First feeding went well...so I thought :(

[Dazzles]

Now, nearly 24 hours after eating, my snake regurgitated its pinky mouse.

I remembered reading to check on the snake to see if the lump still exists after 12-24 hours and if it does, the food might be too big.
Size-wise, it fit the measurement rule of thumb.
But the lump existed, and was still quite large, after 23 hours. I glanced at the tank an hour later and the snake was out and about and there was an icky, slimy (ugh, and smelly) lump on the other side.

The temperature gradient in my viv is measured by electric probe thermometers and are usually spot on (with a + or - 1.5 degree difference max).

I am uncertain what I did wrong, exactly.

The pet store told me to feed the mouse 2 days after bringing him home. I waited a week instead (based on information from this site). He was never handled more than a minute or so, and that was the day of feeding, and the day I brought him home (snapping a couple pics).

He accepted food readily, and ate it quite quickly (maybe 3 minutes until it was 1/3 of the way down his body).

I thought I was in the clear. I am so devastated.

I am wondering if I fed too soon, or it was too big.

Also, the mouse itself...it felt weird. I dunno if it was the problem or not (doubtful I know) but after thawing it looked and felt like a gooey purple gummy bear, it was barely recognizable. I assumed that was normal. I thawed it in warm water, but should it have been exposed to the water, or left in a baggie to thaw?

I will be following the regurgitation protocol.

In the next 8+ days while I wait, I assume I should not touch my snake AT ALL, right? Handling post regurgitation is bad, makes little difference, or?

I am so upset with myself I can barely think

 

[Shiari]

It sounds like that mouse may have thawed and been refrozen. I did that once out of curiousity... and it was icky. If the mice look "off" to me, I thaw out a different one.

As to the amount of time, my little ones frequently have a food lump past 24 hours and their prey items are not too large. It's usually no longer visible after 38 hours.

How much does your snake weigh and about how much would you say the pinky weighed?

 

[Dazzles]

Okay. I just hauled-heiney to the pet store I bought the snake from to ask some questions.

Being Sunday afternoon, the place was PACKED, but fortunately the primary caregiver for the snakes was there.

I was -hoping- that this was a misread shed issue. That my snake was about to shed, or something similar. (It doesn't make it better, but at least it gives me an answer )

He said they last shed about a month ago. (which, fine, okay, but the guy who SOLD me the snake said it was about 3 weeks old >< ).

ANYHOW. I went into detail about what happened, that I fed the snake about a day ago, and it threw it up today.

I explained what I explained to you guys, that I waited about 6 days, very little handling, he ate it without hesitating, etc.

The snake dude told me that shedding doesn't matter, that snakes usually eat through shedding. Quoting: "All my ball pythons do." The day manager, an older woman, said all snakes and breeds are different.

Next, he told me that I should have a basking area set up with temps in the mid-90s. At this point, based on days and hours of research, I decided he wasn't exactly a snake "expert" for corn snakes. I realized it was a lost cause to get more in-person advice from this store.

The snakes are kept in shoe-box sized plastic containers, 5 snakes to a container, and 3 containers (with kings, milks, corns) in 1 large sliding door viv. The whole thing was heated via overhead lamp.

The conditions of his previous lifestyle and current lifestyle are VASTLY different. If he's used to such high heat, should I turn his heat up a bit more? Aim for 86 or 87 instead of 85?

For the record, this is the Aquarium Adventure and Petland in Schaumburg, IL. (Northwest suburb of Chicago).

Now, I have no idea what might have happened. I will follow the regurgitation protocol very, very strictly.

I will also purchase new pinky mice, from a new source, rather than Aquarium Adventureland.

My morale is so low at this point. I'm worried about the poor little thing. Disappointed in myself

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

If something seems wrong with the prey, just don't use it. Throwing out a mouse that might've cost you $2 at a pet store is going to be a lot less annoying than dealing with a sick snake.

Also, quit using the pet store as the primary source of information. Buy Kathy and Bill Love's book on corn snakes (check Amazon.com) and check the information here. Most corns, I've noticed, DO NOT eat when they are in shed.

And, if you did have the warm side at 90F+, that's another factor. Corns should have a warm side of no more than 85F, and the cool side should be around 75F.


Also, if the corn IS supposedly 3 weeks old, it may still die for no real reason. Some just do, and there's nothing we can do.

 

[Dazzles]

What? I'm not using the pet store as a source of information.

I'm using the book and the site as my primary source. But, no matter how good y'all are, you can't tell me when my snake shed last

My first post stated I keep the viv at the proper temperatures. Always. I check it every half an our when I am awake, and about every 3 hours at night (despite an alarm).

I was telling you what the store said as an aside...to point how how wrong they are. But also to point out the extreme differences in husbandry my snake has endured in the last week.

Also, the guy who sold me the snake said it was probably 3 weeks old, that the breeder sends them over at that age and they sell out very quickly.

However, the person who cares for them said that the whole group of them shed about a month ago. So that means he's old enough to have shed at least once, and that was a month ago.

I'm sorry if my response seems snippy. I've spent days on this site trying to do things correctly, and with the exception of waiting only 6 days, instead of 7, I've followed the advice to the letter.

I -hope- this is an issue of shedding.

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

Okay, well, why do you think it's a shedding issue? Has his color dulled and have his eyes gone blue?

 

[Tara80]

My first thought is that the pet store personnel do not know how to take care of corns, which may have effected your poor little one.
If the store kept your corn at high (python/boa) temperatures then it very well could be what your corn is used to. Although high temperatures would not necessarily be good for him, the drastic change in temp may also adversely affect him (as you were thinking in your earlier posts).
I would probably turn up the temp to about 87/88 or so and gradually decrees it to 85 over a larger period of time. Also, if the store kept him under light, he may be somewhat dehydrated as lights can really dry out the air. I have a snake that is very picky about the humidity and BOY is the air dry here in Washington right now (even though it rains a lot), so she has her own humidifier. She also gets spritzed a few times a day.

 

[Dazzles]

Okay, well, why do you think it's a shedding issue? Has his color dulled and have his eyes gone blue?

The eyes have not gone blue, but his color has definitely dulled. He also felt a little different, almost a bit like wax paper? I can't think of a way to describe it. The eyes weren't blue at all in the last 6 days. They've always been a light orange.

 

[Dazzles]

Not sure how to edit posts, so I'll just add: Changed his water and got a good look at the eyes. The area around the pupil is definitely darker, even a bluish green, the pupils are cloudy and darker as well.

His colors are duller, After looking at picture comparisons to make sure i'm not insane. And I am not at all sure how to explain this, but...if his scales were tile...his "grout" has gotten whiter, and more pronounced.

 

[Nanci]

Have you ordered Nutribac from Kathy Love yet? http://cornutopia.com. Could be shed-related, could be the prey was just a little too big. No need to panic yet. No handling for ten days, then feed a pinky head powdered in Nutribac. Then what I would do is feed another pinky head five days later, then the two rear halves, five days apart, then a pink cut into two thirds, and so on, until you are back up to a whole tiny pink. I'd feed all prey cut into two or three pieces after you get back to entire pinks. Your snake won't mind at all. Always powdered with Nutribac.

I think it's very easy to overcook tiny pinks when thawing them. I have fed plenty that look like mushy purple Jelly Bellies- I wouldn't worry about that, just try to perfect your thawing technique!

 

[Dazzles]

Have you ordered Nutribac from Kathy Love yet? http://cornutopia.com. Could be she-related, could be the prey was just a little too big. No need to panic yet. No handling for ten days, then feed a pinky head powdered in Nutribac. Then what I would do is feed another pinky head five days later, then the two rear halves, five days apart, then a pink cut into two thirds, and so on, until you are back up to a whole tiny pink. I'd feed all prey cut into two or three pieces after you get back to entire pinks. Your snake won't mind at all. Always powdered with Nutribac.

I think it's very easy to overcook tiny pinks when thawing them. I have fed plenty that look like mushy purple Jelly Bellies- I wouldn't worry about that, just try to perfect your thawing technique!

Thank you. I did order the nutri-bac earlier, just to be on the safest of sides.