never had issues until the past month....

kuester · 05-07-15, 11:21 PM

Ive had my corn for 11 years this year. Hes always been a good eater and shedder. But he hasnt eaten since 3/16 ive been offering a f/t rat every 2 weeks also the last 2 times hes shed i noticed its in pieces as opposed to his normally flawless sheds in one piece so i the next time he went into shed i lightly misted his cage but then i noticed the beginnings of what ended up being scale rot so i ditched all the bedding and put in paper towels, of course he pooped on the fresh paper towels immediately so i had to change it right away, he went into shed again and shed off the colored scales that i noticed scale rot starting on. His scales are of a normal color now some are just a bit off looking due the scale rot areas but he still has not eaten and when can i go back to aspen bedding from paper towels?

Albert Clark · 05-08-15, 03:04 PM

Keep him on the towels for now. Even though he looks better, snakes are slow healers and he probably just doesn't have a appetite. Push back on the frequency of the offerings and give him more time to heal. Make sure he has fresh water and the ability to soak.

**lady_bug87** · 05-08-15, 03:12 PM

You don't get scale rot from "just misting" i have dumped full water bowls in enclosures and left it for days and have never come close to rot. You need seriously gross conditions to get rot.

Snakes will heal in whatever time they take to heal. Just keep an eye on your husbandry. Unless there's weight loss or dehydration, just wait it out.

Albert Clark · 05-08-15, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

You don't get scale rot from "just misting" i have dumped full water bowls in enclosures and left it for days and have never come close to rot. You need seriously gross conditions to get rot.

Snakes will heal in whatever time they take to heal. Just keep an eye on your husbandry. Unless there's weight loss or dehydration, just wait it out.

If you dump full water bowls and leave it for days that is setting up a breeding ground for bacteria. Especially if there is urine , urates and feces already on the substrate. That will definitely predispose the animal to scale rot. Snakes have slow metabolic rates and take longer to heal overall. They don't heal when they feel like it. They heal when conditions are corrected that predispose them to diseases and when the appropriate measures are taken with regards to their condition and prognosis.

**lady_bug87** · 05-08-15, 04:56 PM

...
When I dump water its on clean newspaper. Not some filthy wood shaving nonsense.

Ya. I know how it works with healing. Thanks though.

It stands as this: you don't get rot from misting. If you did than everyone would get it. Snakes heal when they heal meaning when their bodies are ready conditions are optimal.

So my advice stands. take care of the husbandry and the rest will follow.

kuester · 05-08-15, 09:46 PM

His cage was never it a gross condition ever! i check and spot clean daily and the bedding was brand new when i noticed it and before that the bedding was only 2 months old and i only misted his cage a couple times because he shed in pieces

kuester · 05-08-15, 09:47 PM

And he has lost weight... not a lot but its visually noticeable

**lady_bug87** · 05-09-15, 01:54 AM

If he's starting to lose weight it may be time to consider either braining his food or offering something small and alive.

kuester · 05-09-15, 06:50 AM

The past 13 years so his whole life hes been eating frozen thawed. The past 11 years with me he hasn't ever went off feed.

**lady_bug87** · 05-09-15, 06:55 AM

You could also be facing the possibility that he's nearing the end of his life. 13 is a great age.

prairiepanda · 05-09-15, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

You don't get scale rot from "just misting" i have dumped full water bowls in enclosures and left it for days and have never come close to rot.

I'm curious why you would do that? Is it something you do regularly?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuester

His cage was never it a gross condition ever! i check and spot clean daily and the bedding was brand new when i noticed it and before that the bedding was only 2 months old and i only misted his cage a couple times because he shed in pieces

It's possible that you got a contaminated batch of bedding, or that the snake's immune system is starting to slow down with age, or both. If you start to see the rot coming back when you do get him back on shavings, then I would toss the whole batch and get new stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuester

And he has lost weight... not a lot but its visually noticeable ....... The past 13 years so his whole life hes been eating frozen thawed. The past 11 years with me he hasn't ever went off feed.

Try braining one of his usual frozen mice. Just take a sharp knife or a nail and poke a hole in its head, then squeeze out a bit of the fluid and spread it over the head. For some reason brain fluids are very enticing to snakes. Try that about a week from now, though. If that doesn't work, try the same thing again with a smaller sized mouse. Also, if the weight loss is visibly noticeable then it probably is a lot. Have you weighed him(if so, what was his weight before vs now?), or are you just judging by feel and appearance?

kuester · 05-09-15, 09:03 AM

He'd go off feed for that? I hope this isn't the case

kuester · 05-09-15, 11:15 PM

Okay when i put him back on shavings ill pay close attention and if it happens i will toss it.

He usually eats 2 small rats a month but hasn't eaten since 3/16... im judging by feel and appearance.

Albert Clark · 05-10-15, 03:57 PM

Well, he is a mature corn snake who is otherwise healthy and has been on a food strike for only a couple of feedings. I really wouldn't panic or think the worst! It's not like he has been off feed for months. I would think he will eat when he is ready. Have you done anything to change his enclosure, temps or hiding places? I would triple check my husbandry. Secondly I would double check him for illnesses. Lastly, if all those points are affirmative I would think about brumating him if he continues on the food strike. Do you have the ability to hibernate him for about two months? And can you find a nice female for him when the hibernation period is over bc he is going to want to breed at that time. Make sure he isn't suffering with a internal parasite load before you put him into a hibernation mode. Good luck!

**lady_bug87** · 05-10-15, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Well, he is a mature corn snake who is otherwise healthy and has been on a food strike for only a couple of feedings. I really wouldn't panic or think the worst! It's not like he has been off feed for months. I would think he will eat when he is ready. Have you done anything to change his enclosure, temps or hiding places? I would triple check my husbandry. Secondly I would double check him for illnesses. Lastly, if all those points are affirmative I would think about brumating him if he continues on the food strike. Do you have the ability to hibernate him for about two months? And can you find a nice female for him when the hibernation period is over bc he is going to want to breed at that time. Make sure he isn't suffering with a internal parasite load before you put him into a hibernation mode. Good luck!

How does a long term captive (11 years at least) suddenly have a parasite load?

Parasites largely come from food sources. As long as the food source doesn't have parasites the snake wont either. At least that's my understanding.