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  1. #4
    BPnet Lifer Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Snakes that don't eat well do stay small, & it takes hatchlings a while to show growth even when they eat normally, because the younger (smaller) rodents they
    consume don't provide as much nutrition, & it goes for "maintenance", not much growth. Also, all young snakes tend to stay slim looking because they'll grow just a
    bit in length (that you won't notice) rather than put on width. Bottom line: her age is irrelevant anyway.

    Please elaborate on this: " she had an ear infection and was given antibiotics" because snakes do not have ears.

    With the defects you describe, it may have been kinder if she'd been euthanized: snakes need their bottom rows of teeth to pull prey into their
    mouth, ie. to eat. While the deformities you can see may seem minor (or at least, survivable), such snakes often have other internal things wrong
    that dooms them sooner or later, despite your hard work, & since they cannot express pain, so you may be causing her more suffering this way.

    I do speak from experience...I had a similarly deformed baby rosy boa born many years ago (the result of parthenogenesis) & she was alert & drank
    drips of water from my finger initially during her first week of life: she was very tiny & weak & her umbilicus was slow to close up...initially I didn't
    even think she was alive...but she was. She got stronger, & despite having only one eye, a crooked head (bent neck) & a spinal bump (not bad)
    further down, she had a good appetite. With minor help to line up her prey, she enthusiastically ate pinkies from my feeding tongs again & again.
    She even shed a number of times without needing any help from me, & I named her Longshot (which she was). But one day, when she was about
    8 mos. old, I found she had expired anyway. I was pulling for her, but obviously there were internal issues that could not be seen. So do think
    about this some...I understand you mean well, but this may not end well despite your best intentions.

    I'm not a fan of "assist-feeding"...personally prefer tube-feeding (liquid diet) in some circumstances (like when needing to give a non-feeding snake
    the energy to get their appetite going) & if you want detailed instructions, I'll PM them to you. No matter what, I understand & wish you good luck.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

    The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~ Gandhi

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    Ella_S (10-16-2019)

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