Snake Queen
rakes snock!
Well, I have decided to go ahead and get the Jump Start. Xena still won't eat (I tried a few days ago) and She is getting thinner. I thank you all for your help and i will keep you posted on her condition.
-
Hello!
Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.
Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....
Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.
Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.
I'm afraid that she's gonna die soon....
- Thread starter Snake Queen
- Start date
Doctor Mike
New member
Jump Start Is A Wise Decision
You made a very wise decision to get some Jump Start for your non-feeding corn. Even if you have a male or female that is not feeding because of breeding behavior [thus explaining the non-feeding as non-pathological], there is no downside and lots of upside to using the JS to nourish your corn. Since JS is low bulk and low residue, it won't increase stress on your corn like a large food item would. Any stress from gently but firmly holding your corn and putting this in the mouth will be minimal compared to continuing to starve.
I bought a large tube at a snake show for $9.00.
Note that there is an applicator tube that comes with it. If you do use this, be sure to only squeeze out a small [1/4" or 6mm diameter, about the size of a green pea] amount into the anterior [front] of the mouth. Do not go too far deep into the mouth with this, to prevent choking. I prefer to use a blunt plastic tipped applicator [plastic Q-tip with the cotton removed] so as not to accidentally squeeze too much into the mouth. Which way you go is a matter of what's easiest for you to do safely.
Note that although one should always try to investigate causes of non-feeding, one shouldn't wait forever to try to get nutrition into a snake, unless there is a gut impaction that hasn't cleared [which may require a vet's help--you should suspect this if there wasn't a bowel movement after the last feeding, and there is a lump in the body from the non-passed food or stool--but you said nothing earlier about having observed this]. If the non-feeding otherwise turns out to be from parasitic or other infectious disease, this should be treated by a vet, but waiting forever to feed is not good.
When I was a beginner and had a non-feeding hatchling, I got way too much advice for way too long about trying this and that and being patient. None of it worked. Before I knew it, 2 months had passed, and I still hadn't found a vet yet--2 months of non-feeding for a hatchling can be fatal, and it very nearly was. I wish someone would have told me to either get to a vet 4 weeks earlier, and to get Jump Start and use it until I could get to a vet. When I did finally see a vet with my corn, it was just in time, and she's a healthy corn today because of that. But it was a close call.
Keep us posted on how this goes. If you use the JS every other day for about 10 days, and things go well, it might then be time to try a mouse [maybe a bit smaller than you normally give].
Best of health to your corn,
Doctor Mike
You made a very wise decision to get some Jump Start for your non-feeding corn. Even if you have a male or female that is not feeding because of breeding behavior [thus explaining the non-feeding as non-pathological], there is no downside and lots of upside to using the JS to nourish your corn. Since JS is low bulk and low residue, it won't increase stress on your corn like a large food item would. Any stress from gently but firmly holding your corn and putting this in the mouth will be minimal compared to continuing to starve.
I bought a large tube at a snake show for $9.00.
Note that there is an applicator tube that comes with it. If you do use this, be sure to only squeeze out a small [1/4" or 6mm diameter, about the size of a green pea] amount into the anterior [front] of the mouth. Do not go too far deep into the mouth with this, to prevent choking. I prefer to use a blunt plastic tipped applicator [plastic Q-tip with the cotton removed] so as not to accidentally squeeze too much into the mouth. Which way you go is a matter of what's easiest for you to do safely.
Note that although one should always try to investigate causes of non-feeding, one shouldn't wait forever to try to get nutrition into a snake, unless there is a gut impaction that hasn't cleared [which may require a vet's help--you should suspect this if there wasn't a bowel movement after the last feeding, and there is a lump in the body from the non-passed food or stool--but you said nothing earlier about having observed this]. If the non-feeding otherwise turns out to be from parasitic or other infectious disease, this should be treated by a vet, but waiting forever to feed is not good.
When I was a beginner and had a non-feeding hatchling, I got way too much advice for way too long about trying this and that and being patient. None of it worked. Before I knew it, 2 months had passed, and I still hadn't found a vet yet--2 months of non-feeding for a hatchling can be fatal, and it very nearly was. I wish someone would have told me to either get to a vet 4 weeks earlier, and to get Jump Start and use it until I could get to a vet. When I did finally see a vet with my corn, it was just in time, and she's a healthy corn today because of that. But it was a close call.
Keep us posted on how this goes. If you use the JS every other day for about 10 days, and things go well, it might then be time to try a mouse [maybe a bit smaller than you normally give].
Best of health to your corn,
Doctor Mike
Snake Queen
rakes snock!
I Got the JS today... and I just realized that I will be on vacation in 5 days for about 1.5 weeks. I have two questions.
Will it harm her more if I bring her along? Its a drive from NC to PA. The elevation will change a little, because I live in Peidmont and I'm going to the mountains.
Will it be better to just do the JS for the next days a leave her or what? I feel so stupid for not getting the JS sooner... I did not realize that my vacation is so close!
Please, any advice would be helpful. I would rather take her, but if it will cause too much stress, then tell me what I can do while I'm away. I don't think I have anyone that can do the JS while I'm away, either. But there is someone coming to feed my chameleon, so he could check up on her.
Thanks.
Will it harm her more if I bring her along? Its a drive from NC to PA. The elevation will change a little, because I live in Peidmont and I'm going to the mountains.
Will it be better to just do the JS for the next days a leave her or what? I feel so stupid for not getting the JS sooner... I did not realize that my vacation is so close!
Please, any advice would be helpful. I would rather take her, but if it will cause too much stress, then tell me what I can do while I'm away. I don't think I have anyone that can do the JS while I'm away, either. But there is someone coming to feed my chameleon, so he could check up on her.
Thanks.
Snake Queen
rakes snock!
Hi!!! I wanted to tell you asap... I decided to try and feed her befor
I used the JS just to see if it would happen, and she ate her mouse!!!
I noticed that she got a lot calmer in the past few days, also. After
the wolfed down the hopper mouse, she was lookin for more. I usually
feed her an adult, so should I feed her another hopper today? or
should
I just go slow? Maybe SHE is a HE...
Thank you so much for helping me!
I used the JS just to see if it would happen, and she ate her mouse!!!
I noticed that she got a lot calmer in the past few days, also. After
the wolfed down the hopper mouse, she was lookin for more. I usually
feed her an adult, so should I feed her another hopper today? or
should
I just go slow? Maybe SHE is a HE...
Thank you so much for helping me!
Doctor Mike
New member
Snake Queen,
Congratulations, I'm so happy for you! All that counts is that she or he ate!
Since it's been 6 to 7 weeks since last feeding, I recommend you stop at the 1 hopper you gave already. There's no point in risking regurgitation. Her or his gut will need a little time to get used to food again.
If you stopped with 1 hopper today, try feeding her or him 1 more hopper or small adult mouse in 4 to 5 days just before you leave on vacation IF SHE OR HE HAS HAD A NORMAL BOWEL MOVEMENT IN THE MEANTIME AND NO REGURGITATION. Use white paper towels temporarily for substrate so you can be sure of a BM. If there isn't a BM, you'll have to take your corn to a vet to rule out impaction. From everything you've said, that's an unlikely possibility, however.
I read your 2nd to last post also. I recommend against taking her or him on a trip now that she's fed. Make sure to leave lots of fresh water, and that your temps will be in the correct range while you're gone. 75-78F on the cool side, 82-85F on the warm side, with a hide on both sides. Your corn should naturally gravitate to the warm side while digesting.
If you'll be gone for 1.5 weeks with no one to look out for your corn, you might want to use a larger than normal water bowl to make sure that after bathing, drinking and evaporation that there's still plenty of water left.
Traveling can be stressful for a corn, so for non-feeding or recently fed corns, or corns that are otherwise sick, I don't recommend it unless there's no alternative. In fact, I recommend not traveling with a corn under any conditions unless there's no alternative.
Having some Jump Start on hand is a great idea for future problems.
Lots of love to your corn,
Doctor Mike
Congratulations, I'm so happy for you! All that counts is that she or he ate!
Since it's been 6 to 7 weeks since last feeding, I recommend you stop at the 1 hopper you gave already. There's no point in risking regurgitation. Her or his gut will need a little time to get used to food again.
If you stopped with 1 hopper today, try feeding her or him 1 more hopper or small adult mouse in 4 to 5 days just before you leave on vacation IF SHE OR HE HAS HAD A NORMAL BOWEL MOVEMENT IN THE MEANTIME AND NO REGURGITATION. Use white paper towels temporarily for substrate so you can be sure of a BM. If there isn't a BM, you'll have to take your corn to a vet to rule out impaction. From everything you've said, that's an unlikely possibility, however.
I read your 2nd to last post also. I recommend against taking her or him on a trip now that she's fed. Make sure to leave lots of fresh water, and that your temps will be in the correct range while you're gone. 75-78F on the cool side, 82-85F on the warm side, with a hide on both sides. Your corn should naturally gravitate to the warm side while digesting.
If you'll be gone for 1.5 weeks with no one to look out for your corn, you might want to use a larger than normal water bowl to make sure that after bathing, drinking and evaporation that there's still plenty of water left.
Traveling can be stressful for a corn, so for non-feeding or recently fed corns, or corns that are otherwise sick, I don't recommend it unless there's no alternative. In fact, I recommend not traveling with a corn under any conditions unless there's no alternative.
Having some Jump Start on hand is a great idea for future problems.
Lots of love to your corn,
Doctor Mike
Snake Queen
rakes snock!
Well, she had a BM yesterday. I am going to wait tp feed her again until before I go off on vacation so she won't be too hungry while I'm gone.
Doctor Mike
New member
Sounds like all's well that ends well! I'm very happy for you! Have a great vacation knowing that your corn is well now!
Best,
Doctor Mike
Best,
Doctor Mike