Trinket Rat Snake – Possibly in Serious Danger

[Styx]

The Snake: Hatchling Trinket Rat Snake. No longer than my forearm, about as big around as a pencil.



The Story: So my friend bought a baby trinket rat last month. The store is fairly good when it comes from reptiles; I’ve not seen a sick herp in there, though other animals are poorly cared for (I think they should just carry herps as that’s all that really gets any decent care). The guy that does the herps said the trinket had eaten just a few days ago and was feeding well on live pinks, but since it was so tiny he recommended keeping up with the live pinks until it was bigger to try and switch onto frozen. It was healthy at the store, well tempered, not snappy, but squirmy and it decided to crap on my friend. Body was nicely toned and not thin.



Didn’t hear about it for weeks.



She’s moving and flying down to scope out the location and coming back in a month to pick up her stuff and some of her pets. Until them I am tending her two baby snakes – the rat and a corn. She’s leaving in two days from today.



I picked up the snakes and other critters at around ten thirty at night yesterday, brought them back here, plugged in their heat pad and didn’t look at them until today. She said she was already trying to switch it onto frozen and it hadn’t eaten anything, she didn’t say how long.



She will pick up the pets in two to three weeks so they are not mine to keep.



The Symptoms: The trinket rat feels VERY light. I mean, weightless almost. It’s very listless and somewhat unresponsive. I turn it over on it’s back to look at it’s underside and see dark splotches on it’s abdomen. They’re like dark black patches on the inside you can see through the skin – that’s the only way I can describe it. In addition to that, the snake feels like a straw. Literally, like a straw, on the underside, where there are no ribs, the snake feels empty, hollow. Like there’s nothing inside it. Not like the abdomen of a normal snake which is muscled and toned. I noted she was giving them old fish water to drink. When I said, “You’re…. Giving them fish water to drink?” she replied, “Yeah, it’s fine.” The trinket is in the same enclosure as the baby corn as they are the same size. Not by my choice, but just more info on the situation. The corn is perfectly fine it seems. When you pick up the trinket, it doesn't hang there, it's semi-normal in the fact it's not like a noodle, but it doesn't move. At all. No wriggling to escape, nothing.



Today I scrubbed out the enclosure and put the snakes back in, and the trinket is just lying there. It seems like it could die any day now.



The Question: What should I do?

[dr del]

Hi,


That's a tricky situation right enough.

I if was me I'd make sure all the temps are perfect for each species - maybe offer the trinket a hot spot slightly hotter than normal. Preferably in a spare tank if you have one ( tell her you were worried so set it up as a "hospital tank" if she asks).

If you think you can do it I'd have to say a vet visit is pretty much the only way to go. The dark belly could be signs of infection from snake tank water - or fish poop as you should explain to her. But only a vet can say if it's ill or not.

I'd also ask to speak to the vet on the phone if th apointment isn't going to be quick and ask his advice on whether to feed or not - in really bad cases they sometimes prefer to use an artificial diet that causes less stress on the body to digest.

Bottom line? The symptoms you listed don't exactly sound good but only a professional with the animal in his hands will ever know.

Best of luck and I hope the little fella is ok.


dr del

[wendyhoo9]

Wow, rough situation.


It sounds like there's a rampant infection going on with the little rat snake, but a vet would be needed to diagnose any problems with her. A call to your friend seems to be in order so you could tell her of the problem and the need for a vet appointment.

Also, in any way you can, emphasize the need for separate enclosures for the rat and corn. It really doesn't have to be that expensive and is so much better for them. Maybe send her our way and we can help change her mind?

Good luck with her and let us know what happens.

Wendy

[Styx]

Gottcha. Yeah, I have zero idea about what to do, and I feel horrible for the little thing.

Edit: I've left her a message that she needs to come down and get it first thing tomorrow and take it to the vet. Everything is closed right now so I can't do anything for it besides keep it warm and clean. ;_;

[dr del]

Cool on the vet visit.

If she is super stressed right now and you have the means it might be worth suggesting that you take care of this for the month and settle up with her when she comes back. That way she gets kept informed of whats happening and the snake gets to stay with someone who has the time and knowledge needed to give it the best chance of getting better.

All the above however depends on you being able to devote the time and resources needed to house /care for /pay for the vets recomendations no small task - especially considering modern vet bills. And you have to prepare both yourself and the owner for the fact the poor thing just might not make it anyway.

In case you don't know of any good reptile vets in your area here's a link to a website listing them I see used in here a lot.

What temperatures do trinket's need? and can her tank reach those ok?


dr del

[Styx]

She said she's not taking him to the vet because she doesn't have the time or money with the move.

I am taking care of it this month until she picks it up. However, I more agreed to watch and feed them, not pay for the $150+ vet bills and not get paid back. And she’s already stiffed me this month.

[JLC]

She said she's not taking him to the vet because she doesn't have the time or money with the move.

I am taking care of it this month until she picks it up. However, I more agreed to watch and feed them, not pay for the $150+ vet bills and not get paid back. And she’s already stiffed me this month.

Could you make a deal with her that if you take the snake to the vet and pay for it...then you keep the snake? "Rescue" it from her? Would you be willing to do that, if she were?

[Styx]

I might be able to do that if I get my last pay check in time... Not a bad idea. I should get the check this week if it's not already come. I'll call the three vets I know of here that do herps and see how much it'll run.

I've actually been temporarily laid off. This has come at the WORST time. If this had happened last month, I would not have hesitated to take it to the vet.

[JLC]

Well good luck with it! I hope the finances work out and I hope she is willing to see reason and surrender the poor thing to you. I know I'd be pretty darned mad if a friend handed me a sick animal and expected me to take care of it, but was unwilling to bother with vet visits. Were I in your shoes, I'd be looking for a way to keep both snakes and not be a part of her ever getting more.

[Styx]

Stress level rising. ^^; I'll be mad when I'm not freaking out.

Yeah, I'm looking for a way to keep all of her reptiles. Geckos too. Apparently she didn't have a good lid on one of her tanks a couple months ago and she USED to have another corn. She has cats. Bad lid + cats + baby corn = take a wild guess.

I guess I just thought she cared for her pets better, but it seems it only applies to certain pets. Others... not so much.