Rescuing a girl...Only JUST found out how bad her situation is =[

[angllady2]

My goodness, I miss a day or two on the forums and look what happens!

First, congratulations on a lovely new snake. She's a real looker, I have a girl or two that look a lot like her, with lots of blushing.

Second, you have my sincere respect. I've been in the rescue spot a time or two myself, and it's never easy. Sometimes it's just a matter of someone can't keep their cherished pet, and then there are the ones that keep you up at night. Your heart pulls you one way, your head pulls you another, and trying to decide the lesser of two evil's isn't easy. Yes you want to help the animal, but what is to say if you give the neglector money, they won't use it to buy and neglect another animal? But at the same time, how to you just walk away knowing you are probably sentencing that animal to a painful death? It's enough to give you hysterics.

Third, I doubt your girl is gravid. She really doesn't look it at all. And just because she's locked, doesn't mean she'll take. I've had females lock, build, glow and the whole nine yards, only to decide "Nah I don't feel like having eggs right now." If you are really curious, you can ask your vet about an ultrasound and see if she has follicles.

Chances are if she was only wheezing a tiny bit, she either had stuck shed, was being crabby, or had very very early stage RI. If your vet does believe it might be an RI, please ask him/her to do a throat culture to know for sure she does have one, and how best to treat it. Most vets don't do the cultures as a matter of course. They just give a broad spectrum antibiotic because odds are that will be enough. In her case though, I think if it were me I would not want to medicate her unless it was absolutely necessary.

Now, about the whole mice feeding thing. I have some snakes who are strict mousers. Some are strict rat eaters. Some only do ASF rats, and the majority don't care what it is as long as it has fur, it's food. I am of the camp, it is better to feed smaller prey items more frequently, than very large prey less often. I let the snakes tell me how much they want. One of my males is a very delicate eater. He only wants mice, and they must be the correct size or he won't touch them. But, offer him the size he wants and he'll eat until he's full. Some weeks he eats one, maybe two. Some weeks he eats four or five. Same with my rat eaters. I'd rather give a snake two or even three smaller rats, than one jumbo, even if they are completely capable of swallowing the jumbo with no problems. That's just kind of my thing.

So, if your girl prefers her mice, she may not like extra large mice, even if she's big enough to eat them with no trouble. Some snakes just don't like really large prey. I have an import female, she's massive. Over 5 feet long and she weighs 3500 grams easy. She could eat a small rabbit with no issue. But, what she want is small rats, just past weaned size. She will eat four or five, sometimes six if I offer them. But put a bigger rat in there, even if it's only a little bit bigger, and she won't touch it. Having dealt with more than my fair share of picky eaters, I have reached the stage where I don't care what they eat, as long as they eat. If one of mine suddenly decided it will only eat McDonald's side salads, fine I'll go to McDonald's and get you a salad, just please eat something!

I wish you and your new baby all the best, and I look forward to seeing more of her, and the male if you can get him.

Gale