Egg binding

[MiddletonMouse]

Well I took her back to the vet today, he wants to try another lot of injections and if there's no progress overnight he wants to operate and remove the slugs. He's done the same op a few times before and is optimistic that he can help. At this point she is still behaving normally and active and the slugs are very near her vent. He is hoping to try a warm bath and gentle massage later on today once she's had her injections.

[Albert Clark]

Wow, cool. We are all pulling for her and you. Hoping all goes well. Sounds like the vet is super good!

[MiddletonMouse]

Wow, cool. We are all pulling for her and you. Hoping all goes well. Sounds like the vet is super good!

Thankfully my parents had the good sense to research a good reptile vet before allowing me to buy my first garters in 1997. I've since lost them but Caelyn was the first of my current four garters that I've bought/adopted in recent years. We went into an exotics shop a few miles away and I had been pestering the owner about garters as I'd never seen any in. When we arrived this day they had an empty viv marked "checkered garter snakes" but they had all been sold. We asked the shop assistant to check the viv but there were none in there, just then the owner appeared with a load of cricket tubs with baby snakes in, saw me and said "You! You like garter snakes don't you?"

This was her when I brought her home


This was her a few months ago


I really hope i get her back OK, I'd be completed gutted if anything happened to her.

[d_virginiana]

Well I took her back to the vet today, he wants to try another lot of injections and if there's no progress overnight he wants to operate and remove the slugs. He's done the same op a few times before and is optimistic that he can help. At this point she is still behaving normally and active and the slugs are very near her vent. He is hoping to try a warm bath and gentle massage later on today once she's had her injections.

This is the route my vet went when I had a similar problem. The snake came through the surgery well, but ended up passing about a year and a half later due to health complications unrelated to the surgery. If you've got the money, it has a pretty decent chance of success.

[MiddletonMouse]

Just to keep everyone updated...

Cayelyn didn't manage to pass the remaining slugs so had the op to remove them today.

She did really well and was just starting to move around again when I hung up. She's on pain killer and antibiotics and I've to ring back tomorrow morning to see how she is.

Thanks for all your advice and support. Hopefully our little girl will be back to her old self soon.

[d_virginiana]

That's good to hear. Hopefully she makes a full recovery for you

[Albert Clark]

That's a beautiful checkered too! And she looks so healthy. Please keep us updated. Best of luck.

[MiddletonMouse]

Oh well Cayelyn came home yesterday after I'd asked if she could stay at the vet over the weekend as we were meant to be going away up north and my mum is looking after the snwkes for us. Unfortunately madam had other ideas and was apparently striking at everyone that went near her so the vet wanted her home ASAP. Here's what her wound looks like...



She is home on pain killer and antibiotic and has a post op check next week. She's very lively and wasn't at all aggresive when I got her home so hopefully she'll settle now that she's back in her own viv. I've taken everything out that she might snag the stitches on and she's just on paper towling for now. I'll get you guys a photo of the slugs as I got to take them home as a souvenir.

[MiddletonMouse]

They are much larger than the other ones she passed.

[Albert Clark]

Wow, those slugs are huge! I am so glad that she pulled through all of this . You know what? That is one strong checkered garter female. She looks great! Congrats to you and welcome home to her.