right himself very well. Every minute or so he'd have a little convulsion.. his head would go around upside down and he'd spaz.. his mouth opened up a few times. It was very strange.

He got weaker and weaker as the minutes went by, and now he's dead. I am stumped and sad.. I love my little Helaku.

My ONLY guess is that he couldn't figure out how to get to the water in his bowl to drink. About three weeks ago I switched to disposable water dishes for added cleanliness. The problem is they are clear. I don't know how long a snake can go without water.. but it doesn't make sense that he was perfectly fine three days ago, and today he's dead. Also the other snakes with the same water bowls (also baby colubrids) are fine.

Just in case, I put all the water bowls inside another waterbowl with a paper towel set in the bottom and up the sides of the dry one to act as a visual barrier so if that was the problem it can't harm any of my other babies.

I'm sorry this is so long.. I just want to know if anyone has any insight into this.

[Adam_Wysocki]

I'm very sorry for your loss, losing a snake is never easy.

I would have a necropsy done ... since you have other snakes in the same rack, you really want to rule out anything that could be contagious. Refrigerate the dead snake until you can get it to a vet.

It's doubtful that it had anything to do with the water bowls ... snakes can actually smell water and have poor eye sight anyway.

-adam

[amg20102006]

I feel very bad for you and your lodt one. I had one die also sept a ball python and it was a tradgic(sp) moment. If you can get a neocropsie(sp) done then you might be able to find out why it died as long as you put it in the refridge or freezer. I hope it turns out good like maybe another snake btu then in the end its still very sad.

[gncz73]

sorry to hear and wish i could help but i have never owned a corn snake.

[frankykeno]

So sorry to read of your loss April. Like Adam said, I would think a necropsy is in order just to rule out anything that could travel through your collection. I know I'd be shocked, sad and worried to suddenly lose a previously healthy snake.


~~Jo~~

[Shelby]

I was thinking of a necropsy.. do you have any idea of cost range?

[amg20102006]

my neocropsy was free. I think it was because they prescribed medicine for his ri and it didnt help t just got worse and he died of an ri but just check

[tigerlily]

as long as you put it in the refridge or freezer.

The refrigerator is the best solution if you want to keep it as fresh as possible. No freezer!

[amg20102006]

Oh my vet said the refridgerator or freezer and it was already in the freezer as i wasnt planning on having a neocropsy done just keeping it but he did mention the refridge is fresher and better results.

[frankykeno]

I'd ask Becky but I'm really sure she always says that freezing does something at the cellular level that can muck up test results but best check about that. I've never had my vet do a snake necropsy but I'm sure somebody here has so hopefully they will chime in with some estimates of what it cost them.

Again, condolences on the loss of the little snake April, anything we can do just ask.


~~Jo~~