Dehydrated snake..

[snipstedy]

My T. sauritus dehydrated pretty bad a few weeks due to the fact that the new large dish that I put in the tank was too tall and she didn't find it, as well as the fact that my snake never soaks so that on top of having a 150 watt emitter even in a 55 gal without extra humidity sources such as moss or dripper systems had resulted in dehydration.

I managed to get her doing alot better as she started drinking constantly and was moving around better(not stiff anymore) but evidently she was still in need to be continually misted each day( I thought that having the humidity raised would be fine be it the case that she was doing alot better).

Yesterday I bought some moss and have been misting her again but since late last night and up until now she is just sitting under the log that is covered w/ wet spagnum moss near the big dish but I haven't seen her move at all much less drink.

Tonight I am going to have to bring her with me ( to the next city over, about an hour and a 1/2 away) so that I can watch her and mist her. Would it be a good idea to place her in a container of water and soak her for a while? Or would this cause stress more than anything? She doesn't seem to be drinking and I read elsewhere that they will drink a little while being in water.

[guidofatherof5]

Hydrating is most important at this time.

[snipstedy]

Thanks Steve.

I was just using a squirt bottle to drop water through the mossy log wher she has been hiding and when I can mange to have the drops go through right where her head is she will drink every time. Kinda difficult to make them fall on her head steady though. I almost want to make her come out so I can mist her, she has been there in the same place since last night but not sure if she should just sit there and hydrate from the wet moss.

[snipstedy]

Anyone have any tips at all on hydrating a dehydrated snake? It drinks from the mist bottle but that's all. It seems to slow, I would soak her but don't want her in flail mode.

[d_virginiana]

Depending on how tolerant she is of handling, you can take the front half of her body and put it over the water dish so that the water touches the underside of her head. They usually drink. I have an old blind one that I often do that for to make sure he's getting enough water.

[snipstedy]

I've been having internet reception problems while away from home and just got back noticing my replies didnt load. thanks for your help.

Anyway since then things have been back and forth as I have been soaking her for about 20 min. each day. I missed a day and she got worse but then I started forcing her to drink orally(1/3pedialite) by syringe yesterday and she seems (to me) to be a good bit better today. I also gave her some ensure early this morning orally (I thought it was going to be her last day, very weak& has dropped alot of weight )but later today she has come out to bask as well as hanging out over the water dish.
I have an oral syringe that measures by mL. and teaspoon measuring scale. Anyone know how much water I should give her daily? She is a young scrub under a year old about close to two foot and about a little thicker than a sharpie marker.
Help is much appreciated, Thank you.

[d_virginiana]

I can't help you with how much water she should get, but if she will drink from soaks can you try the pedialyte with that? Syringe feeding/drinking is really stressful for them.

[snipstedy]

I saw an earlier post where Steve soaked one for 5 hours,I think I'll try that. many times its common that dehydration will cause their neck to slightly have a curve, after giving her the 1.1pedialite she seemed to have straightened out her neck and she was even basking and some tongue flickering.20min soaks hasn't seemed to do very much of anything but keeping her from getting worse, hopefully just need to soak longer w/1.1pedialite.

[guidofatherof5]

Keep whatever you're soaking in warm.

[Albert Clark]

Keep whatever you're soaking in warm.

Also, reptiles absorb fluids through the cloaca so soaking or just allowing her to remain in the 1:1 warm pedialite is the appropriate thing to do. It really doesn't have to be deep at all. Enough where the fluid is over the cloaca. Good luck and keep us posted.