| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
 Posted - 18/07/2009 : 20:33:14
|
I know this should probably be posted in the general topic rather than snake health but I figured that when I have questions they are most likely to do with health and it would be good to have one place to ask them.
This is health related as it is hygiene. What should the cleaning schedule be for the viv? The substrate is shavings and so far I have been raking through them each morning removing anything that feels stuck together, and have totally emptied viv and scrubbed it with snake stuff a couple of times. But this was all before Kellog started eating so I wanted to know what the general practice is for keeping a clean healthy viv. xxx |
  
   |
|
|
n/a
deleted
915 Posts |
Posted - 21/07/2009 : 20:33:34
|
Hey 
Carry on checking the viv daily for "stuck together bits"
and then every 1-2 months, fully clean the walls, hides etc with hot water and washing up liquid on a sponge, then spray reptile disinfectant on everything then wipe down with some water and dry it all off .. thats what i do and recommened |
0.1.0 Snow Corn Snake - Tof
1.0.0 Stripe Cali King - Su'tey
1.0.0 Staffordshire Bull Terrier x Rottweiler - Twix |
 |
|
|
sexychef
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
937 Posts |
Posted - 21/07/2009 : 20:52:40
|
| i give mine a full clea out every time they shed so ormally every 4-7 weeks |
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 23/07/2009 : 23:20:50
|
| Just to say I am off on Holiday tomorrow morning - dog and snake safely gone on their hols to seperate kennels! Will miss you guys for the week I am away - but I will be back!!!!!! xxx |
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2009 : 22:30:52
|
| Happy to be home, very happy to have Kellog home except that he is blue so cant handle him :-( was so looking forward to it after a week away! He ate fine while away and has moved to feeding once a week. One very happy snake! He was even put on display while he was 'on holiday' as it was at a reptile shop, cos he is so gorgeous, so one very proud owner! xxx |
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2009 : 10:10:19
|
| As said above, Kellog came home blue and has now cleared and come out of his cave. He is basking under heatlamp this morning and when I changed water he showed great interest and even moved into a slight strike position. Was fed last Sunday week and should have been fed last Sunday, but didnt cos he was blue. Do I wait until he sheds or do I feed him despite shed cycle? xxx |
|
Edited by - Kellog on 04/08/2009 10:11:25 |
|
|
|
SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2009 : 10:54:09
|
| I offer mine food regardless of whether or not they are shedding, so at least they have the choice of eating or not. I also handle them when they are blue, and they dont seem to show any agression, though I make sure to be careful and use my special hand gel before venturing into the viv. |
9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2009 : 21:36:05
|
Kellog has mites!! Been waiting for him to shed and just noticed black things crawling all over him minutes before he started to shed. Bad shed, he was moving like the wind and peeling off in bits. Immediately moved viv into kitchen, got him out and into water. OH kept dunking him - which he hated - and then we fed him through our hands while holding damp kitchen roll. Last bits of shed came off and mites. Did this 3 or 4 times. As far as we can see he is clear on the surface and we have put him in a shoe box (with air holes and kitchen roll on bottom). OH throwing away all substrate and we have totally stripped viv which he is now cleaning with bleach. Will also bleach hide, water bowl and not put anything else back in viv, laying down kitchen roll instead of substrate.
Have we done the right thing and anything else we should do, anything we have forgotten??????
Makes us itchy just dealing with it - will be washing all clothes and bathing all bodies tonight! xxx
|
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2009 : 03:49:37
|
| I know how busy you mods are....but can someone please confirm that what we have done is ok and anything else we should do. Kellog is back in cleaned viv, on kitchen roll with only hide and water bowl. How soon before we can reinstate normal substrate and viv items? So bare looking at moment, feel so sorry for him. xxx |
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 10:32:49
|
| Discovered more mites yesterday on Kellog and in hide, so put him in bath again and washed hide in boiling water. Back into viv again, same set up of just kitchen roll, water and hide. More seen this morning, sterilized hide again and changed kitchen roll. As he slid over kitchen roll squashed all mites that appeared, about 15. Took him out and examined him but couldnt see any more. Will check again tonight. He seems calm enough with what we are doing but is due a feed, but then we cant handle him. Can snake mites move to humans or dogs? Are we going to get on top of it just doing what we are doing or should we try with frontline (is it the dog one or a special reptile one)? Vet has recommended reptile expert called Seers Croft, Faygate, Crawley - anyone got experience of them? Lots of questions but need answers. |
|
|
|
|
Kazerella
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
3093 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 15:36:58
|
YOu are doing well, but I'm afraid to say that the regular bathing and disinfecting of the viv does work wonders, but you need to do it every 3 days for about 2 months to get rid of them like that.
Best thing to do would be to buy some treatment like Frontline and do both the snake and the viv. (It's not the dog version- you'll have to go to the vets for it).
Mites won't effect you or the dog as they are reptile mites.
Keep up the good work with the kitchen roll substrate and bathing (I normally put olive oil in the water to break the surface tension). Use disposable cardboard tubes and boxes for hides for the time being so you don't have to keep disinfecting the hides over and over again.
And remember - mites need substrate to lay eggs in- the longer he's on kitchen roll the better. They are so tiny you can't see the eggs or the juveniles so wait longer than you think is possible before deciding he's in the clear.
Good luck! |
 
|
|
|
|
hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 16:17:15
|
I saved it in my fave's for such an incident!
http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1320
VERY informative!
And as for cleaning; I grab all Blaze's furniture out while he's in a RUB; Submerge them in hot water then wipe down every nook and cranny with disinfectant sprayed onto a cloth then rinse again the furniture then wipe down.
as for the viv, I tie a sack round the top of the viv and shake all the subtrate in there; and hoover any stuck bits. Then with the cloth, spray more disinfectant on it, wipe down then wipe down with the cloth rinsed with warm water then wipe it down, then dry, then put everything back in.
I spot clean daily, any wet substrate gets removed and replaced accordingly and go on poop scooping missions weekly, mine likes playing hide and seek with his poo
|
Edited by - hillzi on 07/08/2009 16:21:28 |
|
|
|
SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 21:14:32
|
| pretty much what I do hillzi, but atm I am on poop missions daily as Caper has decided to poop a little bit, every day, after his 5 week fast. |
9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 21:30:28
|
| Thanks for all the advice, esp Kaz. Am a bit confused about the frontline though, was told by supposed reptile expert that I could use dog one, hillzi's link says use the cat one.....so which is right?? He seems much livelier tonight and cant see anything obvious, but know he probably still has eggs on him. Also, he is due a feed, but obviously cant handle him after a feed and need to handle him to treat. Any advice on that? xxx Thank you, thank you, thank you..... |
|
|
|
|
hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 10:03:39
|
I think theyr'e both the same (don't quote me on this - I've never had to use it. dogs never had fleas, dont have a cat thank god and snakes never had mites) rereading Kaz's post, she says its the vet version. so might be worth checking with your vet for it.
Theres also a sticky at the top of the health topic called "mites" might be worth a read if you haven't already.
Hope you get rid of them soon 
edit:/ mixed up my topics |
Edited by - hillzi on 08/08/2009 10:06:12 |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 21:15:40
|
| Thanks for all advice. Bathed him this morning and found a few very small mites on kitchen towel. Fed him tonight although he was in his hide all day, and he struck out the cave immediately. Will leave him 2 days then bath again and disenfect viv again. If still finding signs of mites will resort to Frontline as last resort! xxx |
|
|
|
|
HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 22:22:09
|
hope you manage to clear the problem up soon
but sounds like you are doing all the right things
keep it up and im sure he will be right as rain again soon |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2009 : 03:45:15
|
| Thanks for all the encouragement. It does sound as though it is a problem to get rid of and it is just a case of perseverance. Would rather not use the strong stuff (brain fog so name gone) if I can help it. You forum guys help so much in just reassuring me, thanks again. xxx |
|
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
93 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2009 : 14:05:02
|
ardap is what you need search for it on ebay !! its expensive but worth every penny it will clear the mites up with just one application although i do 2 just to make sure also i do it precautionarily (is that a word)? every 3 months because i have so many ! just remove the snake spray everything liberally leave to dry for an hour or so and replace snake ! as easy as that
Paul |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2009 : 22:43:08
|
| Thanks Paul, that is definitely worth looking into. Anyone else heard of ardap?? xxx |
|
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/08/2009 : 11:07:35
|
Am a bit concerned about Kellog. He seems mite free as far as we can see and he is still on kitchen roll as a substrate, although we have added an oven baked log. He seems to spend all his time in his hide - I think he feels very exposed without the normal substrate to burrow in and the plants stuck up.
He has just been fed today, a jumbo mouse , one week after his last feed. What is worrying me is that I managed to weigh him this morning. Last time he was weighed was 23rd July 2009 when he was 675g, before we went away and before we were advised to feed him weekly. Since then he has been fed on 26th july, 8th Aug and today, all jumbo/extra large mice. But his weight this morning was 652g, this is not quite as low as he got during his fast but it is still lower than when we first started weighing him. Cant understand why he has lost weight, if anything he has been less active because of the mites and staying in his hide etc. In all other aspects he seems fine. Any thoughts please? xxx |
|
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Kellog Questions
