Sick cali king...PLZ HELP!!!!

Heather7875 · 07-28-13, 02:25 PM

We bought a striped cali king snake 4 months ago. He/she has a great temperment and has been doing great until about 3 weeks ago. He/she has regurgitated the last three pinkies. last night we gave him/her a bath and noticed he/she is very weak. we tried to feed him/her again last night (it's been 4 days since last feeding which was regurgitated the next day) because we figure he needs nutrients. But he/she didn't even eat it. And he/she LOVES to eat this is the first time every he/she has not ate. Today he is moving around but very differently.

His/her head will shake back and forth or up and down. We are very worried and don't know what else to do. we feel so bad for him/her. the warm side during the day is about 90 to 92 degrees and about 85 at night. temp on cool side is 75 during the day and about 72 at night. PLEASE HELP! this is our first snake and he/she is so cute with a great personality we don't want to lose him/her. His/her name is Snipe!!

Heather7875 · 07-28-13, 04:40 PM

Please help someone!!!

Heather7875 · 07-28-13, 06:27 PM

nevermind...I did some research and figured it was IBD...poor guy! He is no longer with us. So sad!

We really loved that snake.
I will not buy another snake at persmart. May not be there fault, but I wouldn't dout it. Being that it is highly contagious and they don't know that the snakes have it by the time they get rid of them. Its weird cause this is not typical in Kingsnakes.
Of to research a good breeder to buy from.

Not giving up!!

bcr229 · 07-28-13, 09:27 PM

1) King snakes don't get IBD. Many other diseases mimic IBD, especially at the end as the snakes have seizures or stargaze as they die.

2) If it were IBD (which I don't believe it is) and you did your research, you would know that your home shouldn't have any snakes in it for at least a year so as not to risk infecting others.

3) I would have the snake necropsied so as not to risk others coming into the house, just in case it did have a viral infection. There are quite a few out there, IBD just gets the most blame.

Heather7875 · 07-28-13, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcr229

1) King snakes don't get IBD. Many other diseases mimic IBD, especially at the end as the snakes have seizures or stargaze as they die.

2) If it were IBD (which I don't believe it is) and you did your research, you would know that your home shouldn't have any snakes in it for at least a year so as not to risk infecting others.

3) I would have the snake necropsied so as not to risk others coming into the house, just in case it did have a viral infection. There are quite a few out there, IBD just gets the most blame.

Thank you so so much for that info. I was wondering because I couldn't find anything that had a kingsnake with IBD. Now, when I say research, I mean google, which isn't saying much, LOL!

so thanks a million. what do you think it was being that it was a kingsnake? I really thought we were doing go until he started regurgitating the last three feedings.

Heather7875 · 07-28-13, 09:44 PM

then within two days he was really sick...it was just so quick because I didn't realize that the regugitation could be a symptom.

KORBIN5895 · 07-28-13, 10:08 PM

How are you measuring the temps and what are you using to regulate the heat?

Heather7875 · 07-28-13, 10:28 PM

I have two temperture gauges...one on the cool side and one on the warm side. I also have pad at the bottom of the tank.

KORBIN5895 · 07-28-13, 11:50 PM

How high off the floor are the thermometers?

Heather7875 · 07-29-13, 12:01 AM

the one on the warm side is about 3 inches and on the cool side about 6 inches...reason they are different is because we realized after we should move them lower to where the snake mostly is and the cooler side wouldn't come off so easy so I just left that one where is which is why it is so high from floor. 87 *F at night warm side; 92 *F daytime warm side. 74 *F cool side night; 78 * F cool side day.
and I want another king snake... we are thinking of getting a mexican black king. still researching about differnt kings out there.

KORBIN5895 · 07-29-13, 12:05 AM

It sounds to me like he got too hot. Those stick on ones are very inaccurate. Couple that with the fact that you aren't regulating your heat source it could've been way hotter than you thought. What has been the outside temperatures there for the last three weeks?

Heather7875 · 07-29-13, 12:23 AM

then what is a good way to get accurate temp. readings?
they say their temp can be lowered at night to mimic their natural environment. We use a night light for night time and a day light at 60 watts during the day sitting on top of screen. Plust the heat mat stays on all night.
We were just using the night light all the time, however when he started regurgutating we thought he may not be digesting properly because it is not hot enought like the dessert gets which is his natrual habitat. Sucks cause we thought we were doing a good thing, and what!!??? Now I realize we were hurting him. we also bought the most expensive stick on thermostat thinking we got the better one...guess not! UGG! so discouraging!!!

Mikoh4792 · 07-29-13, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather7875

the one on the warm side is about 3 inches and on the cool side about 6 inches...reason they are different is because we realized after we should move them lower to where the snake mostly is and the cooler side wouldn't come off so easy so I just left that one where is which is why it is so high from floor. 87 *F at night warm side; 92 *F daytime warm side. 74 *F cool side night; 78 * F cool side day.
and I want another king snake... we are thinking of getting a mexican black king. still researching about differnt kings out there.

If you were reading 92F 3 inches off the floor the actual warm side was probably much hotter. As someone else has said your snake could have been getting too hot.

Heather7875 · 07-29-13, 12:24 AM

heat mat all night and day!

Mikoh4792 · 07-29-13, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather7875

then what is a good way to get accurate temp. readings?
they say their temp can be lowered at night to mimic their natural environment. We use a night light for night time and a day light at 60 watts during the day sitting on top of screen. Plust the heat mat stays on all night.
We were just using the night light all the time, however when he started regurgutating we thought he may not be digesting properly because it is not hot enought like the dessert gets which is his natrual habitat. Sucks cause we thought we were doing a good thing, and what!!??? Now I realize we were hurting him. we also bought the most expensive stick on thermostat thinking we got the better one...guess not! UGG! so discouraging!!!

Use a thermostat to control your heat sources.

If you use both a heat light and heat mat without controlling them your cage can get too hot, which it probably did in this case.