Gutted

[Plisskensnake]

So sorry for your loss, my thoughts are with you. I'm new to the whole reptile keeping as well, but it sounds like she may have come to you with a problem from the breeder, or she was born with a defect, like a heart or nuro problem. Don't let this experience stop you from keeping reptiles! xo

thank you so much.

 

[Plisskensnake]

Just wondering why there was a "few weeks" settling in period? In most cases snakes will readily feed within a day or two of arriving in a new place, if all parameters are OK. Did you offer food prior to the successful feed? Who did you buy it from - no names, a shop or a breeder? Unlikely to have been caused by dodgy food - usually if they will eat it, it's OK. Did you feed it in the enclosure with the Aspen substrate - could it have ingested some of this material (OK for big snakes, I would never recommend it for small ones...)?



Jamie

Hey Jamie thanks for your comments. Yeah I offed food on 4 occasions with no result. When the snake finally ate there was definitely no substrate consumed as it was off the "ground". Re the 'settling in' the breeder has told me that the snake has fed very recently and to let it have a couple of weeks. I just did as instructed. The food came from a pet store. frozen but who knows the history.

 

[Smithers]

1 Month ago i procured my first Children's Python. A beautiful 1 year old. After a few weeks settling in she finally fed for me Sunday last week. A thawed Pinkie mouse purchased from a pet store.

Not having a shot but a healthy normal eating Children at 1yr would be on a larger food item than a pinkie mouse,...can i ask how big this snake is/was?

 

[symbol]

Potential worm infestation?

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Without pre-empting any other finding, we are so used to things going as planned that when the unexpected happens, we don't cope very well - blaming ourselves etc - because we feel very responsible for the animals in our care. Unfortunately, sometimes things don't go as expected, for any of many possible reasons, and living things die unexpectedly - even humans sometimes! It can be a shock, may have been going to happen in any event - not every living creature is born physically and physiologically perfect. If I was the breeder in a circumstance such as this, I'd replace the animal (if I still had them on hand) and ensure that all husbandry parameters were OK.

Not much comfort I know, but you shouldn't feel that the life & health of any creature is fully under your control - sometimes ***** happens...

Jamie

 

[33s152e]

West Wallsend.
Sugarloaf Animal Hospital

Nice people, come highly recommended,
details = Sugarloaf Animal Hospital, West Wallsend - Newcastle

or

details = Mount Hutton Pet Hospital have a smaller practice.

 

[33s152e]

Potential worm infestation?

Something toxic on or in the food would be my guess as the snake died QUICK.

 

[33s152e]

Ray Burton Mount Hutton Vet Hospital open 7 days

+1 vote here.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Next to zero chance of a worm infestation in a captive bred snake fed on domestically bred food - nil I would say.

Highly unlikely to be toxic food as well.

As I've said, sometimes living things die for no reason apparent to us - we're not used to it but it can and does happen. Even snakes can have developmental defects which don't manifest themselves until the snake either becomes ill or dies suddenly. A post mortem may or may not find the answer, but inexperienced armchair diagnosticians throwing in every conceivable possibility, no matter how unlikely, aren't offering constructive help...

Jamie

 

[FAY]

I agree with Jamie. Children can get sick and die for one thing or another. Who is to know that it may have had a dicky ticker, kidney or liver problems that we had no idea about? Could be a number of things that contributed to the death of this animal and nothing that we could of predicted.

Next to zero chance of a worm infestation in a captive bred snake fed on domestically bred food - nil I would say.

Highly unlikely to be toxic food as well.

As I've said, sometimes living things die for no reason apparent to us - we're not used to it but it can and does happen. Even snakes can have developmental defects which don't manifest themselves until the snake either becomes ill or dies suddenly. A post mortem may or may not find the answer, but inexperienced armchair diagnosticians throwing in every conceivable possibility, no matter how unlikely, aren't offering constructive help...

Jamie

 

[Plisskensnake]

1 Month ago i procured my first Children's Python. A beautiful 1 year old. After a few weeks settling in she finally fed for me Sunday last week. A thawed Pinkie mouse purchased from a pet store.

Not having a shot but a healthy normal eating Children at 1yr would be on a larger food item than a pinkie mouse,...can i ask how big this snake is/was?

Yes I agree but given that the snake wasn't taking anything else i thought that it can't hurt to try some smaller food more often which i thought was going to be successful when it took the first pinkie on first attempt. The snake was fairly small for it's age which it why i tried smaller mice.

 

[Plisskensnake]

Last night i met with the breeder who generously replaced my loss with a similar snake (which is beautiful) for which i am very grateful. I know that he was genuine in his comments on the loss and i think that he is a really good guy. There are no further updates on reasons why and right now im not sure if i will pursue any further. I guess it's just one of those things that happen and unfortunately it happened first go. Again thanks for all your suggestions and well wishes it was and continues to be truly appreciated.