Blocked glottis on snake -any advice urgently welcome

Originally Posted by Helenthereef

I am very surprised at the strength of the vitamin supplement though - I had not been able to find the correct dosages for reptiles when I looked on line, but now I see the contents listed on the reptile supplement bottles I can see they are more than 100 x those in the human baby/toddler vitamin drops I had been using.

Double-check the directions and make sure those vitamins aren't supposed to be administered by adding a few drops to your reptile's water dish, which would explain why they're so concentrated. I know the calcium mineral supplement is only for a drop or two in the water bowl, not a drop in your reptile's meal.

I read and re-read them, but I'll go back again - it does seem VERY concentrated.

Calcium supplement says:
Shake well before using. In water bowls, 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) per 8 oz water offered daily. Add to food: 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) three times per week.

Liquid vitamins say:
Offer two drops per 50 grams of body weight twice a week. The vitamin can be placed directly into the animal's mouth or placed on its food

It does seem a lot, but from what I can see, it's what they are recommending. Any information to the contrary will be very welcome, I don't want to poison him after all this.

Cool, the calcium is diluted by mixing with food or water, the vitamins can be administered directly. Just wanted to be sure.

I appreciate your checking up, a second head is very welcome!

So, to clarify, I added 5 ml of the Fluckers liquid reptile vitamins and 2.5 ml of the calcium to a beaten egg with a little water, total volume 60 ml, and piped it into his stomach.

Previously I had been adding about 0.25 ml of much less concentrated baby vitamins to one beaten egg, volume 50 ml.

Hi Helen...it's been a while, but I'm SO glad to hear that you've finally got the right equipment to tube-feed easily. I still hope to hear that he's eating again on his own one of these days...but one thing at a time. Hang in there...I can personally vouch for tube-feeding, it's a lifesaver for snakes that are too weak to want to eat for whatever reason.

I have to say I was a little dubious about the new feeding tube as it is a lot thinner than the one I've been using, but I thinned the egg a bit more than usual and it went down SO much easier, it was a better experience for all of us. I believe it's actually a urinary catheter, but it's softer and has a rounded tip, so I feel like I am much less likely to do damage.

I still hope to wean him off it eventually, but you're right, tough as he is I do not believe he would still be alive without it. Thanks again to all of you who helped talk me through the technique and advised me on the equipment etc.

Originally Posted by Helenthereef

I have to say I was a little dubious about the new feeding tube as it is a lot thinner than the one I've been using, but I thinned the egg a bit more than usual and it went down SO much easier, it was a better experience for all of us. I believe it's actually a urinary catheter, but it's softer and has a rounded tip, so I feel like I am much less likely to do damage.

I still hope to wean him off it eventually, but you're right, tough as he is I do not believe he would still be alive without it. Thanks again to all of you who helped talk me through the technique and advised me on the equipment etc.

Yes, that's exactly what that is...a hospital-grade human urethral catheter. The closed & rounded end with holes just above the tip keeps you from causing internal injuries- it's a far cry from regular plastic tubing, thank you for "going the extra distance" for this snake. Every one seems to dread the idea of tube-feeding a snake, but it's far gentler than "force feeding" whole prey items when you use the right equipment & techniques, and snakes swallow prey that's WAY bigger than this flexible & lubricated tube. When you give them the easily-digested nutrition they need, they usually feel better -energized- pretty fast, & then their own appetite will return and they can get well again. As I've said before, it's similar to what an I.V. does for us when we're in the hospital...without that, we'd stay in that downward spiral.
Over the years, I've successfully tube-fed various snakes, including an old rosy boa that was just "spent" after having babies, and even a rattlesnake that came out of a woodpile in winter & then refused all food for months. My hopes & very best wishes are with you- that your snake makes a great recovery now too as mine have.

We have a stool! Oh happy day! (Where's that pile of poop emoji when you need it? )

Actually it seems we had a stool about 4 days ago, but he had tucked it away in the back of his tank and I only found it when I fed and cleaned him out last night. The good news it is was a properly formed, hard and very non-smelly one, so definitely the result of the two chicken wings I forced down him, not the smelly eggy results I get from the tube feeding.

So, now I know his digestive system is still working (even if slowly - the chicken wings were well over 2 weeks ago) I am happier to try and get more solid food down him. I'm going to alternate chicken wings with the egg/ vitamin mixture over the next few weeks to try and get as much of a balance as I can into him.

I've never been so happy to have to clean up poop!