First snake! very ill...

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Well today I found my very frst snake of the year, a charming female sirtalis. Me and my boyfriends sister went on a walk through the woods by the lake, and she screams and points at the ground and sure enough, it's a snake! Of course I did one of my flying leaps to capture her, and upon picking her up, I realized something is very wrong. She has a HUGE blockage in the lower intestine. It is about 2 inches above her vent. I can feel the actual blockage, and backed up behind it is a VERY big bulge that is not hard like the actual lump, it's just very bloated as I imagine that part of her is full of excrement. She tried to musk me, and only a tiny bit of excrement came out. I can see her often struggling to relieve herself to no avail.

I brought her home, my reasoning was this: I have saved a snake with a blockage before, and I knew that left on her own, she has NO chance of a recovery. She is still alert, and is surprisingly calm when handled. I even carried her over to a stream, held her down to the water's edge where she stayed curled up in my hand and lapped up a drink of water. After that I just couldn't leave her out there!!! I even brought her in her little critter cage with a heating pad over to my boyfriends to keep an eye out. I have given her a very warm soak and a gentle but persistent massage. I got a little bit of excrement to come out, but not near enough. If I had the money she'd be at the vet in surgery right now!!!! I am just going to keep trying to help her pass it. I am not extremely optimistic about it, but there is a chance. I mean, what were the odds of all the snakes in the woods, me finding this one!! A really big part of me was saying Shannon, just put her down and walk away... but she is trying so hard to live and it's either let her go and give her a 0% chance of making it, or try and get her to pass this blockage so that I can return her to her home with another chance!

Sorry, the camera is dead, no photos are available yet.

[Zephyr]

I would just keep up your work, gently massaging the lump downward towards the vent and not changing direction. If you can, hold her entire lower body in luke warm water and massage downward. If this doesn't pass the blockage then it will at least get some of the feces out.

[drache]

Shannon
put some aloe in her soaking water
if you could get her to drink some water with aloe in it, that would be even better because it acts as an intestinal lubricant
just make sure there's no preservatives (esp alcohol) in it
good luck
I hope you can help her through this

[Lori P]

Oh way to go Shannon... I totally agree with Rhea, and if you can get some aloe around her vent area so some soaks inside that would help too... or mineral oil on/slightly in the vent might be a bit more effective. Just an idea. Keep us posted... I shall be hoping for loads of poopy!!!

[anji1971]

Shannon, my fingers are crossed for your poor little snake! I lost a garter to this type of thing, and I had no idea what to do for her at the time. But at least I discovered this forum while trying to help her.......
Good luck, keep us updated!

[enigma200316]

Shannon fingers are crossed and good luck, keep up the good work...

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I actually did use aloe, I massages that poor snake for almost an hour straight, nothing would budge, I had her in warm water the entire time. Sadly, she didn't make it she had passed while I was at work today.

At least I tried, but i think it was already too late for her

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

and I forgot to mention, I went back up to the lake today, I took her with me and buried her at my secret tree, its a gigantic fallen tree that is entirely hollow, and right beside it is a lovely little frog hole

[anji1971]

Awww, too bad..........sorry she didn't make it, Shannon. But at least you tried, and she's in a nice place now.

[drache]

glad you tried
sounds like a lovely resting ground too