How to Resolve Persistent Obesity

[puddinck]

Nice that you did some conservation, outreach, and education!
I can kind of understand people's fear, especially with young children or pets. I just hate those who feel it necessary to kill.

I've never seen or heard about any of our native snakes chasing anyone down...

Yes it was pretty funny watching the young snake kill his mouse and then get the willies every time he tried to swallow it. Wish I'd recorded it but smart phones weren't around yet.

Love Gary Larson!

[puddinck]

Update! It's been almost two years since I started this thread and I am back to ask for more advice...

My poor corn snake has been dieting this entire time and has lost considerable (?) weight going from almost 1300 grams down to 1053 grams.

I fed a small adult mouse every two weeks for the first year and then switched to a medium adult mouse every two weeks for the second year. I provided as much opportunity for exercise as time allowed and painfully ignored all hungry behaviors...

It is once again time to place my annual Layne Labs order and would I would really like to reward my long suffering snake with a decent meal or two. Is it too soon to bump up to large adult mice? Or maybe alternate large and medium adult mice?

I realize that my snake is still considered "heavy" for it's size (4.3') but it's spinal ridge is becoming fairly prominent which bothers me. I am also concerned that continuing such restrictive rations will end up causing more issues than the obesity itself?

Thanks in advance for any input!!!

[puddinck]

I did add some photos to the gallery (Pan 032221 and Pan 032221 II). I can't quite remember how to add them here but will give it a try...

[puddinck]

[puddinck]

[bcr229]

I think alternating medium and large mice would work for now. Nice job getting the weight off of her.

[Bogertophis]

Update! It's been almost two years since I started this thread and I am back to ask for more advice...

My poor corn snake has been dieting this entire time and has lost considerable (?) weight going from almost 1300 grams down to 1053 grams.

I fed a small adult mouse every two weeks for the first year and then switched to a medium adult mouse every two weeks for the second year. I provided as much opportunity for exercise as time allowed and painfully ignored all hungry behaviors...

It is once again time to place my annual Layne Labs order and would I would really like to reward my long suffering snake with a decent meal or two. Is it too soon to bump up to large adult mice? Or maybe alternate large and medium adult mice?

I realize that my snake is still considered "heavy" for it's size (4.3') but it's spinal ridge is becoming fairly prominent which bothers me. I am also concerned that continuing such restrictive rations will end up causing more issues than the obesity itself?

Thanks in advance for any input!!!

Wow, good job on the "snake diet"! He looks fine by the way...he's NOT supposed to be built like a ball python.

BUT don't blow it now by buying large adult mice! NO, none. Your beautiful corn snake looks just fine. Remind me, what's his age now? I would just feed medium adult mice every 10-12 days- that is the normal feeding schedule for adult corn snakes, except for those that are senior citizens- their meals can be spaced further apart (@ 2 weeks). You might try feeding every 12 days & see what that does to his "weight" before you go to every 10 days.

Again,

Remember that in the wild, snakes are eating rodents (& other prey) that are FAR leaner than domestic rodents are.

[puddinck]

Really appreciate the advice as I really wanted to pull the trigger on at least SOME large mice for Pan!

It will be an adjustment for me to increase feeding frequency since I feed my Ball every Monday and my Corn every other Monday but I will do what's best for them. I guess I could set up reminders on my phone...

I have no idea what sex or how old this snake is as it was a total rescue from a friend of a friend. I have probably had this snake for eight years but would have to search for my oldest photos to be sure. I always feel a little guilty because I don't love it as much as my Ball. Definitely not a snake species or coloration I would have chosen for myself... So hard to wrangle (so good in reverse!) and takes a perverse pleasure in soiling it's enclosure as soon as I clean it!

I seem to be in the minority though as most people I show it to love the coloration!

[Bogertophis]

Really appreciate the advice as I really wanted to pull the trigger on at least SOME large mice for Pan!

It will be an adjustment for me to increase feeding frequency since I feed my Ball every Monday and my Corn every other Monday but I will do what's best for them. I guess I could set up reminders on my phone...

I have no idea what sex or how old this snake is as it was a total rescue from a friend of a friend. I have probably had this snake for eight years but would have to search for my oldest photos to be sure. I always feel a little guilty because I don't love it as much as my Ball. Definitely not a snake species or coloration I would have chosen for myself... So hard to wrangle (so good in reverse!) and takes a perverse pleasure in soiling it's enclosure as soon as I clean it!

I seem to be in the minority though as most people I show it to love the coloration!

It's up to you on the feeding...it's flexible, just as snakes have to be in the wild, & it never hurts to have a couple variations in mind. But just know that "large mice" are basically old breeders*, which are high fat content, thus not so healthy for snakes, whose natural diets are lean wild mice- not well-fed domestics. Fatty meals are also harder for snakes to digest. (*I know this because it's not at all cost-effective to raise mice that aren't breeding just to get to this large size to sell. I'm just letting you know this, as I've been a mouse-breeder for literally decades. If they raised mice to this size without breeding them, they'd have to charge a lot more for them, but as it is, large/jumbo mice are the bi-product of breeding mice- they're retired breeders, the ones whose productivity has diminished.)

As far as soiling the enclosure as soon as you clean, that's because the activity you've stirred up also stirred up his urge to go. If you want to avoid this, try handling him a day or hours BEFORE you plan to clean.

[EL-Ziggy]

That’s a cool looking critter. I think your cornsnake could easily handle larger meals without becoming obese, especially if he’s active or getting regular exercise. I shoot for a healthy, strong, lean, but muscular build for my snakes. That means they get larger meals sometimes. I like to feed a variety of prey sizes and types. At 1kg my kings, which are very similar to corns, were eating medium/large mice, small rats, and day old chicks every 10-14 days.