| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 09:40:06
So Ara seems to have developed a real penchant for not moving much.
He shed yesterday and it came off in three pieces - the last with my help, wriggling through a damp cloth. He ate last Friday but only accepted one pink, not his usual two, I put it down to him being in shed (his eyes had just cleared.)
Problem is he's been pretty docile and limp for a while now (a week or more), when you take him out of his faun he doesn't protest and takes a while to get going, even then he's not as speedy as he used to be. He was born Nov 11 and has been with us for a few months.
He has a heat matt on a thermostat which goes to ~28 degrees, he has hides at the cool and warm end and about an inch of aspen at the cool end, less at the warm, he used to love to burrow. Right now he's just sat half in a toilet paper tube, half out with his head raised a bit, not really hidden.
I'm going to do a full clean in a bit, but I'm quite concerned that he isn't right.
Is there anything I should do - should I try and feed him again today (he's pooped and wee'd and I assume his last meal has digested.) |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 21:28:11
QueenVic, I'd read about it before when researching snake keeping in general and when Ara was so dopey this morning, last night and a week or so before hand when Georgina suggested reptiboost and I knew none of the shops nearby stocked it I went looking for the secret recipe.
People use various solutions of it and water, we used a 50% solution of it in snake warm water which wasn't high enough to cover Ara up and then popped him in it for 10minutes. We then let him soak in a plain water solution to wash off the sugar and then put him in a box with some damp kitchen towel. We've fed him - he took two pinkies very happily - and will let him be now for 2 days and then take it easy with him for a week depending on how his mood is. I really hope he was just a bit down in the dumps due to the shedding process not going to plan, but if his shed was bad something hadn't been right for him so this may help.
It's actually (this makes me laugh every time cause I've seen Idiocracy) the electrolytes in Powerade that help apparently, the same way we're meant to have water after being sick.
Spree: you're a little bit of a hero to me for naming your snakes that way, been watching red dwarf again recently and laughing so hard. |
| Spreebok |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 18:56:43
@Queenvic Haha, yup, they all are apart from the caramel motley, as he's my sisters, I wanted to call him Ace though :) And poweraide is a little bit of a miracle tonic, it's great for perking sad snakeys up, and a little bit of it in their waterbowls is great for helping a regurger recover :) |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 17:57:22
it is powerade the drink, but its used diluted as a tonic type solution to try and boost quickly the hydration and sugars to restore some energy
someone please correct me if i'm wrong |
| QueenVic |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 17:49:47
Or am I missing something, is powerade a snake solution that I just haven't heard of? if it is then I'm pretty embarassed that I thought you'd put him in powerade the drink!  |
| QueenVic |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 17:48:11
quote:
Originally posted by a2c7
Well, I said I'd do it tomorrow but we were pretty concerned for our little Ara. All I can say is it seems to have been a false alarm!
Ara is sat in front of me in a Tupperware box with the lid partly on (plenty of air getting in) in a Powerade solution and he is not still! "What is this strange blue stuff, how do I get out of here? Can I come play? HELLLOOOOOO!" he says.
We'll rinse him off and tell him if he's ever as dopey and plays dead like he did earlier again I'll be having him out for play time when Ginn is out, that should do the trick.
Powerade?!?!  as in the energy drink?
I'm pretty sure that can't be good for a snake... :S
Oh and Spreebok, is it you who's snakes are named after Red Dwarf characters? I love that if they are  |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 15:19:10
Well, I said I'd do it tomorrow but we were pretty concerned for our little Ara. All I can say is it seems to have been a false alarm!
Ara is sat in front of me in a Tupperware box with the lid partly on (plenty of air getting in) in a Powerade solution and he is not still! "What is this strange blue stuff, how do I get out of here? Can I come play? HELLLOOOOOO!" he says.
We'll rinse him off and tell him if he's ever as dopey and plays dead like he did earlier again I'll be having him out for play time when Ginn is out, that should do the trick. |
| Spreebok |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 13:27:25
I think you'd enjoy a visit from my Snow, Lister.
She is the floppiest, most docile, lazy corn I have ever come across! :)
So long as Ara is eating, pooping and shedding, I wouldn't be too concerned :) |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:49:45
maybe the iffy shed has worn him out |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:39:47
I think it could be that he's just a very chilled little snake, especially when you compare him to our other two - a young boa and a fiendish kingsnake - he will seem 'weak' and docile I guess. He's woken up a bit now and is moving around, but I'll be monitoring everything like a hawk. We've got a digital thermometer in his faun at all times and I've used it to monitor other temperatures, it seems pretty accurate.
We've double checked all the wiring since we came undone with that before! I'll take your advice and feed him tomorrow and not handle him until then and obviously the two days after. I'll also invest in some reptiboost as he isn't normally *this* chilled! If I can't get my paws on it I'll give him a powerade bath I think, just before feeding tomorrow.
You know as pet owners you just know your pets. This isn't like him really, he's very relaxed but normally likes a good explore - could be he was just tired, could be he's struggling with something. |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:25:29
sonnys not limp, hes just a chillaxed lil dude, spesh when watchin tv, we think he's ok? |
| Georgina |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:17:49
Or is he just chilled out? Still eating and pooing! If he is I would just say that he's having a chilled week. Mine vary like that from week to week, but if he is limp the go with the above x |
| Georgina |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:15:59
I would maybe try and get hold of some repti boost. And feed the usual 2 pinks tomorrow. I would minimise handleing as it may stress him out too much x are your temps defo correct? X |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 10:11:57
my sonnys all calm and still when he comes out, i hope its nuffin to worry about :S |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 09:53:54
ok, my OH is cleaning the faun  and Ara is just sat in my hand, still, he's moved his head once in the past 5 mins. |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 09:47:46
Friday, sorry, I should have said. 1 pinky, not his normal 2. |
| Georgina |
Posted - 09/05/2012 : 09:41:42
When did he eat last? X
|
