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

[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.

[snakemama]

He STILL hasn't shed, but here are some new pictures to show how much better he looks anyways.











Sadly, he's still not eating (Can you blame him?!), but my sister in law says she's going to try tube feeding him if he's not willing to eat after his shed. He's still got good muscle tone and he's not underweight, so we have some time before we need to worry.

[cassiesmom]

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

His poor eyes! Dandy, please try to eat if you can. Snakemama, will he be at risk for problems with shedding again in the future? I hope the Vaseline will help too.

[cassiesmom]

Snakemama or anyone, can you say a little more about a snake's eating and drinking habits for me? How often does a snake eat, and what is a typical diet (other than mice-- eek!)? How often do they drink water, do you keep fresh water always available for them? I am glad he is doing better!