| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 00:23:15
I posted in general health,, about him being in blue for well over a few weeks now I think... (his eyes are glazed and have been for a couple of weeks but he's a snow so its my only clue.
The parents came today and as usual always take a peek at my weird and wonderful mini zoo, passing by Gollum my dad perked up he didnt look right. I've had this feeling for a while now but cant pinpoint why?
I've previously posted pictures with concerns I think he is underweight and people have said he looks fine,, even so I am sure he is and the pictures make him look healthier as you can see his backbone he very deffinately isnt round! I feed him every 2weeks with a medium mouse, he wont feed before that and will then only feed when left alone in viv.
To pick him up think OLD PERSON,,, his skin seems saggy and loose nothing like my other snake. I cant pinpoint it but I didnt think he was right and my dad coming today tellin me he looks ill further confirms my suspicions something is afoot.
As some may know I was meant to take him to a specialist but a huge unexpected bill came in and people on here said they thought he looked healthy with the pics I uploaded (opinin was he looked ok) I didnt take him. Its not my year because a second even bigger bill came in the other week so still not in a position to take him with just a gut feeling things arent right. (may be worrying over nothing)
For an adult snake he isnt very thick and looks out of proportion I think he I still maintain is underweight even so people who have viesd his pics disagree. I can If I absoloutely have to take him to see a specialist vet but dont want to take him just being over paranoid. |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Newbie |
Posted - 05/03/2011 : 19:14:35
Glad Gollums back to normal! I've heard gerbils are quite fatty compared to mice or rats, but I've never used them  |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 04/03/2011 : 09:03:27
quote:
Originally posted by SexyBear77
Very glad that it seems he is feeling better, but I still don't think he looks underweight. Obviously they are just pictures, but I have seen countless pics of underweight snakes and dealt with them personally and he just doesn't look like one!
I think far too many keepers are now used to seeing fat, unhealthy animals, and so when presented with a normal looking snake, it appears underweight.
I have to agree ^^ I saw a terrible picture of a more overweight snake than mine the other day. The reason being the person was concerned it wasn't as thick as a royal. |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 04/03/2011 : 08:52:31
Very glad that it seems he is feeling better, but I still don't think he looks underweight. Obviously they are just pictures, but I have seen countless pics of underweight snakes and dealt with them personally and he just doesn't look like one!
I think far too many keepers are now used to seeing fat, unhealthy animals, and so when presented with a normal looking snake, it appears underweight. |
| ozziesmum |
Posted - 03/03/2011 : 10:51:20
Really pleased for you and what a relief. When I found a little bit of retained tail on Rhubarb I found the easiest way to get it off was to fill an egg cup with warm water and soak his tail in it while he was enjoying a bit of fuss, it worked a treat for us and came straight off. |
| thistle |
Posted - 03/03/2011 : 00:47:53
That's great news that he has shed and is back to his old self. It must be such a relief.
Hopefully you'll manage to get the tail shed off without any problems. |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 23:16:46
Thankyou :D. Im dubious about giving him large as there were a couple in the viv,, but then there was a shed in the viv all over the place too soooo... I may buy one and see how he goes I get them from the petshop direct and pick each one! There is every possibility they were never eaten as well as regurges but I seem to remember the head being in one piece but the rest being flat and not looking great on the mice I found but I still dont know and probably never will if they were regurges or just not eaten. He's still out on the OH at the moment toungue flicking totally back to the snake we know and love but keep trying to go at the tail tip but its not budging, Im thinking warm bath in the morning if its still there! Mind from the shed it looks like he is missing all of his back end but to look at him its only the very tip that looks retained so will have to scour over his viv and try to find the missing bits atleast in the morning. So So pleased! ... Hopefully will never have to go through this again as its kept me up at night worrying. For a snake he means rather a lot to us now :D |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 22:59:17
I'm glad he's back to normal for you :) At 4-5ft I would have thought defiently he shoudl be on large mices :( I'd try a large one again, liek maybe a small oneand see if he munches or try medium weekly. ou could try rats but I have no idea what size rat is the same size as a medium mouse. |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 22:42:32
Thankyou! So am I! Have tried damp kitchen roll, its still there,, will have another go in the morning if its still there, havenoticed he hasleft me a greeny runny deposit! eww! He already pooed today despite not being fed for a week and a half and pooping after that! ,,, Hopefully its everything back working again! I'm so pleased the worry he has caused us... he's still cruising round his viv back to being the active little eflla we know and love :D ,, really made my day that has :D |
| kdlang |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 22:33:31
I'm so glad he has shed and seems so much more happier. You can use some damp kitchen roll to try and get the end of the tail shed off.
so relieved for you |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 21:50:23
As far as I can tell only the very tip of his tail is still attatched, I opened the viv and he was straight out toungue flicking.. I had tears in my eyes,, Gollums back!! haha Its been weeks of him being lethargic and not wanting to be held and all of a sudden he is right back to how he was amazing how shedding can affect everything about a snake! He actually looks so much better too nice and firm how he should look but yes his backbone is still there! ... How would I feed him up? I suspect now he will probably gladly feed now thats out the way but its a bit late to defrost him a mouse now so will have to wait until tomorrow. maybe try him weekly on a medium or go for rat pups? I heard they are ideal for fattening up a snake. Im just so pleased he transformed within minutes AND I MISSED IT! funny his shed is as velvety soft and squidgy as he was before! Got him out now and he feels as he should feel! So SO pleased!! |
| Red123 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 21:43:40
Glad for you that he has shed, you just need to give him a bath and let him run through a towel then hopefully any stuck bits will come off. In my opinion he is under weight for a snake of that length. And I know what you mean by pictures not showing the true size of them. It seems that unless they are extremely underweight the backbone just doesn't show on a photo. |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 21:16:07
I dont know exactly how long he is he was sold to me as 5ft but we agreed he very deffinately isnt 5ft, more 4 something (midway between 4+5).
It frustraes me taking pictures as he looks so good but then I can still see his backbone go all the way down and he is very deffinately tent shaped! his backbone protrudes in places which I can see in the pics clearly but everyone elses opinion is he looks good. It's a shame I dont know anyone local to look at him first hand so will have to be a vet. I will book him in tomorrow for a checkup. How to feed him up, he doesnt seem a keen feeder when I had him I found atleast 2 decomposing mice in the viv he came in they were large mice. I have purposely avoided large mice for that reason and a medium mouse seems a task to him anyway.. maybe a rat pup for the fat content? OR something different?. Either way I got get this shed off him somehow asap but dont want to hurt him, thinking of running him a bath in a bit and letting him have a good soak, he loves water so should be fine!!
EDIT_ Whilst writing the above reply... I have a shed!! WOOOO PROUD MUMMY AM I!!! in 2 pieces and bits missing but then he was flaking before and im missing the tail end but WOOOO IM HAPPY!!! |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 21:07:23
I would say maybe a bit more weight might be good for a change? I know my 3ft 8 girl was about 280g when I thought she was skinny. I know hat you mean though, I thought she was skinny but in pictures she looked like she weighed more. |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 20:38:44
he's 303g. (it doesnt mean anything as dnt no how much he should weigh) Now I have a starting weight and some digital scales I will keep monitor of their weights. I keep feed,shed and poop records though do notice sometimes gaps in my record keeping even so Im sure I did it (must be forgetting to save as sometimes as keep them all on the laptop. He liked the cereal box! he's still in it! So my next step for this evening would be to try a bath and get this shed off him? |
| kdlang |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 20:32:27
If not a cereal box then a shoe box will do. I use my plastic feeding tubs. just set the scales to zero with the box and lid on, lift the lid, pop snakie in and put the lid back on and then you will have the weight of your snake.
I usually weigh my smaller snakes every feed, and the bigger ones every 2 weeks - a month. It is always a good idea to keep records for each of your snakes with details of feeds, sheds, weight, length etc. I usually note down when mine poo as well although I have been pretty slack on this during the last couple of months and I am regretting it now that Izzy is not right and have no pooping records. |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 20:30:44
367g in the box.... forgot to zero and he not planning on coming out of the box haha,, weighed a similar cereal box which is 64g so minus that off leaves him 303G.... that ok? he is around 4ft 2years old. |
| Red123 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 20:08:27
He will probably be quite willing to go into the ceral box, a small dark space, mine love it :) |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 20:03:53
The other half is in Tesco's as we speak just phoned me he's got some so will weigh him and take an accurate lengh as soon as he gets back. I have no idea what weight he is meant to be but we shall soon find out! Really hope your right and im just worrying (like mothers do lol). Now hoping he doesnt bite me trying to stuff him into a cereal box hehe! He never has yet but sort of grips against me on getting him out so given him a wide berth though note his eyes though still cloudy are not near as bluey as they were last night so some progress has to be going on?.. Just concerned why he looks like he is shedding scale at a time... weight first though will weight and post as soon as he gets back :). U guys are so helpful sometimes :).. Been trying to search google to no avail he doesnt seem to have the symptoms of the things they pick up on |
| Red123 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 19:38:20
Patrick was kept in poor conditions and his weight concerned me, you could see his backbone but when I weighed him I was really surpised to find that he weighed 577g at 5ft long not heavy but certainly not light! Unfortunatley he is loosing weight and is being treated for worms. Weighing would certainly help you get your head around things. |
| dizzie85 |
Posted - 02/03/2011 : 19:32:21
Will have to get myself some :). Wonder if I can catch the OH before he comes home and get him to nip to the supermarket :). His weight being my biggest concern if I can get that in perspective it would help me a lot! I know the sheds in the viv he came in were bits all over the place but not like scale by scale, it just seemed ripped in sections finding different sections all over the viv. |
