Why NOT to feed a snake live food. (New foster, graphic pics)

[snakemama]

This guy has always been fed live rodents. It was fine for eight years, until it wasn't. One day, the rat won. This snake's owners were obviously deficient in their husbandry in many ways....he had layer after layer of retained shed over his eyes...so much so that his corneas are now deformed, and his wounds are badly infected. The rat attack happened five months ago! His tail is literally rotting, and the smell is...wow. He's now afraid of his food and hasn't eaten in five months on top of everything else.

I don't know what made these people decide to bring their snake to the vet after five months of ignoring what is clearly a massive set of problems, but they did....then surrendered him because they didn't want to spend the time/money getting him well. My sister took him in, and he's now on a course of powerful antibiotics and in a nice bed of damp moss to help with those eyecaps. Theye may or may not be cataracts under the eyecaps, but that's a worry for another day. So now "Ratbait" is in good hands and can hopefully recover to find a good home. I'm already thinking maybe that home could be with me, but I'll have to see how my hubby feels about that.











He's a Yellow Ratsnake, so when he recovers he'll look a lot like this guy: (Photo is from dixiedining.wordpress.com). With any luck, the end of his tail won't fall off and he should be quite a good looking critter! Then he has to learn to eat frozen-thawed food, and get over his fear of rodents!



Good vibes for a fast recovery are appreciated!

[Karen]

Poor guy! Does he have a name? We will say a prayer for his recovery, no creature deserves that mistreatment.

[snakemama]

Er...well....his previous owners called him "Buttercup" thinking he was female. The vet staff has renamed him "Ratbait". If I get to keep him his name will change again.

This snake went on to make a full recovery (Yes that is her SPINE SHOWING...Her recovery photos can be found here http://www.iherp.com/Public/Animals/...PhotoID=108065) so I'm hopeful that Ratbait will also recover completely. Even if he never fully regains his vision, frozen-thawed mice don't move very fast!

[chocolatepuppy]

What is wrong with people??? I hope this guy does well and recovers. Yes, once again, he'll need a new name.

[moosmom]

While I'm not a fan of snakes, I feel so bad for that little guy. I can't get over the stupidity of pet owners lately. When I get a new pet, like my Sphynxes, I went on line and did my homework about their care and upkeep. It's our responsibility as pet owners.

I hope he has a speedy recovery and you get to keep and CARE for him, something his former owners didn't do.

Thank you snakemama, for caring.

[Taz_Zoee]

So sad. I hope you can take him, I know you'd do everything in your power to help him.
And his name REALLY needs to be changed...........that's just wrong.

[AvaJoy]

Poor Buttercup/Ratbait . . . hoping for a complete recovery and that his vision gets restored. He is now in great hands so he should make strides. I used to have a corn snake and fed him frozen (thawed) pinkies/baby mice. I would tie a thread around tail so I could dangle it and then Sly would go after it. I like snakes and hope Ratbait returns to good health and will want to eat again soon.

[Lilith Cherry]

Lots of good healing thoughts for the poor little guy.... I am so glad he was rescued by loving people!

[snakemama]

If I can convince my hubby to let me keep him I'm naming him Dandy, short for Dandelion. Yellow Rats are sadly taken for granted in the pet trade, because wild caught ones are so cheaply available all over the place. They're considered more "disposable" than a lot of other species, and not too many pet owners really appreciate how lovely they are. I'll keep PT updated with his progress, and hopefully soon some happier pictures of him.

[Bonny]

I am so glad your sister took the snake in & it is on antibiotics. The coloring is nothing like the picture of the healthy snake & praying there is no gangrene in the tail. Good Thoughts & Prayers sent to Mr/Mrs. Snake. Don't like the name Ratbait Ugh! Stupid humans is all I can say.

[snakemama]

A positive update: Ratbait's eyecaps have not come off yet, but his corneas have returned to a normal shape! His tail wound has been cleaned again and it looks like there is fresh new tissue underneath it!! He's still stinky and has a ways to go, but he'll get there!

[Jumbo Ratty]

Thats great news,,, hes a lucky creature to have found hiself in your care when he needed it most.

I do so hope he does regain his sight.

[TamanduaGirl]

Hope he does recover well. Sounds like he will survive it. I know it can be a slow process for them. A friend took one in that had a lot of retained sheds too. Eyes and around the tail. Got the skin off with lots of soaks but the tail tip stayed misshapen and a year later it fell off.

[snakemama]

Thanks! Ratbait is "going blue" right now, so he'll shed soon and hopefully those eyecaps will come off! My sister has been keeping vaseline on them to soften them, and he has a nice bed of damp moss in his bin which he's been sitting in a lot. I need to get some new pictures, even with the eyecaps still on he looks much better!

[chocolatepuppy]

Good to hear he's doing better! I hope he continues to improve.