Snakely Update

[helen99]

Some who were over the other day know that my snakey Seraphim (is he a multiple personality as his name implies? That would be astounding since most snakes are hard-pressed to develop even one personality...) had developed some sort of jaw problem. He hadn't come out to eat for over two weeks (which for him is a few days too long) so I removed his hidey place and looked, and saw that his jaw was wide open and listing to one side, and looked like it was dislocated or broken. Luckily his last meal had been big, and winter is a slow eating season for most snakes, so I had some time. Thinking he may have gotten into some sort of a fight with his cagemate Asherah, I put him in a separate tank in a warm spot to see if he'd get better. He didn't. I offered him pinkies but he refused all food. I made an appointment with a vet, but was still hoping it would right itself. Today he was no better (I'd hoped it would pop back into place by now - it didn't). Later in the morning, rialian said he'd take a look at Seraphim. After about half an hour he came bounding up the stairs. I thought he was going to say, "Yep, it's broken allright. You'll definitely have to see the $800 specialist about this". Instead he said, "Well, the problem is solved!" Overjoyed, I asked what the problem was.

One of my hairs had somehow gotten wrapped around his lower jaw and had worked its way back to where he couldn't properly close his mouth! The line caused by the hair looked like a fracture, and the way it was wrapped around caused his mouth to list to one side. Once Rialian gently cut the hair and removed it, the mouth closed firmly and went right back into place. My hair?! Good grief. I never heard of anything like that. I'm really glad he's ok though. Today we were going to take him to the specialist if we could find one. Many thanks to rialian, The Famous Snake Doctor. Now to get Seraphim eating again. He has got to be hungry, since by the time I discovered this he had already been hiding for two weeks.

Comments

[per-akh.livejournal.com]

Well certainly glad it wasn't as bad as we thought!

~Duo

[per-akh.livejournal.com]

We = you

*thud*

~Duo

[helen99.livejournal.com]

I'm relieved to know that the root cause is taken care of, but I hope his system kicks back into gear and he gets interested in food soon. I still don't consider him completely ok until I see a mouse go down the hatch...

[rhiannasilel.livejournal.com]

I'm really happy to hear that he's okay and that it was something easily remedied. Poor little guy looked healthy otherwise.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the hair wrapped around didn't damage anything inside his mouth - he's sulking under his rock right now. I think the hair removal operation annoyed him to the point where he has no interest in people at the moment. Not that he was ever really interested in people to begin with, but if he was hungry he'd poke his head out from under his rock and look at me expectantly - it's really kind of cute. Hopefully he'll let me know when he's ready to eat.

[rhiannasilel.livejournal.com]

Awww, well his mouth is probably still a bit tender. I'm sure he'll eat in a couple of days. I guess there aren't any snakey pain killers you can give him.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Not that I've heard of...

I'm also worried that if there was a hair wrapped around his jaw, maybe he swallowed a whole wad of hair as well - what if it got caught somewhere and caused a blockage.

Then again, whatever a snake swallows (hair, bones, etc.), gets miraculously deconstructed and digested in a short time (I'd hate to be swallowed by a sand worm, for example...), so there's probably no need to worry about that.

[nobbyknees.livejournal.com]

Think you probably have nothing to worry about on that score. Mouse bones must be harder to deal with than your hair.

Unless your hair has properties I am unaware of...(grin)

[lyssabard.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. Magical binding hair of Helen. :)

But I feel bad for the snakey, and I am glad the problem was easily remedied.

I always fuss abt the fish, too.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

I have a hard time when a largely alien creature such as a bird, fish, or reptile gets sick. They don't want to be held or fed chicken soup and I there's no medicine you can buy for them at the pet store. Sometimes by the time you figure out they're sick, it's too late. They don't cooperate if you have to do anything around the head area (or the rest of the body for that matter). Not that mammals do either, but they're a little easier to read.

[jarandhel.livejournal.com]

Fish are the worst. No warning, them, all of the sudden they're just belly up in the tank. *scowls* Still, glad to hear that Seraphim is doing better, and I hope he gets his appetite back soon... personally, though, if I'd been tasting human hair for a few weeks, it might be a while before my appetite came back. ;-)

[tlttlotd.livejournal.com]

Or bouncing head-down at the bottom of the tank.

[nobbyknees.livejournal.com]

Glad he's OK. Good call by Ri.

That sounds like a major "phew!"

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes it was... but he still hasn't eaten. Rialian said he would start eating again in a few days, which would be fine except I can't remember when the last time he ate was - maybe three weeks, maybe a month..

He hasn't lost any weight that I can tell - he's gone into "Snake Metabolism Shutdown" mode, where he neither takes in food nor does he use calories to speak of (he quit his little snake aerobic routine). However, while my python goes into shutdown mode like that and I think nothing of it if shes refuses food for three months, the corn snakes have always been Piggeous Extrordinaireous. Therefore I'm a little concerned. He's still energetic and interested in his surroundings when I drag him out of his hiding area, and he still drinks water (so I know there's no blockage), but I really wish he'd eat. When his metabolism turns on again he is going to be a bit hungry to say the least...

[aireathiel.livejournal.com]

Oy...that Was a close one! Poor baby! *makes cooing sounds to disgruntled Seraphim* It's scary i know, being a psudo-vet myself, but i found in very many cases, it is the simple explainations such as the hair thing rather than a serious issue that our lil bro's & sis's fall victim to most often. Process of emilination can save a lot of frustration. Good Call Rialian! Good Call! *gives Seraph a candy(buggy) coated squeeker to make him happy again*

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Thanks... I hope he does eat soon. He's refused all offered food so far (hoping for the best). He just sniffed at it and then would change his mind at the last minute as if to say, "not yet". Maybe his mouth still feels a little sore.

[aireathiel.livejournal.com]

Well...sounds encouraging :) ..if he's sniffing, he's somewhat interested. *prays to the Gods*

[helen99.livejournal.com]

He's totally retarded. He still hasn't eaten. He's probably gotten out of the habit of eating and so now he's not hungry. His mouth looks fine (the scales at the corners of his mouth look like they need to go through a couple of sheds, but otherwise he looks good). He looks at it and then wildly crawls all over the place as if he has places to go and people to see. He hasn't lost any weight, which is strange. Maybe he's pregnant.

Snakes, bah humbug.

[aireathiel.livejournal.com]

LMAO!.....maybe he's developed a fear of his food? Oy..ya, i know, that is a real phobia which name escapes me atm..but..Hrm...Gad! this is frustrating!..i guess..it's a waiting game. Preggers? Oh, my..now That would be Something! Rialian is gonna have to sit ya's down and have a chat, like..what are your intentions now..Do you plan to make him an honest snake? Or, maybe..he got attatched to the hair..as a fashion accessory?*Grins* Good thing is if he's not loosing weight..it's probably a waiting game, he wants to be courted until HE deigns to sup. Males..wine and dine em, eh? ;) Please keep me posted if he eats tho, ok? i worry about our lil luvs. Until he does..who knows..i might find some wild idea that could work :)