!!URGENT HELP!! Snake hasnt eaten for 5 MONTHS

[salebrosus]

If travelling is nto an issue then go to Joe at Heathcote Vets. He doesn't charge massive fees etc and is really good. Terry Bellamy at Austral is very good and Rovert Johnson at Penrith- all are great with snakes.

Simone.

 

[stipe]

I will quickly post in while i am at work

Aspidito, by the description of the owner it had nothin in its tank but a bowl of water and branches. No gravel or longs or hide boxs. No eht either.

John, thanks for the recomendations : )

Ok i just got the snake this morning and i was shocked. It had at least 3 layers of sheding skin still attacked to it throughout it whole body. It was completly dehydrated and frezing cold. Its skin was wrinkly and dry. It was also extreemly skinny. I cannot soak it now but i will when i get home.

Ok what i have done so far, placed it in a chinese take away container with a folded hand towel. Placed two stick on heat pads on both sides of the container and soaked one quarter of the tower in water so it can soak itself up.

K have to get back to work. Will psot picturezs this arvo.

 

[FAY]

These snakes should be at least on 34deg...we keep our baby macs in the incubator......they WILL NOT EAT unless they are kept warm...

 

[stipe]

Ok just got home. Right away i will be giving the snake a 29 degree bath fro an hour to get the scales hsydrated then i will peel of all old skin. THen he will go into a small hospital tank with one side at 34 ( thanks garthnfay, i always though 31 was good enoguh for a mac) I will leave him for a daywith regular checks. Then off to a vet ( still hacvnt decided which). Pics will be up soon to give u's an idea.

Thansk for all your help i will give u full updates

 

[gozz]

good luck

 

[FAY]

Stipe, be careful with the water temp....according to Ramsayi..if it feels warm to you...it is too hot for the snake....

 

[stipe]

Yeh water temp is at 28-30, vvaries as i try to keep it stable but not working with such small water volume. Ok for the past hour i had him in a bath. Pics below. He looks so much beter. I do not have before pictures, there are after the bath. Before all it looked like was just like not but with very wrinkly cracked peeling skin. Im alot happier already. Now he will go into a tank after a peel of old skin ( i've doen it b4 dont worry i know what i am doing). His scales over eyes are peeled good so i dont have to touch them, thankfully. Still looking for a vet. Also would rspca do a smear or any vet and mow much will it cost? ALso how is it done? like he hasnt eaten for 5 months what poo could he have?

 

[stipe]

srry having touble getign pics up photobucket is down. Any other sites whick upload?

 

[Nake]

Hey I live in Sydney and the closest reptile vet I found to me is:

South Penrith Veterinary Clinic
126 Stafford St
South Penrith 2750
Ph: 47214796
by appointment
Hours today: 9am-12pm, 2pm - 6pm

I took my snake there and they were great. Both vets knew what they were doing.

 

[Nake]

Sorry forgot costs:

$60 consultation
+ treatments
+ free follow-up

 

[Helikaon]

srry having touble getign pics up photobucket is down. Any other sites whick upload?

tiny pic will upload i use it

good to see the snake is in good hands and you have done well i commend you!! you worked through what you had to do and got professional help ! and all this for your friends snake your a good person!

 

[stipe]

Thanks for the suggestion but thats way to far for me to go without a car. Need someone closer.

 

[stipe]

Helikaon, thanks, as long as im helping an animal im glad to do it.

 

[salebrosus]

Stipe where are you located? I never worried about taking an animal no matter how far or how much of a pain in the butt it was. I'd complain driving 40 mins to a vet. Now that my closest snake vet is more than 2.5hrs away from me and is not open by the time i finish work and drive there, 40 mins is looking pretty damn good.

Simone.

 

[wood_nymph]

Stipe where are you located? I never worried about taking an animal no matter how far or how much of a pain in the butt it was. I'd complain driving 40 mins to a vet. Now that my closest snake vet is more than 2.5hrs away from me and is not open by the time i finish work and drive there, 40 mins is looking pretty damn good.

Simone.

i don't think its the inconveniace factor here, its the fact that they don't have a car. public transport normally doubles the travel time and in some areas easpically out of the city service is even worse and can make the 40min drive a couple of ours at least. i wouldn't think that would be too good for an already sick snake.

 

[sxc_celly]

Buses are excellent here, they even beat the cars sometimes as they have bus lanes etc. Look up your bus routes online, (translink.com) it will have departing and arriving times, and type in the exact street you want to get to. Usually buses go pretty close to where you want to go, if not straight there. So you will see if you can get there by bus and see exactly how long it will take. Car or bus, its still a journey. Let us know.

 

[stipe]

I’m sorry if I sound like I’m too lazy to go to a vet its not that. Yes its the fact that i hate Australian trains and buses, take too long, always delays and i don’t trust taking this poo bugger through all that noise and vibrations. If there is nothing closer i will go but if i can find something closer why not?.

Ok updates, pics are finally here, YAY. HE is doing so much better than when i got him in the morning. I had to peel of a WHOLE LAYER OF SHEDDING SKIN, yes the whole think from bottom of head to tail. Took me just over 1.5 hours. HE is sooooo skinny i didn’t want to hurt him while doing it. There is a bit left however, around his neck. But i cant take it off. One he is too slinky and delicate there and too it is too dry. I don’t think he would want to dunk his head under water for me.

After the skin was peeled of he looked really good. I don’t think i would need a vet but I am anyway to check for parasites etc in his poo. Don’t know how i will get a sample though, he hasn’t eaten in like 5 months so there is obviously nothing their.

He has not eaten yet, I’ve tried twice. Going to give him another day then try again, and again. If not then off to the vet again to get him either pinkie pumped or force fed. Reason for that is you have no idea hoe lethargic he is, he can barely move, no joke. He has no energy to even slither. I have to push him into his hide hole to make him go in. He just cant do it. Ok here are pics.

This is him before i gave him to my friend, nice and healthy, fat and active.

This is him in his soaking bath this after noon.

This is him half way through (note can u see the dull colour of left over skin from previous shedding.)

This is not even half the amount of skin i took off. Rest is too small or on the floor.

This is a more happy VERY sick snake after the skin peeling operation.

Oh and the thing behind half the pics is my frog set up. Very cool will have to show u later.

 

[JasonL]

Ah, it's not too bad, I've been given some alot worse than that to get feeding.

 

[stipe]

Yeh now its looks good you should of seen it this morning. It looked like your lips do when they dry out completly or cracked adn wrinkled. Im jsut glad he is ok now. That problem is solved, nto to start feeding.

 

[JasonL]

I have used skinks as a last resort, then moved to frozen skink tails pushed through the head of a dead pinky, then just the pinky, then worm the snake.