I hadn't even made a blog post for little Elliot. He was my black and white banded California kingsnake. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_kingsnake
I bought him September 2013. At the time he was bigger than Sherlock, but Elliot didn't eat very well for me. I had heard that this happens with some snakes as winter was approaching, though it hadn't happened for me the previous year with the corn snakes, and it hadn't happened yet with either Sherlock the Cal king or Milkshake the Pueblan.
I was able to get him to eat occasionally by putting him in a plastic ziploc container (with ventilation holes of course!) and trapping him in with a frozen/thawed pinkie mouse. Then one day in early winter, I found a lump in his body, though he had eaten a week ago. The next day it appeared worse, and I started soaking him daily to see if he was impacted. He defecated every time I did this, so I didn't assume it was an impaction. I took him to my vet, and she prescribed some meds for him to deal with parasites, though none were seen on the fecal sample. She did find white cells, however.
He seemed to improve, even ate a time or two, and the lump seemed to go away. I felt like it never truly went away, though. Then came the day when he regurgitated a mouse, and just continued to look skinnier. I started to see his spine toward the lower part of his body, the part after the lump. I knew it was time to end his ordeal rather than put him through more meds or vet visits.
He was euthanized, and my vet asked if I'd like her to check his lump area to see if she could give me any answers. I was there to watch, and what she found out was a new thing for her, and a term I hadn't heard of before. She said that he had an intussesception, and after reading descriptions of what it is, I definitely agreed with her diagnosis.
RIP little Elliot. I am sad we never saw you grow up. Your personality was spunky but not musky, so that was nice!
Since that time we were graciously given another black and white banded king by the same breeder; in fact, a sibling of Elliot's. He looks somewhat the same, of course, but different enough that I know it's not El. Look for his post sometime soon.
I bought him September 2013. At the time he was bigger than Sherlock, but Elliot didn't eat very well for me. I had heard that this happens with some snakes as winter was approaching, though it hadn't happened for me the previous year with the corn snakes, and it hadn't happened yet with either Sherlock the Cal king or Milkshake the Pueblan.
I was able to get him to eat occasionally by putting him in a plastic ziploc container (with ventilation holes of course!) and trapping him in with a frozen/thawed pinkie mouse. Then one day in early winter, I found a lump in his body, though he had eaten a week ago. The next day it appeared worse, and I started soaking him daily to see if he was impacted. He defecated every time I did this, so I didn't assume it was an impaction. I took him to my vet, and she prescribed some meds for him to deal with parasites, though none were seen on the fecal sample. She did find white cells, however.
He seemed to improve, even ate a time or two, and the lump seemed to go away. I felt like it never truly went away, though. Then came the day when he regurgitated a mouse, and just continued to look skinnier. I started to see his spine toward the lower part of his body, the part after the lump. I knew it was time to end his ordeal rather than put him through more meds or vet visits.
He was euthanized, and my vet asked if I'd like her to check his lump area to see if she could give me any answers. I was there to watch, and what she found out was a new thing for her, and a term I hadn't heard of before. She said that he had an intussesception, and after reading descriptions of what it is, I definitely agreed with her diagnosis.
RIP little Elliot. I am sad we never saw you grow up. Your personality was spunky but not musky, so that was nice!
Since that time we were graciously given another black and white banded king by the same breeder; in fact, a sibling of Elliot's. He looks somewhat the same, of course, but different enough that I know it's not El. Look for his post sometime soon.