Let's discuss: assist feeding venomous snakes

What techniques do you use to assist feed or to give oral medication to your venomous snakes? What are your favorite methods? Any tips you would like to share?

Some of the methods I use can be viewed here:

http://www.snakegetters.com/demo/assist-feed.html
http://www.snakegetters.com/demo/tubefeed.html
http://www.snakegetters.com/demo/tube/index1.html

I just use those red rubber catheters and a syringe... Well, I WOULD if I had to do it again... It's just like doing it for non-hots except you tube the snake first. I think you're the one who told me how to do it in the first place though.
I've tried pinkie pumps, but I feel like I could have really hurt the snake. I think I was doing it wrong. I've got to figure it out because I'm breeding a species (russian sand boa) that is very likely to need it as neonates. And they're eeensy so it doesn't help.

I like the red rubber urinary catheters because they can be purchased in a range of sizes. They are meant for human use inside, er, delicate and sensitive parts, so they are smooth and gentle enough not to hurt a snake.

For the really teeny snakes I suggest tomcat cathethers from a veterinary supply store.

Pretty much the same..

Again, Tanith, you're the one who instructed me on how to do it, and it works.

On the baby popes, I tubed them, then ran a drinking straw from the back then slid them out, encased in the straw. That way I could secure their body and still have the head sticking out. It works great, although it takes a little patience.
I used a syringe for the first few feedings, then later offered my help in getting parts of a pinkie down. Now, after a few assisted feedings, they are eating well on their own.

"I" found that they were more likely to regurgitate liguids than solids, so I switch to solids as quickly as possible, plus I think it helps provoke normal feeding.

I have a couple of Hispida I need to feed that way today. They are very hard to tube, so I'm sure this will be an adventure. They're wild caught and have probably never had anything close to a pinkie before. Hopefully they like them!

Wild caught hispida are absolutely screwed. They tend to come in with such massive internal damage from parasites, holes literally eaten up inside their gut and lungs, that they don't make it. This holds true even for specimens that appear initially to be in good body condition.

Please do a fecal and tracheal wash on these specimens ASAP and medicate what you find appropriately. Support antibiotics are indicated, possibly by nebulization, if the expected heavy parasite load is found.

They're also stress puppies so you have to walk a thin line between the fact that they'll die if you don't treat them for this condition and they may also die if you stress them too much by overtreatment.

Working with hispida is just too much fun.

Hey MsTT

I "had" two Hispidas. Yesterday, I found one that appeared to have envenomated itself. He was coiled with his fangs embedded into his tail. So I placed him in the freezer and fed the other one a pinkie. Can I take the frozen one and have an exam done on it, assuming they both have the same parasites?

The only reptile vet around here won't look at venomous and seems reluctant to even help me with a fecal sample. I do not know how to do a tracheal wash, so if you have referenced site to refer me to, I'd appreciate it.

Also....A question:

I noticed that your referenced site has the Gaboon in a tube for force feeding (I think it was a gaboon, I'm going on memory). The head was in the tube. Don't you find it more difficult to feed them with the head inside? I understand that the head is wider than the body, but there are a couple of ways I found to keep the head outside the tube. One is to slide a smaller tube from the back to encase the body, then sliding him out.

The other way is to let the head out then get them to open their mouths, strike at the food, which prevents them from retreating. Either way, I then use a drinking straw to assist getting the mouse/pinkie down a little further.

Hammer said:

I "had" two Hispidas. Yesterday, I found one that appeared to have envenomated itself. He was coiled with his fangs embedded into his tail. So I placed him in the freezer and fed the other one a pinkie. Can I take the frozen one and have an exam done on it, assuming they both have the same parasites?

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When a snake dies like that, it's not usually self envenomation that is the underlying cause of death. A necropsy would tell you more, but you cannot perform a very good necropsy on a frozen snake. Freezing will destroy much of the evidence you are looking for. Sorry. I don't think you will be able to find the parasites any more. Freezing and thawing turns their delicate egg cases and adult body forms to disrupted mush. You may still be able to see the gross damage to the lungs and other internal organs done by those parasites however.

The guess is that when a snake is in pain from inside its body, it may think it is being attacked or grabbed by a predator, and it bites at the source of the pain. They may also bite themselves in a frantic dying convulsion. All of the necropsies I know of that have been professionally done on snakes that died with their own fangs stuck in them showed an underlying pathology. Often there are no visible effects to the tissues from the envenomation itself. This may be because the snake is dead before any reactions have time to develop.

The only reptile vet around here won't look at venomous and seems reluctant to even help me with a fecal sample. I do not know how to do a tracheal wash, so if you have referenced site to refer me to, I'd appreciate it.

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A tracheal wash is an advanced procedure that should be done under humane sedation by an experienced veterinarian or technician. There are articles on my web page explaining how you can offer to bring the snake to the veterinarian in a sealed box that he or she can inject isoflurane into and open the box only when the snake is unconscious. That may help you find a vet who will see venomous species.

If those were my hispida, they'd be on a nebulizer 15 minutes a day with amikacin and sterile saline for antibiotic support of the damage I'd expect to see in their lungs. Antiparasitical meds would also be indicated - start with Panacur and then maybe try a course of Levamisole. I see that you may have some difficulty accurately determining whether or not they have parasites, but if I were you I would assume that they do have the same load as the typical imported hispida and medicate accordingly.

Originally posted by Hammer I noticed that your referenced site has the Gaboon in a tube for force feeding (I think it was a gaboon, I'm going on memory). The head was in the tube. Don't you find it more difficult to feed them with the head inside?

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No. I use forceps to introduce a lubricated catheter, check to make sure it is not down the glottis, and pump. Or I use forceps to introduce the whole lubricated prey item and the soft rubber handle of the Midwest Minihook to push it down. Once the prey is into the throat, I grasp the animal and "milk" the prey down gently. Remember that I am using a very short tube just to mask the head. The body is not enclosed at all.

I understand that the head is wider than the body, but there are a couple of ways I found to keep the head outside the tube. One is to slide a smaller tube from the back to encase the body, then sliding him out.

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I never encase the body. I am masking 6" to 8" of the head and neck only in an appropriate sized tube.

I then use a drinking straw to assist getting the mouse/pinkie down a little further.

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Drinking straws have sharp edges that can bruise or cut delicate tissues. Use a smooth, soft, blunt object like the handle end of a Midwest Minihook.