Health Check Complete. "i think"

Hey, well as most of you know, I'm no expert in snakes, however over the months of owning Damien we have formed a great friendship.

So today, i did a little health check, i don't really know how to do it properly but i thought i would give it a try.

A good thing about Good boy "Damien" is that he will let me check around his head, and he wont try to strike or bite me, hes great.

Eyes:
To check he was not blind i moved my finger in front of each eye, and both eyes moved, i'm guessing hes not blind right?
Mites:
I looked really close for mites, i could not see one, i check around his head/neck and all down his body.
Poo:
I found a Poo, so theres no problems there, however i may Go to bigger rats, he has a lot of skin that needs growing into.
Tail:
The very tip of his tail, i think its like a tiny cap, its a little redder then normal, but i don't know if thats anything to worry about..
Behavior:
Well, he acts Great when out, but all he does is hide, i herd that bigger rats may make him more active, also i found the other stuff, i think thats like snake wee or something.. so thats everything i think? if anyone knows the best ways to do health checks, please let me know as Damien's Health is a major priority.

It is great that you are occasionally checking him thoroughly. Then if something changes, you will know what is normal for him. As a general rule, if the snake is eating and digesting well, and you don't notice anything wrong when you are familiar with his normal looks and behavior, then it is a pretty good bet he is doing fine. But keep checking on him now and then for your own knowledge of what constitutes "normal" for him.

I don't check all of mine thoroughly on a regular basis. I mostly rely on feeding problems to alert me of possible other problems. Of course, I do look them over a bit as I feed or clean them, but it is not a methodical health check. I would do that if I already suspect a problem because of lack of feeding, or some other reason.

What a good snake owner you are! It sounds like you've already uncovered a small problem with your snake. Watch the tip of the tail as a small piece of shed skin may have been left on. This often can result in a loss of blood flow to that small tail tip which will eventually result in the tip dying and falling off. It's not much of a concern, but watch for a possible, but rare, infection. I have an adult male that lost a portion of the end of his tail, but I accidentally closed the lid of his viv on it instead of an incomplete shed.

I think I would add look around his nostrils for any signs of bubbles or noisey breathing, and look around his mouth for swellings or discolored scales.

When he gets bigger, you can get a stethoscope and listen to his heart! It's pretty cool.

Nanci

Sounds like you're doing well with him! If you're checking for mites, you often won't see them on the snake itself. You'd be more likely to see them dead in the water bowl. My snake had mites once and I only ever saw ONE mite on him, but loads and loads in the water. Not trying to say Damien has mites mind you - just trying to help you check him over I always look for mites when I change the waters... force of habit I guess.

Good luck!

Thanks guys, yea, i forgot to add, i looked around his nostrols because i herd it can turn nasty if they ever have like a cold, but his nostrols are good : ) and next time i change his water "tonight" ill check for mites, just need to get bigger food now, because hes never out, and a tiny snake in a big 3 ft tank should atleast come out, but hes got a massive hide a massive log, plants and another hide, so mabie i'm giving him reason to hide?



Thanks guys : )

:cheers:
George.

P.s hes a little smelly, so mabie if i bath him it will get rid of his pooy smell and also it may sort that tail thing out?

He's probably enjoying the security in his lovely new viv, and should hide less as he gets bigger. you could try a wet washcloth (flannel) in a lunchbox with holes in the lid to see if the little tail cap comes off.
I weigh my snakes on the first feeding day of each month so I can chart their growth. Any more pictures of Damien?

Although I don't weigh my corns anymore, I think it is a great idea when first getting started. I DO weigh my ball pythons regularly, since I am relatively new at keeping and breeding those.

It is very educational when starting out with a new species. Weighing regularly can help you get a feel for normal growth, and also a feel for what a particular weight "looks like" on a particular species, so you can discuss it with others.

Even weighing the food items and then weighing the snake periodically, and working out a mathematical feed to weight gain ratio can be an interesting and educational project - maybe even something for extra credit in a science class.

Pet Corn Snake said:

because hes never out, and a tiny snake in a big 3 ft tank should atleast come out,

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Not neccessarily! A small snake in a big tank can actually hide more, because the big tank is overwhelming. Some snakes just don't come out much, though. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I weigh and measure all mine on a quarterly basis or so. I try to weigh and measure the new ones when they come in so that I can track growth rates. I also weigh before placing snakes into brumation and when they come out to make sure they haven't lost excessive weight. For some, I weigh as I am going to be breeding them and need to make sure the meet or exceed the recommended breeding weights. I find it fun to compare weight and growth of the different animals and how they've eaten etc.

Pet Corn Snake said:

because hes never out, and a tiny snake in a big 3 ft tank should atleast come out, but hes got a massive hide a massive log, plants and another hide, so mabie i'm giving him reason to hide?

George.

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Yeah, mine's the same way. He's never out, but if I look closely, he's always peeking when I'm around!