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Q: Blotched King aspirated on Drinking Water
Posted By:

Tracycandy

In Relation To:

Elvis ['11 1.0 Albino Blotched King]

Today was feeding and cleaning day at my house. I took care of all 68 snakes. I feed the adults in feeding tubs and the babies in their drawers. Some babies have shredded aspen and some paper towels. No specific reason, just depending if I ran out of aspen or not. I went to run some errands so a good 5 hours pass. When I got home I heard some thrashing in the baby rack. Found out it was my Blotched King thrashing like he was in serious distress. His mouth was open and his tounge was rolling around. I lift him up out of the drawer and he hung limp in my hand. A bunch of water came pooling out of his mouth. I gently squeezed on his head and he now has bubbles coming out of his nostrils too. I even hung him upside down and more water came out. I even tried sucking on his face (eww, I know) to see if I can get more out, but it didn't work. Hey, don't judge me. I don't have one of those bulb sucky things they use for children's snot. I think I should get one now. Better than using my mouth.

I have no idea what happened. He was totally fine during feeding. He ate a large f/t pinky mouse, which is his norm. His drawer was cleaned of feces and his water bowl filled up. I did notice he had spilt his water, so he was dry when I fed him today. But I last checked on them two days ago, so the bowl could have been spilt for up to two days. Could he have gotten so dehydrated in up to two days and gorged himself on water? Then when he got fed his poor stomach has had too much? Now I'm afraid he aspirated and the water is in his lungs, which is very likely. I totally stripped his drawer and just put him in with a paper towel. He no longer has his mouth open and is slightly moving, but it's hard to be optomistic. 

Any ideas on what I should do next? I've never seen this behavior before and I'm sure he is struggling to breathe. I'm going to contact a herp vet in the morning. Maybe some oxygen will help. If he did aspirate I'm sure he will probably develop secondary pneumonia, which would mean possible antibiotics. Argh. This is so frustrating. 


Points: 150
Topics: Respiratory , Digestive , Water
Tags: Aspirated, Choked, Drinking, Inhaled, Kingsnake, Respiratory, Thrashing, Water
Species: Kings and Milks > Kingsnakes > Lampropeltis getula goini
Administrative: Show/Hide

Author Comment 7/7/2012 3:33:20 AM

Tracycandy

Just checked on him again and he is upside down. Thought he already passed away and he did move some. I'll keep you guys updated when I check on him again in the morning. His prognosis is grave I think. Sucks not being in a large city where herp specialists are available and not 5 hours away.

 
Member Comment 7/7/2012 7:42:37 AM

ewhitwam
Keep us posted...
 
Member Comment 7/7/2012 9:02:30 AM

MdngtRain

that realy sucks. i'm sory to hear that.  i have heard of snakes regurgetae water before, but not drink so much or so violently rhat hey aspirate... good luck with the little guy and i hope he pulls through for you.  

 
Author Comment 7/7/2012 10:42:26 AM

Tracycandy

He is definitely gone this morning. I guess the saying is true. The more snakes you have the more likely hood for crap like this happening. 

 
Member Comment 7/7/2012 10:49:21 AM

samfred

Dang, Im sorry ):

 
Member Comment 7/7/2012 11:24:23 AM

Doomtrooper

Tripple chech your tems in the rack   over heating can couse  stuff like that

 
Member Comment 7/7/2012 11:25:05 AM

Doomtrooper

my fingers are broken  Check the Temps !

 
Author Comment 7/7/2012 12:19:39 PM

Tracycandy

Thanks for the advice Doom. I checked the temps last night and they were normal. I'm just pretty bummed. Guess the lesson I've learned is to check on them every day, which I should be doing anyway. Live and learn. Cry

 
Member Comment 7/7/2012 2:43:17 PM

helmer1989

that realy sucks man sorry to hear

 
Accepted Answer 7/7/2012 7:59:25 PM

Tiki108

I recently had a very odd situation where one of my corns was barely moving, she was alive, but seemed weak.  I thought maybe she hadn't been drinking enough, her water bowl was full and I don't know if she had not been drinking for some reason.  I put her in the bathtub with some warm water, she perked up and started swimming around, then suddenly stopped moving altogether.  I picked her up and yellow liquid was dripping from her mouth.  It was very strange, she was limp, but seemed to still be alive.  She passed that night, but when I took her in for a necropsy we found she died of a heart attack.  I now wonder if she was dead at that moment and just nerves firing made her appear to move now and then.  Maybe something similar happened, just a fluke thing?

Sorry for your loss.

 
Assisted Answer 7/8/2012 6:17:13 PM

aSnakeLovinBabe
This sounds more like the snake had something wrong with it and the water complicated the problem because the snake was already too loopy to find its way out of a bowl of water. A wealthy snake is not going to kill itself in a bowl of water by accident. There was probably nothing you could have done. Poor little guy
 
Member Comment 7/9/2012 3:45:02 PM

joe farah

+1 Shannon.   Except i don't see how a snake's financial situation has anything to do with it.

 
Member Comment 7/10/2012 1:01:52 AM

aSnakeLovinBabe
HEALTHY!!!! Hahahaha. You know what I meant damnit :)
 
Member Comment 8/16/2012 1:58:59 AM

Accalia

wow, how sad. Very sorry for your loss. :(

 
Member Comment 10/28/2012 1:16:28 PM

abi21491

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