In shock and disbelief!

[Cirith Ungol]

I don't know why it happened or how it happened, I can only make guesses! One of my baby corns swallowed it's lower jaw during a feeding! The jaw was completely inverted and inside it's throat. It looked miserable! I can only guess that it got stuck to the food and pulled in by the throat muscles as the pinky went down with it.

Anyway, I didn't think much about it as I saw it, I can clearly say I didn't wanna experiment with any kind of operation while being absolutely clueless and still havning to act here and now! So I put the little one in the freezer.

Gosh that was absolutely awful!!

Anybody who has experienced something similar and who knows a remedy?

 

[Socrates]

Oh Cirith, I'm so sorry. Reading what happened to your baby gave me the chills. I have never heard of anything like that in my life - but you know I don't have any snakes (unfortunately).

Again. So sorry!

---
Wendy
---

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Thanks! It's almost like I don't even wanna think about it, just push it out of my mind. It's something unthinkable in a way. Just horrible. The only thing that's not as negative about it as it could have been is that it was one of the babies I have for sale, so it wasn't a personal keeper. Though that doesn't make it less absurd and weird and horrible.

I was very briefly thinking of using some sort of hook to pop the jaw back out, but then what if it had been broken? What if I'd have done even more damage? What if it would happen again? I didn't wanna know the answers and I didn't even wanna have to ask these questions so that's why I swiftly put it in the freezer.

 

[Midnightrdr456]

Ive heard of this happening once to a friend of mine, also with a baby corn. He left him overnight to take him to the vet the next day. But when he woke up the snake was normal again. Im not sure if that can happen always or he was lucky.

Either way its a weird accident, ive had snakes for 14 years now and never experienced this.

 

[GailC]

By chance was the pinky slit? I've heard of jaws geting stuck inside the slit and causing problems. I could see the bottom jaw getting stuck inside a pink and the being swallowed.
Sorry that happened to you and your little snakey

 

[What]

I was very briefly thinking of using some sort of hook to pop the jaw back out, but then what if it had been broken?

It would have healed and even if it had been broken, the snake probably could have survived and lived a full life.

What if I'd have done even more damage?

Then you could have frozen it then.

What if it would happen again?

Then you can try pulling it out before freezing it!

I didn't wanna know the answers and I didn't even wanna have to ask these questions so that's why I swiftly put it in the freezer.

Not to be insensitive, I have lost my fair share of reptiles in stranger ways, but just because you didnt want to deal with the fact that the snake was slightly injured you froze it? That is messed up! I used to breed gopher snakes(yes I have a permit). I only ever culled one baby, and that was because its lower jaw was fused to the upper. Snakes are resilient animals, they can pull through a lot.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

By chance was the pinky slit? I've heard of jaws geting stuck inside the slit and causing problems. I could see the bottom jaw getting stuck inside a pink and the being swallowed.
Sorry that happened to you and your little snakey

Nope it wasn't.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

It would have healed and even if it had been broken, the snake probably could have survived and lived a full life.


Then you could have frozen it then.


Then you can try pulling it out before freezing it!


Not to be insensitive, I have lost my fair share of reptiles in stranger ways, but just because you didnt want to deal with the fact that the snake was slightly injured you froze it? That is messed up! I used to breed gopher snakes(yes I have a permit). I only ever culled one baby, and that was because its lower jaw was fused to the upper. Snakes are resilient animals, they can pull through a lot.

I'm very touched by the way you put things, but I'm sorry I'm not an all knowing god who automatically knows what's the best thing to do and before I don't know if I'm just gonna prolong the suffering or actually help it I rather end it. But maybe you can't see my point of view.

 

[xgrafcorex]

that sucks man! i've never even heard of that happening...but i guess i can see how it could. i would probably have freaked out and not known what to do too..i guess i'd hit up cornsnakes.com and see if i could find someone quick.

i would think either the snake will have to work it out of there itself..or maybe with something thing but blunt (so as not to stab the snake) and try to work it in there gently to work the jaw out of there. i too would be worried about permanently damaging the snakes jaw though.

 

[AneesasMuse]

I'm so sorry this happened. You did the best and the fastest thing you could think of to help it. Don't be hard on yourself.
Do you have a competent Exotics Vet that you see regularly with your snakes and such? If not, you may want to research that option for future issues that may come up.
I hope you feel better soon.

 

[mindlessvw]

I am sorry man that sounds crazy...I would not have had any clue what to do in that situation at all...thanks for sharing so the rest of us may know what to do in case that ever happened to us...Sorry again for your loss

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'm very touched by the way you put things, but I'm sorry I'm not an all knowing god who automatically knows what's the best thing to do and before I don't know if I'm just gonna prolong the suffering or actually help it I rather end it. But maybe you can't see my point of view.

I do agree that you completely jumped the gun, but...really, there's no doing anything about it now. You did what you thought you had to do, though in the future I really hope you'll make an effort to save the animal before panicking. We'll never know one way or another if this snake could have made it, but the next one might.

 

[What]

I'm very touched by the way you put things, but I'm sorry I'm not an all knowing god who automatically knows what's the best thing to do and before I don't know if I'm just gonna prolong the suffering or actually help it I rather end it. But maybe you can't see my point of view.

I may have been somewhat short with you. It is just that there are too many breeders who will cull any animal with a deformity or will cull an animal if they do not see a solution to a problem to be immediately at hand(ie you)...

 

[Sheri]

Jens breeds very rarely and if there is any profit it is solely for the joy he gets from observing and looking after his animals.

He is the type of person that would be so incredibly horrified at seeing something like that... he would immediately react emotionally.

The snake that was frozen - whether or not the right decision based on the medical condition - was done out of concern rather than cold and calculated culling.

I know this for certain and without any doubt.

 

[Taceas]

Never mind the fact that there are already more corn hatchlings than homes in a lot of cases. Not all animals are meant to make it, for whatever reasoning. That's something that more people need to realize.

Do I think it could have been fixed? Potentially, if there was no major tissue damage.

Would I have tried reversing the problem before considering euthanasia? Yup. You'd be surprised what they can go through and still be okay in the end.

Do I think Cirith was wrong? No. They had all of the information in front of them and acted accordingly.

My first Ball Python had something similar (I'm guessing) happen to it that resulted in its death. I went away on vacation for a weekend, fed it before I left, all was well, I came back to its head completely mangled.

I took it to the vet got accused of animal abuse, spent $100+ for the consultation and have the snake euthanized. It was not a fun day.

A little understanding goes a long way in a lot of cases, try it next time.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I'm so sorry this happened. You did the best and the fastest thing you could think of to help it. Don't be hard on yourself.
Do you have a competent Exotics Vet that you see regularly with your snakes and such? If not, you may want to research that option for future issues that may come up.
I hope you feel better soon.

No, there are no exotics vets in the area. I basically have to know everything I need to know myself. That's not always easy or given, as I got proven to yesterday. And thanks, still a little freaked out and such but I hope I can forget about it soonish.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I do agree that you completely jumped the gun, but...really, there's no doing anything about it now. You did what you thought you had to do, though in the future I really hope you'll make an effort to save the animal before panicking. We'll never know one way or another if this snake could have made it, but the next one might.

Yeah, it's always easier in hindsight/next time. I hope and doubt though that there will be a next time. I'm phasing out my breeding and have only very few snakes left. It's just too hard to find homes for the little ones.

 

[Daisey_Boo222]

trust me I would have freaked out too. I wouldn't want to see my baby in pain either. I'm very sorry for this odd occorance

Dont be hard on yourself unlike some people

we're all friends here

Em

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I may have been somewhat short with you. It is just that there are too many breeders who will cull any animal with a deformity or will cull an animal if they do not see a solution to a problem to be immediately at hand(ie you)...

Ok, thanks for telling your background concern here! Let me tell you: I do care about my animals and I'm not so much in it for quick money (because it is absolutely not) but rather because it's an enormously rewarding experience to breed and because I can't withstand those little ones cuteness. But as I've just previously said, I'm gonna stop breeding because I get too many babies and I can't find homes for them all. And neither can I keep all snakes, I'm absolutely scratching the limit with the three I already have.

I wasn't culling because the animal was not normal, I put it in the freezer because it appeared to be suffering greatly and I didn't have a sollution that could have made it better right then and there. The pinky was still stuck in the upper part of the throat, though already fully inside the throat, the snake wasn't moving at all when I found it and appeared very weakened and almost limp when I touched it. (Maybe that cleares things up a bit.)

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Jens breeds very rarely and if there is any profit it is solely for the joy he gets from observing and looking after his animals.

He is the type of person that would be so incredibly horrified at seeing something like that... he would immediately react emotionally.

The snake that was frozen - whether or not the right decision based on the medical condition - was done out of concern rather than cold and calculated culling.

I know this for certain and without any doubt.

Thanks!!! I see you got there way before me!