Hi all

[beezie]

New to the forum here. I have an okeetee corn snake and we are on the way to the vet today. Stopping in here for advise and reassurance (I hope).
I aquired Sterling the corn snake on 4-23-17 at a reptile show. He/she (let's go with "he" for ease of convo though the snake has not been sexed) has been a fantastic snake. Great eater, docile, perfect shed (6-9-17). I couldn't love him any more.
Last few feedings he became a little more reluctant, taking longer to feed. Had started a new thing of pooping in feeding tub before eating which required me to clean it up before he slithered all over it and then recommence feeding.
Last night I put him in the tub with his thawed large mouse and he pooped again...but when I went to clean it out I saw blood. It was runny, mucusy stool with bright red blood. Small amount. He proceeded to pass two more tiny amounts of blood mixed with mucus. And refused to eat all together.
We are on the way to the vet today. I'm worried sick.
I have googled (probably too much) so I am suspecting parasites. Just wondering if anyone could share their experience in treatment and recovery. I really need my guy to get well and back to his spunky self.
Thank you in advance and thanks for having me on the forum.

[Scubadiver59]

Welcome to sSNAKESs!!

[dave himself]

Hi and welcome, first off let me say that your doing the right thing by taking him to the vet. Sometimes problems can be sorted easily with friendly advice or suggestions, but in this case a trip to the vet is the best thing. Secondly I would advise you to feed him in his enclosure, moving a snake right after feeding can cause unnecessary stress, and your more likely to be bitten moving him from a tub while his still in feeding mode than feeding inside his enclosure. I hope everything goes well for him at the vets keep us posted on how he's doing.

[Andy_G]

Originally Posted by dave himself

Hi and welcome, first off let me say that your doing the right thing by taking him to the vet. Sometimes problems can be sorted easily with friendly advice or suggestions, but in this case a trip to the vet is the best thing. Secondly I would advise you to feed him in his enclosure, moving a snake right after feeding can cause unnecessary stress, and your more likely to be bitten moving him from a tub while his still in feeding mode than feeding inside his enclosure. I hope everything goes well for him at the vets keep us posted on how he's doing.

All of this. Best of luck at the vet.

[beezie]

Thank you for the welcomes and the replies!
Sterling and I went to the vet yesterday. Their in house slide if his fecal sample was negative for parasites but they sent a sample out to the lab. Got a call back today that he is positive for worms. Not sure what type yet. We have a follow up appt tomorrow to start treatment on that. They gave him one dose of metronidazole while we were there yesterday. No stool with blood today so I am grateful at least we know what we are dealing with and I can start getting him better.
As far as feeding in the separate tub....I totally hear what you are all saying. I've read all the varying opinions on the matter. My concern with feeding him in his enclosure is the risk of him ingesting bedding material. I use aspen shavings. I feel like the risk of him ingesting those outweighs the problems with feeding him in a separate tub.
He is an extremely docile corn. Has never struck at me and seems to do well with the feedings in the tub. We wait until the mouse has traveled about 2/3 down his body before transfer back into his enclosure and then I leave him alone for a couple days.
I welcome all input though.
Thanks again!

[Scubadiver59]

Snakes ingest particles in the wild, and most here will agree, a small amount of substrate ingested will be negligible as most pieces will be passed harmlessly...snakes survive in the wild ingesting dirt, leaf matter, etc and don't die in great numbers.

If you are really concerned, put your snake on something like Cypress, that has larger pieces, and that the snake can still tunnel through if it wants.

The stress you induce, moving weekly, every ten days, etc. isn't worth the trouble...besides, you can use that extra enclosure for another snake!

Originally Posted by beezie

Thank you for the welcomes and the replies!
Sterling and I went to the vet yesterday. Their in house slide if his fecal sample was negative for parasites but they sent a sample out to the lab. Got a call back today that he is positive for worms. Not sure what type yet. We have a follow up appt tomorrow to start treatment on that. They gave him one dose of metronidazole while we were there yesterday. No stool with blood today so I am grateful at least we know what we are dealing with and I can start getting him better.
As far as feeding in the separate tub....I totally hear what you are all saying. I've read all the varying opinions on the matter. My concern with feeding him in his enclosure is the risk of him ingesting bedding material. I use aspen shavings. I feel like the risk of him ingesting those outweighs the problems with feeding him in a separate tub.
He is an extremely docile corn. Has never struck at me and seems to do well with the feedings in the tub. We wait until the mouse has traveled about 2/3 down his body before transfer back into his enclosure and then I leave him alone for a couple days.
I welcome all input though.
Thanks again!

[dave himself]

Glad you got everything sorted out

[beezie]

Just an update here on Sterling, my corn snake. His lab fecal tested positive for round worms. He had his first treatment and seems to be responding well. No more bloody poops. I'm so relieved. Thank you for all of your input.
He has since had a nice shed and then I fed him (for the first time in a while as he was refusing when he wasn't feeling well)....so all is good over here.
Quick question....I am keeping him on paper towel with a very simple washable plastic watwe bowl and plastic hide in his enclosure until after his second treatment. I just want to make sure everything is looking good and I can continue to disinfect his habitat well. I have removed the two logs and fake vine from his enclosure and washed them in a diluted bleach / water solution and put them aside. ((Rinsed well, obviously)) Question is.....I know round worm eggs are hardy and will survive on inanimate objects...so would you just throw out the old logs and vine etc and start fresh? I would really rather not do that but I'm keeping them out of his enclosure for now.

[kazz]

Originally Posted by beezie

I have googled (probably too much) so I am suspecting parasites. Just wondering if anyone could share their experience in treatment and recovery. .

I am noob. But I think there is a preventive against parasites like for ppl, cats, dogs.

[Doug 351]

I have been feeding my snake in it's enclosure with aspen bedding for quite a few years.

I also used to take her out, and feed her in a separate enclosure. I don't think it stressed her too much, and I never got bitten. But it's DEFINITELY easier on me, (and probably her, too)...in her normal viv.

She's named Oscar, because I didn't sex her either. After 8 years or so, "he" laid eggs. Well, not to mention the fact snakes are pretty much deaf...she doesn't mind being called Oscar at all.

[TRD]

Originally Posted by beezie

Just an update here on Sterling, my corn snake. His lab fecal tested positive for round worms. He had his first treatment and seems to be responding well. No more bloody poops. I'm so relieved. Thank you for all of your input.
He has since had a nice shed and then I fed him (for the first time in a while as he was refusing when he wasn't feeling well)....so all is good over here.
Quick question....I am keeping him on paper towel with a very simple washable plastic watwe bowl and plastic hide in his enclosure until after his second treatment. I just want to make sure everything is looking good and I can continue to disinfect his habitat well. I have removed the two logs and fake vine from his enclosure and washed them in a diluted bleach / water solution and put them aside. ((Rinsed well, obviously)) Question is.....I know round worm eggs are hardy and will survive on inanimate objects...so would you just throw out the old logs and vine etc and start fresh? I would really rather not do that but I'm keeping them out of his enclosure for now.

Not sure if round worm eggs survive a bleach bath, most stuff doesn't, but eggs have impenetrable shells.. If you want to be REALLY safe then it's always best to drop the old stuff out, but I don't think that it would be required when cleaned (scrubbed off & rinsed) well. Most materials you can also heat in an oven at 300F or boil in water if you have second thoughts on how clean it is

[Trouser Snake]

Welcome, and I'm glad to hear your corn is doing better, that's fantastic news!! Just out of curiosity did the vet say how they can acquire worms, does it just occurred naturally or at the shop before you buy or occur just in hatchlings as they do in puppies, looking at getting my first snake myself and pretty new here you see, glad he is ok, and this is a great forum with people always happy to help and give advice. Excited to get my snake

[TLD]

Wild caught snakes frequently come in with internal parasites. Captive born snakes can catch parasites when they come into contact with other reptiles. Worms can also come in on your snakes food, but freezing for 30 days is said to be able to kill off most parasites.

[Doug 351]

Originally Posted by TLD

Wild caught snakes frequently come in with internal parasites. Captive born snakes can catch parasites when they come into contact with other reptiles. Worms can also come in on your snakes food, but freezing for 30 days is said to be able to kill off most parasites.

Is it safe to take my snake out after 29 days?????

[Scubadiver59]

Snakecicle?

Originally Posted by Doug 351

Is it safe to take my snake out after 29 days?????