Babies dying after feed!

[toy77]

G'day all,

i had 3 stimmy hatchlings.

the first to eat a pinky died 3 days later. the other 2 would not eat for another month (2 months old).

i bought them new pinkies as i was worried that there could have been something wrong with the other ones.

they wouldnt eat. i got worried and fed them a couple skinks - which they ate.

last night i managed to scent some pinkies and they both ate them.
this morning they looked fine.

this afternoon, one is dead. the other has regurgitated its pinkie.

these are from a different supplier than the first lot. both are shops, and properly pakaged.

i am defrosting the pinkys from frozen in hot water from the tap.

Can some one help me?????
this has not been a very possitive breeding experience for me so far .

Cheers
Stew

 

[mitchdiamond]

What temps are you keeping them at and are they in a click clack?

 

[grimbeny]

Wow thats really bad to hear. I hope everything goes good for the last one. Fingers crossed!

 

[waruikazi]

I would be looking at wether you have used any insectides around your house while defrosting the pinkies. Or what has been in and around the container you used and where you got your hot water from. Could even be something on your hands.

 

[spilota_variegata]

possible

Hello, had the same problem about 8 years ago. Found the problem to be contaminated pinkies (food poisoning). Looked like they died in agony after regurgitating to pinkie I fed them. Still haunts.. Throw your pinkies out.. Can you get them tested anywhere? Just a thought.. If you bought them from a dealer, they should be partially responsible, thought I don't like your chances. From different sources though... makes contamination somewhere your side more likely..

Sorry to hear of the loss...

 

[wil]

where did you get the skinks from the second time?

 

[toy77]

hi,
thanks for the quick responses.

they are in click clacks.1/4 to 1/3 on heat mat. warm end at between 29.4 and 30 dergrees, controlled by thermostat.

the container i use is only used for my snakes - defrosting container. my adults have had no issues. hot water is from kitchen tap that is used very reguarly - not an unused one like laundry with high risk of legionella etc.

i dont touch the pinkies - have surgical tweezers i use.

this has happened with 2 different lots of food, from 2 different places.

unless the first ones death was unrealated to his meal.

Cheers
Stew

 

[toy77]

they had had 2 meals of skink each.

then i used 2 last night to scent the pinkies. one was caught at my house the other at a friends - the other skinks had come from the same 2 houses.

Stew

 

[nuthn2do]

Are these 3 snakes from the same clutch?

 

[tempest]

Is it possible that the two places you got the pinkies from have the same supplier? MIght be worth a call to find out and eliminate that possibility if their suppliers are different.

I'm really sorry for your loss.

 

[Hickson]

Is it possible the two places you got your pinkies from get them from the same supplier? Or are they professionally done pinkies (like Dolittles?)



Hix

 

[Hickson]

Tempest - you look like you were reading my mind.......

 

[toy77]

thanks guys,

just checked.

both proffesionally packed.

one "pieces laboratory supplies" big colourful printed pack, th eother "australian fauna resources" vacuum packed stamped etc.

Stew

 

[tan]

What temp are the pinkies at when you feed them?

 

[Sdaji]

Perhaps the snakes touched the pinkies before eating them, giving them Salmonella, which is why they died after eating them. (sorry, ignore that!)

I'd have said what tempest and Hix said if they hadn't said it first.

I've seen a small number of snakes die soon after eating their first meals, when I've had no doubt at all that the pinkies have been of good quality. It seems that sometimes they hatch out with problems which make the successful digestion of food impossible (the same thing can occur in all species, including humans, causing death soon after the first time they eat, although it is rare). I'm really just rambling here; the fact that your snakes ate skinks and were fine indicates that they don't have this condition and adds weight to the hypothesis that the pinkies are to blame.

 

[nuthn2do]

Perhaps the snakes touched the pinkies before eating them, giving them Salmonella, which is why they died after eating them. (sorry, ignore that!)

I'd have said what tempest and Hix said if they hadn't said it first.

I've seen a small number of snakes die soon after eating their first meals, when I've had no doubt at all that the pinkies have been of good quality. It seems that sometimes they hatch out with problems which make the successful digestion of food impossible (the same thing can occur in all species, including humans, causing death soon after the first time they eat, although it is rare). I'm really just rambling here; the fact that your snakes ate skinks and were fine indicates that they don't have this condition and adds weight to the hypothesis that the pinkies are to blame.

Skinks wouldn't have had a belly full of milk though. Maybe this could be a genetic problem like an allergy?

 

[Sdaji]

Skinks wouldn't have had a belly full of milk though. Maybe this could be a genetic problem like an allergy?

I think it's extremely unlikely. Allergies to milk wouldn't be a great benefit to anything which eats mammals (they need to be able to deal with lactating females), but having said that, it's remotely possible.... just.... sort of.

 

[jay76]

I have seen the same thing happen. We found out the paper towel had been sitting in the cupboard. Paper adsorbs insectides and pest sprayes so mabe this happened

 

[serpenttongue]

Were the skinks fed live? Were they successfully suffocated before being swallowed. Some hatchlings will swallow skinks while they're still alive. Once swallowed, the skink can do damaged to the snakes gut lining by writhing around. Such damage can lead to the snakes death.

 

[cement]

can't help but good luck