I'm a little worried about my corn snake, Gloria. For the first time since we got her last August, she has gone on a hunger strike.
The lady we got her from said she was feeding her an adult mouse(frozen) every two weeks, but that she had thrown a live mouse in once or twice, and the result had been satisfactory.
I slightly moved that feeding schedule up, giving her a frozen(well, thawed) mouse every 7-10 days.
Until the last two weeks, that is. Starting just over two weeks ago, she began turning up her nose at her thawed mouse. She would poke her nose out, flick it with her tongue, and just start backing away. The first time, I wasn't worried...I figured maybe she was just full still...it's not an exact science trying to figure out when a snake is hungry.
Now, it's extended past three weeks. I have tried every third day, with two different brands of frozen mice. I've done some research online, and have found some sources that say this is not unusual among adult corn snakes...a few folks said they have had their snakes go 5-6 weeks with out eating before, just to pick back up and get on their normal schedule again.
Other than not wanting to eat, her behavior hasn't changed. I change her water every few days. She is still drinking and playing in it. It WAS a little dark in her corner after moving. With more square footage to cover than we had in our townhouse, we finally got around to rearranging lamps so she could have a bit more direct light.
As far bringing her to the vet...did I mention we got her for free? She is a neat snake...but, she is just a snake. If I woke up tomorrow morning, and found a mongoose had gotten in to her tank and eaten her...I wouldn't be broken hearted...not like when I had my 18-year old cat put to sleep.
I am thinking I might try her with something live the next few days. I know corn snakes will eat mice, but that they will occasionally enjoy an anole, or a baby chick. Of those three, the mouse is the cheapest and easiest to find. Pet-co sells both mice, and anoles, with the mice being $3.50, and the anole's closer to $10.
Price aside, I think it would be much easier emotionally to drop a lizard into the tank than a mouse.
I'm just a softy...
Even if she was free, she's still your responsibility.
ReplyDeleteIs that what you want to teach your daughters- It's only an animal, we can always get another...
What I would like to teach my daughters is that in life, you have to evaluate what's in The Pot before you tap it, or fold.
ReplyDeleteYou are the 3rd/4th owner for a corn snake that could be anywhere from 6-10 years old, so could have anywhere from 5 years to 6 months left.
New baby corn snakes cost $40...a vet visit would not cost less than $200, IF I can find a vet that is willing to look at a snake.
My responsibilty is trying to feed this snake...to that end, I will keep spending money. She gets one more frozen mouse attempt today, and after that, I will try live food. So far, she is showing no health effects from not eating...she has no sores, and her eyes are still clear, and she is not visibilly thinner than she has ever been.
If she goes another few weeks and begins showing health effects, then my responsibilty would be ensuring she does not suffer. This is no different of a decision that someone needs to make when they find out that their beloved cat or dog has cancer...do you pay $800-$1000 to save your pet for another few years, or make sure it goes out peacefully?