View Full Version : RIP little girl
Well, my baby motley het opal butter corn died last night unexpectedly :( I was feeding last night and when I got to her, she wouldn't eat, was sneezing and kept holding her mouth open. Her skin was wrinkled, so figured she was either a little dehydrated or needing to shed, so I put her in some luke warm water (not even enough to cover her back). I went to check on her 15 minutes later and she was crawling around, then I checked on her another 15 minutes later and she was dead :( I know she didn't drown cause as I said it didn't even come up over her back. She had a swelling a 3rd of the way down from her head, another one in her mid section and another right by the tail, none of which were there before I put her in the water. I put her in the freezer and I'm going to see how much it costs for a necropsy.
exwizard
02-14-12, 03:29 PM
Aww Im sorry. I know what its like to lose a snake that way and yeah its hard.
alessia55
02-14-12, 03:33 PM
I'm sorry you had to lose her like that... :(
It sounds really odd how it happened, though :hmm:
-Hugs-
I'm sorry you had to lose her like that... :(
It sounds really odd how it happened, though :hmm:
-Hugs-
I know and now I will never know cause someone on another forum said putting them in the freezer damages the cell walls and makes conclusive findings impossible.
Gungirl
02-14-12, 03:38 PM
Sorry for your loss. When was the last time you checked on her?
Sorry for your loss. When was the last time you checked on her?
I'm not sure what you mean, she died last night.
Gungirl
02-14-12, 03:47 PM
prior to last night when you noticed all these odd issues when was the last time you checked on her?
exwizard
02-14-12, 03:48 PM
I know and now I will never know cause someone on another forum said putting them in the freezer damages the cell walls and makes conclusive findings impossible. I can confirm this fact because we were told that before we got a chance to freeze Lulu, thankfully. From your desription of her symptoms, Im thinking some kind of RI.
Wolfus_305
02-14-12, 03:53 PM
Aww I'm so sorry for your loss
prior to last night when you noticed all these odd issues when was the last time you checked on her?
Just 2-3 days.
I can confirm this fact because we were told that before we got a chance to freeze Lulu, thankfully. From your desription of her symptoms, Im thinking some kind of RI.
I could kick myself http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-angry032.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php). Yea, I know, but it's like they came on over night and killed her before I could do anything :sad:
exwizard
02-14-12, 04:03 PM
Im sorry. It wasnt your fault. These things happen. Can I share a little story about what happened to Lulu here?
exwizard
02-14-12, 04:21 PM
ok. April of 2009 we went to the Omaha Reptile Show and acquired a breeding trio of '02 Dums: Popeye, Black Betty and Lulu. Shortly after that Lulu developed an RI that we tried to treat with Baytril but it did no good. She got worse and worse. The sad thing was, she was the calmest and sweetest of the three. We tried giving her a warm bath to help with shedding but shortly after that, she died in front of my wife and my roommate. One of our snake people friends warned us not to freeze her so we put her in the fridge overnight. The next day my wife took her to the vet for a necropsy. It turned out she had smoke inhalation damage from being exposed to fire that we werent told about. Her follicles were damaged from that fire as well so she couldve never produced any babies. Anyway, even knowing this does not change that she died or that we couldve done anything about it. As I said before, these things happen and its not your fault. I do know what youre going through and I truly am sorry.
DragonsEye
02-14-12, 04:33 PM
Man, that really stinks. My condolences.
CK SandBoas
02-14-12, 04:46 PM
I am so sorry you had to lose her like that:(
DavethePython
02-14-12, 05:12 PM
Exwizard , How long between the fire and her dying ,do you have an idea? I know you said you were not told about it but I have a real interest in your story because our older bP is a rescue from an apt fire that happened about 4 months ago or so . she shows no sign of any illness at all but is this something that I should be watching for down the road or for years to come etc?
Hillsberry
02-14-12, 05:14 PM
I am so sorry for your loss. :(
exwizard
02-14-12, 05:49 PM
Exwizard , How long between the fire and her dying ,do you have an idea? I know you said you were not told about it but I have a real interest in your story because our older bP is a rescue from an apt fire that happened about 4 months ago or so . she shows no sign of any illness at all but is this something that I should be watching for down the road or for years to come etc?
I dont know. I havent even spoken with that vendor since but I did tell Glen Eisel about it. He later told me the guy was on sabbatical or something and that he hadnt heard from him at all. All I can tell you was we got the trio in April of that year and in May, Lulu started showing symptoms of an RI.
ok. April of 2009 we went to the Omaha Reptile Show and acquired a breeding trio of '02 Dums: Popeye, Black Betty and Lulu. Shortly after that Lulu developed an RI that we tried to treat with Baytril but it did no good. She got worse and worse. The sad thing was, she was the calmest and sweetest of the three. We tried giving her a warm bath to help with shedding but shortly after that, she died in front of my wife and my roommate. One of our snake people friends warned us not to freeze her so we put her in the fridge overnight. The next day my wife took her to the vet for a necropsy. It turned out she had smoke inhalation damage from being exposed to fire that we werent told about. Her follicles were damaged from that fire as well so she couldve never produced any babies. Anyway, even knowing this does not change that she died or that we couldve done anything about it. As I said before, these things happen and its not your fault. I do know what youre going through and I truly am sorry.
That's rough.
Dang! A basic necropsy cost $80 and to do lab work to see if it was bacterial or viral is another $100-$150. I don't have the money to do that.
exwizard
02-14-12, 05:59 PM
That's rough.
Thank you. I just wanted you to know I can relate and that you are not alone in this.
exwizard
02-14-12, 06:01 PM
Dang! A basic necropsy cost $80 and to do lab work to see if it was bacterial or viral is another $100-$150. I don't have the money to do that. yeah thats true so it didnt matter then that you froze her.
Will0W783
02-14-12, 06:13 PM
I'm so sorry for your loss. :(
Thank you. I just wanted you to know I can relate and that you are not alone in this.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
yeah thats true so it didnt matter then that you froze her.
I guess not.
millertime89
02-14-12, 06:16 PM
I'm sorry for your loss, always sucks to lose a pet.
Shmoges
02-14-12, 06:28 PM
Corns rarely get RI's was she kept in really cold temps by the breeder?
No she wasn't. I have had her since November and has been kept at temps of upper 70s to lower 90s. She was eating good, shed several times, I just don't know what happened.
KORBIN5895
02-14-12, 07:20 PM
Sorry to hear this. You seem to be getting short changed on luck lately.
Sorry to hear this. You seem to be getting short changed on luck lately.
I really have. My great grandmother fell the day after Christmas, spent 3 weeks in the hospital and then died :sad: on 1/15. Had the funeral on the 18th, 2 days before my birthday, then got sick the day after the funeral and stayed sick for 3 weeks. Family has been fighting over the will. I also lost the little MBK sometime in January and now this little girl. I could go on, but I won't sit here waste everyone's time.
millertime89
02-14-12, 07:59 PM
wow, and I thought my luck has been bad, you need to win the lottery or something!
I feel like have one the death lottery.... My baby Mexican black king snake died on 1/11, my great grandmother died on 1/15 and then of course my little corn yesterday.
I feel like have one the death lottery.... My baby Mexican black king snake died on 1/11, my great grandmother died on 1/15 and then of course my little corn yesterday.
I can relate to having a similar year last year, multiple deaths just one after another and none of them expected (including a pet :( ). It's tough, but you'll make it through! That's just part of life I guess :sad:
jaleely
02-14-12, 09:14 PM
You're not wasting anyone's time. Vent! If someone doesn't want to read it, they don't have to :)
I'm sorry things have been rough.
Just to help prevent anything else from happening, I'd take a good look at the rest of your collection to make sure no one else is showing signs of a respiratory infection. They can be very contagious.
Sterilize everything, anything that's used with your snakes, and listen for any popping, wheezing, sneezing or snot from anyone to catch things early. Good luck and keep your head up!
DavethePython
02-14-12, 09:16 PM
Ok thanks Exwizard , I am feeling a little more relaxed now as Tequila has been about 4 or 5 months now since the fire and been with us for almost 2 months now . She shows no sign of RI at all or any kind of distress at all. Maybe given it was a highrise apt building she was not subjected to the smoke as the fire was only located in one suite . Still I will keep this in mind and watch for any issues .
kernal , sounds like a rough few months , keep positive , everything will work out in the end. Always tell yourself everything happens for a reason and what does not kill you makes you stronger .
Shmoges
02-14-12, 09:29 PM
Since you froze her and you can't do a necropsy can you still do an autopsy? I am interested to know what the lumps were? Impaction? Infection? Hemoraging??
KORBIN5895
02-14-12, 09:31 PM
I really have. My great grandmother fell the day after Christmas, spent 3 weeks in the hospital and then died :sad: on 1/15. Had the funeral on the 18th, 2 days before my birthday, then got sick the day after the funeral and stayed sick for 3 weeks. Family has been fighting over the will. I also lost the little MBK sometime in January and now this little girl. I could go on, but I won't sit here waste everyone's time.
Talk away my friend. That's what we're here for.
I can relate to having a similar year last year, multiple deaths just one after another and none of them expected (including a pet :( ). It's tough, but you'll make it through! That's just part of life I guess :sad:
I guess so :(
You're not wasting anyone's time. Vent! If someone doesn't want to read it, they don't have to :)
I'm sorry things have been rough.
Just to help prevent anything else from happening, I'd take a good look at the rest of your collection to make sure no one else is showing signs of a respiratory infection. They can be very contagious.
Sterilize everything, anything that's used with your snakes, and listen for any popping, wheezing, sneezing or snot from anyone to catch things early. Good luck and keep your head up!
Thanks. My carpet python has a RI that I have been treating, but I always take care of everyone else first, so that I don't spread anything.
Ok thanks Exwizard , I am feeling a little more relaxed now as Tequila has been about 4 or 5 months now since the fire and been with us for almost 2 months now . She shows no sign of RI at all or any kind of distress at all. Maybe given it was a highrise apt building she was not subjected to the smoke as the fire was only located in one suite . Still I will keep this in mind and watch for any issues .
kernal , sounds like a rough few months , keep positive , everything will work out in the end. Always tell yourself everything happens for a reason and what does not kill you makes you stronger .
Thanks, it really has been rough.
Since you froze her and you can't do a necropsy can you still do an autopsy? I am interested to know what the lumps were? Impaction? Infection? Hemoraging??
I don't have the money to have a vet do one, so I'm thinking of doing a autopsy myself to see if I can figure out what the swelling was. What is everyone's opinion on that?
Talk away my friend. That's what we're here for.
Thanks.
Since you froze her and you can't do a necropsy can you still do an autopsy? I am interested to know what the lumps were? Impaction? Infection? Hemoraging??
Also, when I held her up to the light, I could see what could be blood at one of the sites of swelling (the mid section I believe)
Shmoges
02-14-12, 11:02 PM
I don't have the money to have a vet do one, so I'm thinking of doing a autopsy myself to see if I can figure out what the swelling was. What is everyone's opinion on that?
If you can stomach that I think its awesome, even more so take pics?! Everyone talks necropsy, a guy I know just payed $400 for a retic to be done. I like snakes but I wont even pay that much for a snake let alone a vet bill, Priorities.
KORBIN5895
02-14-12, 11:03 PM
I would do the autopsy myself if I were you.
Shmoges
02-14-12, 11:06 PM
I don't know all my triggers for gag reflex, Jackass movie antics and mamal poop are ones I know about. I would like to participate in one some day.
KORBIN5895
02-14-12, 11:13 PM
Find a local taxidermist and ask if you could watch him work. It gets intense!
shaunyboy
02-15-12, 12:12 AM
i'm sorry to hear you lost one of your snakes mate
you should have put it in the fridge,not the freezer
freezing it damages the tissues among other things,making it impossible to perform a post mortem
was the snakes mouth gaping open,or part open,in the days leading up to, the day it died ?
was its throat puffed up ?
i was thinking an ri could have partly caused dehydration and a combination of the 2 may be the reason.
the swelling though is more puzzling,and hard to comment on without seeing it
i'm really sorry for your loss
my condolances,shaun
Sorry for your loss, thats always hard.
You said it was just a baby. Was it bred or purchased? Are you able to go back to the breeder to get a replacement?
If you can stomach that I think its awesome, even more so take pics?! Everyone talks necropsy, a guy I know just payed $400 for a retic to be done. I like snakes but I wont even pay that much for a snake let alone a vet bill, Priorities.
I'm pretty sure can stomach it as it's just a baby corn. Can't be any worse than cleaning up mouse guts (sorry to paint such a graphic image lol)
Find a local taxidermist and ask if you could watch him work. It gets intense!
Thanks, but I don't think that will be necessary.
i'm sorry to hear you lost one of your snakes mate
you should have put it in the fridge,not the freezer
freezing it damages the tissues among other things,making it impossible to perform a post mortem
was the snakes mouth gaping open,or part open,in the days leading up to, the day it died ?
was its throat puffed up ?
i was thinking an ri could have partly caused dehydration and a combination of the 2 may be the reason.
the swelling though is more puzzling,and hard to comment on without seeing it
i'm really sorry for your loss
my condolances,shaun
I couldn't have gotten it to the vet for a necropsy, so I thought the freezer would have been better.
No, she seemed fine until the day she died.
As for the swelling, I could kick myself for not taking pics before I put her in the freezer.
Sorry for your loss, thats always hard.
You said it was just a baby. Was it bred or purchased? Are you able to go back to the breeder to get a replacement?
I got it from a breeder back in November. I'm trying to get in touch with him, fixing to call again.
Shmoges
02-15-12, 11:34 AM
Yeah at the least if the breeder has a soul they will consider that they may have some kind of parasite or something that may have infected other animals and prevent more peoples corns from suffering yours fate.
Ok, I talked to the breeder and another corn snake from the same clutch died the same exact way. So, right now all we can figure is it's something genetic. I'm going to take her up to my local reptile shop and they are going to cut her open (since I really don't know what I'm doing) and see if they can figure out what the swellings are. Also, the breeder is giving me a $30 (what I paid for her) to use when I see a snake that fits breeding criteria, even though he only had a 2 week guarantee. He's also going to keep an eye out for a snake that I could breed to my male opal stripe to reproduce opal stripe, opal motley and stuff like that.
exwizard
02-15-12, 06:30 PM
Sounds like that breeder is a real standup guy. :)
KORBIN5895
02-15-12, 06:38 PM
Wow. He is worth referring!
Shmoges
02-15-12, 06:59 PM
Yeah no kidding, who is he?
millertime89
02-15-12, 11:13 PM
definitely sounds like a real stand up breeder.
He's actually a breeder/flipper. I'm usually not big on "flippers", but he has AWESOME customer service, takes AWESOME care of his animals and has AWESOME prices. He breeds African fat tail geckos and buys corns and kings at wholesale prices and sales them to support his AFT collection in the off season. He gets some of the animals he sales from Justin Guyer and Shane Johnson (in case you have ever heard of them. Anyway I HIGHLY recommend him and his name is David Deem and he owns Shenandoah Reptiles.
I just realized I didn't say credit. He's giving me a $30 credit to use on any snake I see that I want.
Totally missed this thread.
I am so sorry for your loss, my condolences :(
Find a local taxidermist and ask if you could watch him work. It gets intense!
one of my friends went to school for taxidermy, ive seen her do a few things, its freakin' awesome
I'm lucky im not queezy at all, i went to a hospital for my anatomy class and someone was having a C section done and they let me go in and watch it (like, stand 10 feet from her in scrubs) it was CRAZY (and smelled horrible)
I would be all about doing my own necropsy on a snake, but i'd have no idea what to look for as far as what "caused" anything.
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.