Dehydrated or shedding?
We bought a black racer snake online and paid $50 for shipping...only to have it sent US priority mail, no markings for Fragile or Live or anything. The box showed up partially crushed and the snake was pretty badly battered.
She's been to the vet a half-dozen times, including yesterday when we really thought we were about to lose her anyways! Vet tube-fed her, gave her a vitamin B shot, hydrated her, etc. She's already on injections of Baytril for blister disease. (Yes, we DID turn in the seller to the Post Office and his local authorities!!!)
She's still lethargic, TOTALLY unusual for a black racer, and her skin wrinkles up whenever she bends. I'm not sure if she's simply about to shed, or if I should be worried. Her skin was VERY patchy when she arrived four weeks ago. Her eyes milked up three days ago, but were clear the next day. Little bits of skin are flaking off, but we can't tell if that's remaining damaged skin from before or if she's having a hard shed now. I soaked her for 15 minutes today, 15 minutes last night, and a few minutes yesterday afternoon in lukewarm water. Three days ago, she took a big, long, neverending drink from her water dish.
Any advice on this? Her cage is warm but humid, there is a room-temperature area and a "hot" corner with a heat lamp shining on the bottom of it, she's on shredded paper with two sticks (baked and sterilized) in it plus a hollow log "hide" that provides rough textures to shed with. She's got fresh water in a clean bowl every day.
Any ideas on this? I am HOPING that it's just residual damage from the breeder and the shipping and that she's about to shed, but has a little of the old layer still left (and I know there is some!). Or is she dehydrated? She's much too small to do the "pinch test" on but she gets wrinkly ridges on the inside of any curves when she bends. Her tail no longer looks "hollow" underneath.
She's my first snake and I'm doing my very best to nurse her back to health; I intend to have her another 15 years or more! She's about two feet long, thickest part of the body is no bigger than a pinkie finger. Long, thin snake. Any and all advice is appreciated!
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