Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[mark67123]

Can't seem to open it - is there any other way you can link to it?

I do see your point regarding the feeding of a variety of prey items and I agree, but in this case the I'd say the food should be selected according to the snakes state of health rather than long term nutritional requirements.
E.g. in the short term, better to feed something less nutritional and pose no risk to the snake than feed a more varied diet which may make the snakes condition worse.
Maybe we should agree to disagree...

Would be interested to see the file as the only other one I have is the rodentpro one. (I'm assuming this one is something else?)

Cheers,

Mark.

[Dan]

It works ok for me? Do you have adobe as it is in acrobat? It isn't the rodent pro one no.

The point you made about short and long term goals seems somewhat backward to me
If you feed the same item over a long term period all nutrional assets are utilised, however offering varied items boosts the specific areas you need in a short space of time.

As we are looking for a quick fix to increase weight and general health then fat and energy need to be aquired. If you use the same item then you will only boost possibly one of these at once.
However if you feed a combination of baby guineapigs (high in fat) and mice between 3 and 10g in weight you boost both the energy and fat levels.
I would aim to feed on a 4-5 day rotation, first the mice then 5 days later the guineapigs then the mice again and so on.
_________________
TFA

The future is bright, the future is a net like pattern.................

I'm NOT an expert, so if you don't want to know my opinion don't ask!!

[Dan]

BTW, not sure where the risk is? I see no risk here at all?

If anyone else here has some thoughts it would be appreciated. I can not just agree to disagree here as i feel Mark is wrong, what is the point of forums if you're not going to learn? If i am wrong, thats fine - atleast i have learned something.
_________________
TFA

The future is bright, the future is a net like pattern.................

I'm NOT an expert, so if you don't want to know my opinion don't ask!!

[crouchy]

Personally while the snake has diarrhea i would feed it what it is used to eating.

I know when my diet changes (when i go abroad etc) i often suffer from loose bowels. I know a human digestive system is different to a snakes but there are some similarities.

So if the snake has only ever been fed mice, while it still might have a delicate stomach i would stick to mice
_________________

http://www.freewebs.com/crouchys/
CB Rhampholeon Brevicaudatus (Pygmy Chams) Hatching now

[mark67123]

What crouchy has said is pretty much what I was getting at.
To me, to feed a snake with a suspected digestive problem a food item that it has never been fed before could possibly make the situation worse, in that the snake may have more trouble coping with types of food that it isn't used to.
Once the cause of the problem has been pinned down and the snake eventually has the all clear from a vet, then by all means feed it the most nutritious foods to aid it's recovery.

I'm afraid I'm unsure how easy it would be for a snake to digest baby guinea pigs (I've never used them) but your course of action may well be spot on in this case.

But if it was being suggested (as someone did) to feed it chicks I think this would be a big mistake, as in my experience chicks go through like a rocket so wouldn't be a good option for a snake with diarrhea.
And as regards fur - I'd steer away from any food item with a significant amount of fur as it is hard for snakes to digest.

I do have Abobe - Acrobat 5.1 - I'll have a play around with it and maybe try it on the laptop if it won't work here.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Dan]

The only food item i know to cause a change in crap is, as stated, birds. I understand the comparison to humans but i am unsure if it is applicable here? If it is then fair enough, stay with the same food item as before and possibly remove water for 24-36 hrs out of every 48. When the water is in the viv add vitamin style drops (this ensures it is taken on board).

Guineapigs are just as easily digested as mice or rats.

It just seems to me that sitting back and not trying anything natural isn't very helpful. I would try to be pro-active and remedy the situation using natural methods instead of adding drugs etc into the equation.

I had a look at the rodent pro one, it IS the same so don't worry about it. The one i have is just the original copy from where the rodent pro one came from (complete with references etc)
_________________
TFA

The future is bright, the future is a net like pattern.................

I'm NOT an expert, so if you don't want to know my opinion don't ask!!

[stargazerlily7]

Someone just suggested I give her some Pedialyte. Kinda makes sense I guess, its just electrolytes... I drink Gatorade when I'm sick and we give LRS or Normosol to sick dogs & cats... Anyone have any idea if Pedialyte is actually safe for snakes? She's still eating but she is somewhat lethargic, I'm sure some lytes wouldnt be a bad idea so long as its safe for snakes to digest.......

[mark67123]

Totally agree regarding the method of supplying vitamins via the water, and avoiding the use of drugs - unless a stool sample suggests that it's something that needs this kind of treatment.

Whether a change in species of rodent offered to the snake could have a negative effect - it probably depends on the species of snake, it's exact health problem and how far removed the food is from what they would normally eat, or even down to the individual animal.

Looking at baby guinea pigs on the rodentpro table, they'd supply a roughly equivalent amount of protein and about a third more fat - Which sounds to me like enough of a difference to have benefit but not enough to cause problems.

I'd still say best to avoid any significant amount of fur, so the baby guineas (assuming they're pretty much hairless - can't recall ever seeing one) would be a good choice.

[coachwhip]

It was me that suggested chicks. I still think it may be an option, though not the only one. Chicks don't tend to cause diarrhea as such, just with the yolk sac still inside them then the contents are very runny anyway, so yes they go through quickly and come out runny. Yes chicks may make things worse, but then again they might come through so quick and digest enough in that time that more is absorbed into the snake than with say rats that need longer to digest than they are getting due to the upset stomach.

Obviously we don't know everything about this case but it looked like the snake wasn't too enthusiastic about taking the last lot of food, this may be a shed which does this, but if it doesn't want to eat much but you can find a food that it will take a lot of then I'd try that food. If the weight is coming off fairly fast then I wouldn't care about long term effects too much as you need to get the weight at least stabilized. If that means mice or rats or chicks, whatever then stick with what will work. You can always supplement the food if need be once the immediate danger is past. good point about the rat pups though, less fur will be better as it doesn't tend to give much up in vitamins anyway.

Possibly try Avipro after the diarrhea is past, I'm not sure if its a good idea to try it yet as it will stimulate the natural bacteria in the gut, having said that it may even help to flush out what is currently causing problems, but I would check that first with a vet in case it makes the situation worse.

I do feed my snakes a fairly varied diet so far and am looking to expand it more ( Nile rats soon I hope, then look what else I can try). I wouldn't normally be worried about a king getting stuck on one food item, normally they are greedy and will eat most things.

Mike

I'm not advocating chicks just offering an option, you'd have to weigh up and maybe try some of the things that have been suggested.

[Peter Parrot]

Just out of interest, newly born Cavies or "Guinea pigs" are unusual amongst rodents in being born covered in hair rather than fur, fully mobile and with their eyes open. So quite a bit of hair there.


Could always shave them!
_________________
YSBRYDOLI POBL, GWELLA LLEOEDD
INSPIRING PEOPLE, IMPROVING PLACES
www.btcv.org
Visit our website - Gwelwch ein Gwefan
www.btcvcymru.org
Llinell Gymorth / Helpline: 08702 40 48 41