Advice on a rescue hatchling please

[bitsy]

Hi all.

I was called away from work about an hour and a half ago (just in time to stop me inundating the board with cat macros!) by a friend who runs a dog rescue. She's had an Amel hatchling handed in that was found on a pavement this morning.

I've picked it up and frankly I don't hold out much hope. Looks like an 07, but is very thin, dehydrated and seems to have at least one shed stuck on it (although that could just be the dehydration/hunger combo making it look that way). It's reacting to me, looking at me and investigating its new tank. However, it's moving very slowly and in a jerky way that I don't like the look of. Don't think it's an abandoned Christmas present, as it would probably take a hatchling a week or two to get into this state.

Any tips on how to deal with it?

I have it in quarantine in the spare room in a standard setup - Critter Keeper-type tub, UTH under one-third of the tank (plus stat), plenty of hides, water bowl and tub with damp kitchen towel.

Outdoors temps here today are about 50-54 degrees F (10-12 degrees C), so I'm going to treat it as though it's coming out of brumation and bring the UTH temp up gradually over two or three days.

What are my priorities in terms of dealing with its apparent problems? My plan at the moment is as below, but I'd appreciate any advice:

* Immediate Action
1) Dehydration - offer water in bowl & damp hide
2) Temps - get up to mid eighties F within 3 days

* After a week's settling in time
3) Shed - start treating for a bad shed (soak in shallow lukewarm water in humid box with Shed-Ease)
4) Feeding - add Critical Care or Reptoboost to water bowl, then offer small pinky or pinky head and see what happens

I've taken some photos but I'm back at work now and will have to post them from home later. Any ideas gratefully received.

 

[mele2511]

Well i think you have covered most things.

Maybe you could try putting a towel over the tank so it feels more safe. You could also put some calcium power into the water as this should help with dehydration. Appart from that i would say you are doing a great job.

 

[Roy Munson]

How does calcium powder help alleviate dehydration?
--------------------------------------------------
I think that in most cases where people would use pink heads, I'd go with lengthwise-split tiny pinks.

Good luck with the poor thing, Bitsy!

 

[Nanci]

I might consider soaking her now, for say 15 minutes, because can't snakes absorb some water through the cloaca? I wonder if she's slow and jerky because she's cold.

 

[diamondlil]

I think it sounds like a good plan, please update with the progress of your rescue snake.

 

[bitsy]

Many thanks for the ideas folks, keep 'em coming if you can think of anything more.

you could try putting a towel over the tank so it feels more safe

Good idea. It's in the spare room away from any noise/movement (room isn't being used at present), but I'm sure a towel over the end nearest the door would add to the feeling of security.

calcium power into the water

I wasn't sure about adding anything to the water immediately, as it can sometimes put them off drinking. I'm thinking more along the lines of adding a supplement in a few days if it starts to perk up.

lengthwise-split tiny pinks.

I have some in the freezer for my problem feeders, so will give it a try. Sounds gooey - honestly, the things we do!

consider soaking her now

I was worried about stress as it has already been outdoors for an indeterminate length of time. Maybe I should bring the soaking forward if it will help dehydration as well as the shed. Thinking about it, I'm sure I've seen a rehydration product in my local rep shop designed to help snakes that have dehydrated in transit, for use in a soaking bath. Time for a trip over there I think...

wonder if she's slow and jerky because she's cold

I'm hoping that's the case - fingers crossed.

 

[jazzgeek]

I was called away from work about an hour and a half ago (just in time to stop me inundating the board with cat macros!)

There IS a God!

A quick help for the dehydration, along with the previously mentioned suggestions is to mist the viv with the snake in it.

Good luck, and keep up posted!

regards,
jazz

 

[MerlinsPop]

I might consider soaking her now, for say 15 minutes, because can't snakes absorb some water through the cloaca? I wonder if she's slow and jerky because she's cold.

That's exactly what my vet told me to do for Butter. 85* water or so, for 15 minutes a day.

 

[MerlinsPop]

Should have given more detail.... soaking will help dehydration, and they do absorb water into their cloaca. At least that's what the vet told me. Between that and my adding about .2ml of water with his daily baytril, he's squirted out some urates every or every other day for the last week.

Good luck with your little one.

 

[bitsy]

Thanks for that Bruce.

Well I'm home now and she's moving about. She's down the warm end of the tub with damp kitchen paper in it, so that's the best place for her to be.

Pics came out badly - best of the bunch below. The folks who picked her up had put her in a tall snack container (I'd warned them to use something with a tight-fitting lid!), so the ones with flash flared on the foil lining and the ones without flash were too dark and ended up blurred. At least you can see from her sides how thin she is.

As an idea of scale, the bottom of the tub is about 4 inches across.

 

[Nanci]

I don't know- I don't think she looks _horrifyingly_ thin...Is her movement better?

 

[ghosthousecorns]

I agree, she doesn't look thin to me either. She doesn't look like she's eaten recently, but I don't think she is at any risk of starving to death. Good rescue!

 

[bitsy]

Glad you guys think she isn't too bad. Having bred for a few years, I've watched non-feeders slip into physical decline and she looks too much like that for my comfort. Hopefully some TLC will turn her round.

Is her movement better?

I'm trying to keep out of sight but she freezes whenever she sees me, so I can't really tell! I know she's moving around because she's in a different spot in the tank whenever I peek.

Anyway, it's time to leave her in peace overnight now (here in the UK).

And darn! I was trying so hard to think of him/her as "it", but blessed if you lot haven't got me thinking of "it" as "her". She'll probably have a name before I've finished tomorrow's breakfast coffee... *sigh* :rofl:

 

[MerlinsPop]

Call her "Mira" as in your little miracle. She looks about like Vern did when I bought her from the petstore. Hope she eats for you in another day or so.

 

[Susielea]

I agree with others, she/he doesn't look horrifically thin....yet

I had a non-feeder last year that looked worse before she finally gave in and ate and thrived for me.

I like Deans idea of slitting the pink length ways as it will be slimmer but contain a bit of everything...eeewww.... Better for the little one though hopefully.

I think you've put a great plan together and wish you luck!

Keep us posted, best wishes,

 

[bitsy]

Thanks everyone.

Saturday 15:20 UK time update: Well she's still with us and still moving about (and frustratingly, still freezing when she spots me so I can't evaluate her movement). She's still favouring the damp tub, which is helpful.

She seems to have filled out a little, so I think she has rehydrated overnight.

Warm end temp has been mid-sixties overight, now up to low seventies. Will increase again to high seventies overnight tonight with the aim of getting it to the ideal mid-high eighties overnight tomorrow.

She still seems to have some grime attached to her, so I'm holding my breath and praying she doesn't have mites. Nothing dead in the water bowl yet, so hoping it's just bits of soil and dirt from her outdoor adventures. Won't know until I can get "hands-on" with her.

Will be taking her out for a first handling and thorough inspection the day after tomorrow, but I can't see any physical injuries at the moment. Ideally I'd delay handling longer, but I really need to get a close look at her and try to judge her movement as soon as she gets up to the proper temps.

So all going as well as can be expected at the mo.

 

[wax32]

Good luck with the little "girl".

 

[SnakeAround]

I would have added Rehydration booster to her drinking water immediately, why wait, but since she seems to have rehydrated already, it might not be necessary anymore. Good luck with her!

 

[bitsy]

Bad news I'm afraid - I found the little scrap dead this morning.

Now I've been able to take a closer look, what I took to be some dirt sticking to part of an old shed on one side of her neck, was actually a small scratch and a puncture wound. Looks like a cat or a bird had already got to her before we did. If she'd suffered a neck or spinal injury, that could be why her movement was so odd.

Oh dear, not a good start to the day. But at least we tried. Thanks for all your help and advice folks.

 

[diamondlil]

What a shame, sorry to hear that. At least you know you gave her a chance.