| Member |
Message |
|
#2054611
Thekid92389
View Profile
|
Need answers fast please help 
my western is on its way out. it had stop eating a little over 5 weeks now and unfortunately hes dying his breather slowd down greatly and his activity decreased dramatically. all the fourums i read said its ok for him not to eat but it doesnt seem like it was there is no mites or any kind of pest on him no deformities or any signs of illness just what i metiond. im not looking for a miracle cure jus maybe some insight on what is happening and what i can do to make her comfortable. please feel free to leave posts. thanks. i was looking forward to breeding them i was buying a male in 3 weeks but it doesnt look like its going to happen.
please post
|
|
08/10/09 11:47pm
|
|
|
#2054825
Adam_S
View Profile
|
Message To: Thekid92389 In reference to Message Id: 2054611
Need answers fast please help
I’m not sure what normal respiration is for a hognose snake, but if she’s limp and lethargic those are often signs of serious illness in reptiles. The best way to keep a hognose snake comfortable is to provide a temparture gradient so that it can warm up and cool down as it wishes. Burrowing substrate is nice too. If you havn’t given up on it eating, you might try toad scenting. I would take a piece of a frozen toad and thaw it with a pinky mouse and see if you can get it to accept it from tongs. That’s kind of a last resort for me as I am not a force feeder. Five weeks without a meal doesn’t kill a hognose snake unless conditions are way wrong (such as way too warm) or the snake is otherwise unhealthy.
Don’t suppose you’re familiar with a reptile vet?
Best of luck, Adam
|
|
08/11/09 11:33am
|
|
|
#2054839
Adam_S
View Profile
|
Message To: Adam_S In reference to Message Id: 2054825
Need answers fast please help
also, be sure the snake has access to water. If you think it might be dehydrated you could prompt it to drink by lowering its head to the surface of water slightly cooler than room temp. If it’s thirsty it will drink, if not it will avoid the water. But don’t put the whole snake into it’s water bowl, especially if you think its having muscle weakness.
|
|
08/11/09 12:11pm
|
|
|
#2057682
JackAsp
View Profile
|
Message To: Adam_S In reference to Message Id: 2054839
Need answers fast please help
The best way to help with hydration is o take either Pedialyte or some generic equivalent, mix it 50/50 with water (not significantly warmer than room temperature, but certainly not cooler) and put just a tiny bit in the bottom of a secure container. You want the enire bottom to be wet, without that shifting dry patch that you sometimes get if the water doesn’t quite spread out, but that’s all. Do not worry about making it deep enough to drink from. It doesn’t need to. Wateris absorbed through the large intestine, not the stomach, and as long as the vent is in shallow water the snake can and will absord fluid. Put him in, close him up, and leave him alone for 40-45 minutes. I’ve seen significant weight and energy improvements from this.
However, he really does sound like he needs to be looked at by a vet. For all I know, he could be dying of some kind of very painful organ failure or something. The hydration trick will probably buy you a little bit of time to figure out what you need to do, but I really do think you’re going to need a vet, and soon.
|
|
08/15/09 03:58pm
|
|
|
#2057903
Thekid92389
View Profile
|
Message To: JackAsp In reference to Message Id: 2057682
Need answers fast please help
unfortunately he died i was going to take him the next day but wen i woke up it was too late. if all the sites didnt say this was normal for them to go long periods of time without food i would have went sooner. im going to a reptile show in September i wanna buy another hognose . hopefully ill have luck with this one thanks for the advice
|
|
08/15/09 10:32pm
|
|
|
#2057927
JackAsp
View Profile
|
Message To: Thekid92389 In reference to Message Id: 2057903
Need answers fast please help
That sucks. Sometimes it’s hard knowing where the line is between normal variation and medical emergency, at least until things get really bad. 5-6 weeks without eating is not quite as normal as people act like, though. Granted, it’s not unusual, and often it passes harmlessly, but it’s still an indication that something is wrong. You had the bad luck for whatever that something was (if it was young, then my guess is internal parasites) to be very, very wrong.
Your instincts were better than you thought. It’s worth taking a step back and listening to the experts if you’re considering a course of action that people are saying is actually dangerous, such as feeding the snake every day for example, but if it’s just a question of necessary versus unnecessary, a little paranoia can go a long way.
By the way, it’s quite common for young snakes to come with mild parasite loads that intensify with time and become serious. My own hognose had hookworms when I got her. The best way to keep it from becoming a big deal is to get the first turd a new snake gives you tested, so you can medicate them immediately if necessary. Mine was on Panacur before her appetite ever suffered. I don’t always keep up on the annual checks for every single animal, but when they first come into the house is a whole ’nother thing.
|
|
08/15/09 11:29pm
|
|
|
#2057986
Adam_S
View Profile
|
Message To: JackAsp In reference to Message Id: 2057927
Need answers fast please help
Sorry to hear that. Your snake was probably past the point of no return when you posted. Your intention to provide a comfortable enclosure was a good one.
Sometimes refusing food is a sign of illness and not its cause; it’s not life threatening for a healthy snake to go a month or more without food. Although snake forums are full of posts about snakes not eating and what’s been tried, they don’t include enough information to diagnose illness.
Advice on how to encourage a snake to eat shouldn’t be confused with diagnosis of or treatment advice for illness in reptiles. Although there is never a shortage of experienced keepers who are willing to provide their best guess, vets examinate for a reason. In my experience, western hognose snakes are an extremely hardy species, if they’re thirsty they drink water, if they’re hungry they eat, and if they refuse food, it’s because they’re about to shed, about to breed, about to brumate, or about to refuse a meal for reasons unknown. In all liklihood you’ll have better luck with your next one.
|
|
08/16/09 02:06am
|
|
|
#2058145
JackAsp
View Profile
|
Message To: Adam_S In reference to Message Id: 2057986
Need answers fast please help
At least you didn’t stress him out even worse by force-feeding. A lot of people jump straight to that way, way before it is even remotely necessary.
|
|
08/16/09 12:49pm
|
|
