I need to double check my husbandry of corn snakes

Smilts · 01-08-09, 03:20 AM

I bought a 13 inch (dont know the weight) snow corn snake from the pet store in the town next to me and tonight it died. I would like to double check my husbandry to make sure it wasnt my fault. I dont need mass criticism if Im wrong then plz tell me. I kept it quarantined from my other healthy snakes in a 7qt sterilite locking lid tub. The top of the tub had lots of holes drilled in it, I lined the inside bottom with unscented paper towel 3 layers under 1 half of the tub I had a heating pad, with a digital thermo I made sure that the tub floor during the day stayed at 83/85 degrees during the nite it would drop down to78/80. I purchased the snake on the 29th the pet store told me it had eaten that day 1 pinkie. It was slighly lethargic then I found mites on it a few days ago and got advice on here to use diluted Nix shampoo to treat it. I gave it one treatment completely changing out and cleaning its tub as advised. Im not sure if I did something wrong, it never went to the restroom and refused food 5 days after I purchased it, and I havnt offered since.

Smilts · 01-08-09, 03:59 AM

Also under neath its skin around 3/4th of its length down it had a purple spot underneath the skin. Being a snow (very lightly colored I just thought it was its innards or something but after it died I felt the spot and it was hard and gentle presure didnt shift it at all. could it have been impacted?

**Aaron_S** · 01-08-09, 08:48 AM

I highly doubt it was impacted. I have never seen a snake impacted. You could have used the wrong mixture of Nix and poisoned the snake.

I remember I bought my very first snake, an albino cornsnake, from a pet store many years ago. Had it all set up. Heat pad, hides, everything. Fed it later in the week and it died a few hours later! Still, to this day, no idea how it croaked. Sometimes it's a mystery.

totheend · 01-08-09, 12:12 PM

The mites and nix probably did it. I lost a baby JCP that had mites really bad after I treated him with nix. I treated the rest of my snakes and everyone else was fine. I think that the stress of it all and the toxic nix was just too much for an animal that already had it's health compromised from mites.

totheend · 01-08-09, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I highly doubt it was impacted. I have never seen a snake impacted. You could have used the wrong mixture of Nix and poisoned the snake.

Snakes can and do get impacted.

**Aaron_S** · 01-09-09, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totheend

Snakes can and do get impacted.

I never said it doesn't happen, just in my own experience, and talking with other keepers, that I've never seen it happen and it's unlikely it was the cause of the death.

Chu'Wuti · 01-08-09, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Snakes can and do get impacted.

I've also read this, though I have never had a snake with the problem. In "What's Wrong with My Snake?" Rossi and Rossi talk about constipation and state that

Quote:

the snake's stools may become as hard and dry as rocks, which is why they are called fecoliths, meaning 'fecal stones.'

(p. 36).

It is possible that the immovable hard mass under the purple spot is a fecolith. It's also possible that the snake accidentally ingested some indigestible substrate with a previous meal, which could have led to an impaction and hence to the snake's death.

If the snake appeared to be healthy when you purchased it (other than the mites), it seems that the Nix treatment should have been OK. If the snake had had the mites for a long time and very severely, it could have been very dehydrated; it most likely would have appeared to be very thin and lethargic.

Finally, it's also possible that the pet store lied about its feeding.

In the end, it's really impossible to say for sure what caused its death without an autopsy. Forgive yourself, Coy--it sounds to me as if you are doing everything possible to prevent such a loss, which is about the best you can do under the circumstances!

Smilts · 01-08-09, 01:56 PM

Ive only had reptiles for 7 years so I just like to double check myself especially because I have a red tail boa and 3 other corn snakes at home. My Nix salution was exactly as instructed here. http://www.albertareptilesociety.org/caresheets/nix.pdf. I feel inclined to blame it on the pet store but maybe it is just one of those mysterys

michellegrace88 · 01-08-09, 02:57 PM

this guide is short and sweet, and has helped me in the past with my little guys... hope it's a help!

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/snakes/Snake_Corn.pdf

michellegrace88 · 01-08-09, 03:12 PM

it sounds to me like you did everything you could to help the little guy... unfortunately, many pet stores can't provide adequate care for their animals, and it is up to the future buyers/owners to suffer. Don't beat yourself up, regardless of whether it was due to something that happened before or after you purchased him, your intentions were always at their best and you did all that you could. Corn snakes are hardy dudes that can withstand a lot, so I'm sure, unfortunate as it is, that he was in poor health/condition way before he came into your life. Don't let this keep you from your reptile hobby! It's all part of ::sigh:: nature.

Smilts · 01-09-09, 03:23 PM

I think the problem started when I bought from a pet store and got worse from there. Its cheaper and safer to buy online from a breeder, you will also get more information about the animal, such as date of birth, and sex. Pet stores for the most part dont know much about the animals they sell and the employee's are generaly under payed and that makes it hard to care. Sorry thats my pet store rant. Thats not to say that every pet store or every underpayed pet store employee is that way.

citysnakes · 01-12-09, 04:28 PM

Coy, im sorry for your loss man but it could be possible that the nix killed the thing. your husbandry sounds ok and no doubt pet stores suck but nix is a pretty toxic chemical marketed towards humans for lice. there are now products out there designed solely for reptile mites such as Provent-A-Mite(PAM) and i wouldnt ever use anything else. im sure youre taking great care of your animals and these things happen from time to time but if youre ever faced with a mite problem again then pick up a can of PAM, follow the directions and this shouldnt ever happen again.

Smilts · 01-12-09, 05:07 PM

It may have been the Nix. But I followed exactly the instructions I got on here and I have a hard time believing that all of these people are completely wrong or lying about using it. The problem was no pet stores around carried mite spray at all. But lesson learned and either way I have ordered a bottle of prevent a mite.