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how often can I feed a recovering snake?

Sandra

Sandra

corn neophyte
My 4.5 year old corn hasn't been eating well for quite sometime (due to stress, I'm certain - long story involving home renovations). She finally ate willingly 2 days ago and has been active and curious today. How frequently can I feed her in order to get her weight up to where it needs to be? I don't want to go overboard and stress her system. I know I should wait until she poops, but I can't always find poop, so please give me alternate suggestions.

Thank you!
 
I think every 5 days would be OK, but on smaller items than usual. Maybe a couple of small mice at one sitting, rather than one large mice. This would be a bit more gentle on her digestion. You could build up to one medium after 3 or 4 feeds, then one large mouse at a time 3 or 4 feeds after that. Once on large mice again, I agree that I wouldn't feed more often than once a week.

As soon as she's back to a sensible weight, be sure to take the feeding back down to one large mice every 10-14 days. It can be easy to overfeed a recovering snake (I know - I've done it myself) and putting on excess flab would be just as detrimental to her health as an extended fast.

BTW - Congrats on getting her started again. I'm sure they just do this to scare the life out of us sometimes!
 
I was originally thinking five days, too, but then I thought, if her system has been in a fasting state, that might not be good. But I feed my own snakes every five days up till they are 300 grams and on adult mice.
 
well I'm glad I asked. I was really wanting to feed her again tonight. I can tell by her behavior that she wants to eat, but I will wait another 3 days.

I hope she will recover fully... she's so dang thin right now. It's nice to see her active and curious again!!
 
forgot to say thank you. So thank you!

Here's a cool shot of her being all curious and checking out my camera lens:

standard.jpg
 
Mika just had a huge BM. In all these years this is the first time I have witnessed her pooping. Is it wrong to be excited? :) She's active and hunting. Now that I know she has digested her last meal, I am wondering if there would be a problem with giving her a small meal a day early (which would be tomorrow).
 
oh, jeez, never mind. Where does the time go? Just checked my log, she ate on the 3rd so I can feed her tonight! I had it in my head that she ate Wednesday.

I really hope this is a positive turning point for her!
 
gah, I was looking at November's calendar. She did eat Wednesday, the 3rd. So same question, can I feed her tomorrow?
 
I definitely would not feed any snake at a three-day interval. Even a hatchling. The soonest I'd go is five days. Monday! She'll be fine. You don't want to risk a regurge.
 
thanks for the sanity check. Monday it is. I will sit on my hands until then ;)

It's so exciting to see her so active today!! I really thought I might lose her.
 
Is that photo you posted recent? Hard to tell with only the head in focus, but looks like a really young snake to me, not a 5 year old.
 
yes, I posted that photo the day I took it. It's misleading I think, but she does have a strangely small head compared to pics of other Corns I have seen.
 
If she pooped and it looked normal..than I would go ahead and give her a small mouse or even a rat pup. ( if the poop isn't normal than you might hold of another day than try something small "Hopper size" just to make sure her system is up and running well) You said you think that she is stressed because of renovations...Just double check that her heat is ok :) After this feeding try and make sure you are following a 5-7 day schedule that way she will be hungry at feeding time and may eat better for you. Good luck and God knows we all have had those corns that love to "go on strike"...:)
 
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