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09-10-2018, 09:54 AM
#111
Re: Dexter Regurgitated Rats Twice This Month
Originally Posted by Bogertophis
You mentioned treating his water with Nutribac & I think that's probably spread WAY too thin to help him much. I'd have added it to food, so you know he
really got a meaningful dose. But since he's been regurgitating solid food, if that was my snake (& I've kept many kinds but not these), I'd give him a modest
amount of water-thinned Gerber's chicken babyfood with Nutribac added to it: it's WAY more digestible than a solid rat for an irritated stomach, & it might help
him get both the nutrients & Nutribac he needs to recover. Tube-feeding* isn't that hard & can be done gently...it's NOT the same thing as "force-feeding"
(solid) food, which I'd never do. (*I'll be happy to offer some tips if you like?)
Afterthought: has he been X-rayed? (checked for internal blockages- tumor? -malformed G.I. tract? etc)
My apologies for taking so long to respond. I've been having computer problems... Grrr! Thank you for your insight, though. I really appreciate it. Dexter started refusing to eat frozen/thawed awhile back, so it would be sorta difficult to add the Nutribac to his food. I did give him another small dose of Nutribac mixed with water orally a couple of months ago right after we relieved him of his impacted urates, though. I had the vet give him a 1 gram dose of it orally last winter when I had him there as well. How often would you recommend giving him 1 gram doses (as prescribed on the back of the Nutribac container) and for how long? That's a good idea about the baby food...
He hasn't been x-rayed...
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09-10-2018, 12:15 PM
#112
Re: Dexter Regurgitated Rats Twice This Month
Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus
My apologies for taking so long to respond. I've been having computer problems... Grrr! Thank you for your insight, though. I really appreciate it. Dexter started refusing to eat frozen/thawed awhile back, so it would be sorta difficult to add the Nutribac to his food. I did give him another small dose of Nutribac mixed with water orally a couple of months ago right after we relieved him of his impacted urates, though. I had the vet give him a 1 gram dose of it orally last winter when I had him there as well. How often would you recommend giving him 1 gram doses (as prescribed on the back of the Nutribac container) and for how long? That's a good idea about the baby food...
He hasn't been x-rayed...
I'd ask your vet about both of those (dosage -and frequency- of Nutribac for his size) and a scan for internal issues. I think the Nutribac is pretty harmless but doesn't hurt to ask. You never want to tube-feed too often...it's about keeping their body functioning while they recover, but see how it goes. It depends on what's wrong, each one is different.
Any meds that can be given with food can be mixed with chicken baby food* & tube-fed using this: https://beanfarm.com/collections/hea...g-tube-syringe
FYI- that "feeding tube" in reality is a human medical-grade urethral catheter, flexible & PERFECT for this task; you must NEVER use other plastic tubing (like that sold for aquarium use) because the cut open end will catch & tear up the snake's insides when inserted. A urethral catheter has a rounded & closed tip...the small openings are on either side just above the end.
*I've used Gerber's Chicken 2nd foods "chicken & gravy" many times over the years to 'turn around' sick or weak snakes; very digestible protein with no sugar & hfcs like most baby foods. Thin w/ enough water so it flows thru tubing easily (test first, not on snake!) & I usually add a drop of olive oil to make it more 'slippery', also use a drop on outside of tubing. Encourage snake to drink a bit of water first (to lubricate his throat) but if that fails, you can expel a little baby food mixture as tubing is just at the top of snake's throat to help the tubing slide easier. Depending on how big the snake is, the tube goes in most of the way-
but slide it in gently and STOP when you meet some resistance, never force beyond that point. (on a small or "baby" snake, you'd expect to insert the tubing about a fourth to a third of the snake's total length, no further, just for reference.)
This tubing obviously feels weird to the snake so expect some resistance but it's nothing compared to the size of prey they easily swallow. Before inserting tube, push the plunger on the syringe to expel all air in the tubing, so the mixture is ready to drip out the end. You don't want to put a big air bubble into a sick snake. Keep the snake fairly level & as calm as possible, & once you've delivered the food mixture, withdraw the tubing, & keeping the snake's head above his body at all times, return him to his cage to rest. Don't try to tube-feed too much at once...this is a snack, NOT a meal. It gets easier with a little practice...& obviously, your snake isn't going to volunteer his open mouth to insert tubing either...just push gently with the tip of the tubing until he opens up. Gentle restraint...a "give & take" works best on snakes, for anyone who has never done this. Any questions? Just ask...
Last edited by Bogertophis; 09-10-2018 at 12:25 PM.
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