dilemma

Discussion in 'Corns & Rat Snakes' started by j9, Dec 13, 2005.

  1. j9

    j9 New Member

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    I read the sticky about feeding probs, and am picking up the Cathy Love manual from the bookshop today, but am in despair. Over last 2 months have got a blizzard leopard gecko, a deckert's ratsnake and an anery corn from the same shop, all doing well, feeding and growing. But my snow corn, Diamond Lil, has regurged twice. she came from same shop, they have been really helpful and suggest taking her back if she doesn't improve.
    Her setup, temp and treatment exactly as the other snakes, no logical reason for the regurg, she has shed and is active in her box if she doesn't know she's being watched.
    last feed was tiny pinky on 6th, regurged on 9th, she defecates each 3-4 days so we dont think is blockage, as she is so shy have had minmal handling. If I take her to the vet, won't it stress her more? I don't want to take her back and swap her, I want her to thrive, any members in kent who would be able to run their eye over her? Am trying to get grapefruit seed extract but local health shop think I'm making it up
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. stormyva

    stormyva Well-Known Member

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    Here's something to try.....
    Try increasing the temps 3 to 5 degrees warmer than normal and leave the snake alone for 7-10 days. During that period make sure that there is plenty of water available for the snake. You could also add pedialyte (electrolytyes) to the water at a ratio of about 50%. After the 7-10 has passed offer a prey item that is about 1/2 the thickness of the snake, feed the snake in the cage, after the snake has taken the meal continue to keep the temps higher than normal until the snake has taken at least one additional meal.
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. j9

    j9 New Member

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    thanks for the quick response, have managed to get the grapefruit seed extract, and have speed-read the corn snake manual in 2 hours. now trying to work out dilution for an 11g baby. Lil regurged the last pinky on the 9th, so will try half a pinky on the 19th? wish us luck, am so worried for her, although have been offered a replacement she is my snake and I want her to get better.
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. j9

    j9 New Member

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    any ideas on where to get the electrolytes? am a nusre but only ever used i.v. version at work
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. Janice

    Janice ReptileBoards Addict

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    Pedialite, you can get it at any drug store. When my rat snake was regurgitating, it was all a temp problem. I kept her too close to a window, and even though it was summer time, she was getting a draft. She had no problems after I moved her.
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. j9

    j9 New Member

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    ok, will try in chemist, (uk version of drugstore), thanks for the help and will keep updating, am hoping this will turn into a boring 'yay she ate and didn't throw up' thread.
    temps ok, have heat mat under 1/3 registering at 88-90, cool end 75. Lil seems to spend most of her time in cooler end, if I move more of heat mat under her container to increase overall temp, wouldn't this hinder her thermoregulation?
    have just put longer 1/2 papertowel tube hide in, this means I won't know where she is without disturbing her, and don't want to disturb her at all, to minimise stress.
     
  12. Janice

    Janice ReptileBoards Addict

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    Is it a digital thermometer that you are using? Do you use a thermostat or rheostat with that heat pad?
     
  13. j9

    j9 New Member

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    is a round thermometer from exoterra, plus 2 stick-on aquarium strip thermometers just above the bottom, each end, will get digital thermometer if you think will help
     
  14. j9

    j9 New Member

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    haven't got thermostat, heat mat is 7.25 watts and only under 1/3 of the steup
     
  15. j9

    j9 New Member

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    kathy love!

    sent an e-mail to kathy love, she's replied! am now hopeful about Lil, have added the grape-fruit seed extract to her water, and left her undisturbed. when we've peeked, she is more active, doesn't look any skinnier, am to try half a tiny pinky tomorrow evening, have whole detailed plan to follow for next month, she answered straight after a trip to madagascar, what an amazing woman :D
     
  16. Janice

    Janice ReptileBoards Addict

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    RE: kathy love!

    The round thermometer from exoterra are horribly inaccurate. It's probably just a temp problem, then. Like wideglide said, you should try bumping the temperature up a couple of degrees.
     
  17. j9

    j9 New Member

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    temp?

    no digital thermometers locally so far, so found site selling for £9.99 over the net, unless any uk members know of sellers will order, Lil took the halved pinky very fast, so fingers crossed. am at work tonight so am hoping the smell of regurg won't greet me in the morning
     
  18. j9

    j9 New Member

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    hurrah for Lil

    :) no smell of regurg yet, and Lil cruising around this morning, looking very perky. This may be a bit early to tell, but THANKYOU for all the help we got :)
     
  19. Janice

    Janice ReptileBoards Addict

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    RE: hurrah for Lil

    That's great!!! Good luck!
     
  20. j9

    j9 New Member

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    still no re-gurg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
     
  21. jammer

    jammer Member

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    For what it's worth, my corn almost always spends the first 24 hours after a feed in his his cool end (65 degrees).
     
  22. j9

    j9 New Member

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    yay Lil!

    still no re-gurg, don't know which factor worked, as steps taken were smaller container with opaque sides, 1 longer hide made of 1/2 kitchen roll tube with entance hole in middle (copied from page 51 of cathy love's book), the pinky was split in the middle from my efforts to 1/2 it, giving larger surface area for digestive juices, grapefruit seed extract added to water, no handling at all, no disturbance apart from sniffing box 1 million times to check if smelt of re-gurg! :D worst thing was leaving Lil to sort herself out without compulsive checking! :oops:
     
  23. Janice

    Janice ReptileBoards Addict

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    RE: yay Lil!

    That's great!!! Something worked.
     
  24. Storm

    Storm New Member

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    How's Lil going now? Hopefully she's keeping her food down. Good luck with everything....
     
  25. j9

    j9 New Member

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    199
    no re-gurg! no poop yet....................
     

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