please help*2 of our snakes died within days of each other

[stace1231]

We lost 2 of our snakes within a few days of each other, no signs of distress. They are in 2 different rooms of our home. Baby milk snake and adult corn snake.
Last fed on May 22 before we came back from vacation, both ate fine. We came home from a 4day vacation, nothing seemed odd about them. Corn snake ate again May, 31st. Milk snake did not eat, but didn't seem unusual for it not to.
I found the corn snake dead last week June 3, last night June 8 baby corn snake was dead.
What could have possibly caused this? We are dumbfounded and find it quite concerning.
My husband thinks its from fumes in the air, I cannot find anything about cleaners or paint fumes killing reptiles. We are getting ready for a move so there has been extra cleaning and touch up painting but nothing directly in each room they are in.
Its very sad, any thoughts would be appreciated

 

[spiderlover123]

I'm afraid to say it was the paint fumes. Reptiles, and snakes in particular breathe air in a different way that allows chemical fumes to build up in there lung which will then send the snake into a chemical shock where it will die. To avoid this if you ever consider reptiles again, just drape a mattress covering over the cages which will stop the fumes from getting in. Was there a clean source of water in either of the tanks during the vacation?

 

[stace1231]

I'm afraid to say it was the paint fumes. Reptiles, and snakes in particular breathe air in a different way that allows chemical fumes to build up in there lung which will then send the snake into a chemical shock where it will die. To avoid this if you ever consider reptiles again, just drape a mattress covering over the cages which will stop the fumes from getting in. Was there a clean source of water in either of the tanks during the vacation?

but there wasn't any painting done to the week prior to vacation or even when we got back...and like I said, there are in two different parts of the house. No painting or cleaning in the rooms they were in. One was in the front of our house and the other in my sons bedroom. Paint fumes from 3weeks prior to death? And only spot painting? We were gone from a sunday-thurs. Husband check their water every night, except while we were gone. This just so crazy and sad!! We haven never experienced this.

 

[viper69]

No one is going to ever know with the info provided

Being them to a vet for a necropsy if you want to know perhaps

Certainly sounds like fumes who knows . Air travels, molecules move-‘it’s basic physics.

Also toxins can kill over time.

 

[Tarantuland]

What are your temperatures like? What heat sources do you use?

sorry for your loss

 

[The Snark]

No one is going to ever know with the info provided

Being them to a vet for a necropsy if you want to know perhaps

What @viper69 said. But I would rule out paint fumes. If you could give me exact info on the type of paint and the approximate parts per million concentration I could run the MSDS and generally determine if the aromatic solvents were involved in the deaths but generally, those solvents, unless something particularly lethal that would be very unlikely used outside of industrial applications I'd rule it out. Nearly all of those chemicals cause slow wasting debilities or diseases such as cancer or emphysema, not short term exposure deaths.
Much more likely would be a disease or other common factor like toxic food or reptile susceptible pathogens. Possibly the paint fumes being a contributing factor.

 

[spiderlover123]

but there wasn't any painting done to the week prior to vacation or even when we got back...and like I said, there are in two different parts of the house. No painting or cleaning in the rooms they were in. One was in the front of our house and the other in my sons bedroom. Paint fumes from 3weeks prior to death? And only spot painting? We were gone from a sunday-thurs. Husband check their water every night, except while we were gone. This just so crazy and sad!! We haven never experienced this.

The snark has a point here! What did you feed your snakes? Were they on substrate?And if so what kind? Posting a picture of the enclosure would be very helpful!

 

[The Snark]

My money is on a fast acting pathogen and other contributing factors as @spiderlover123 asked about. Rapid deaths from aromatic solvents are commonly from hypoxia, not enough available oxygen, which seems highly unlikely.

 

[Matts inverts]

Do you clean with any chemicals or sprays? Anything toxic in the air can be deadly. It’s either that or a disease or parasite. Many reptiles try to hide if they are hurt but if you were doing anything with chemicals, that was probably it.

 

[Westicles]

Like viper69 said, if you really want an answer get a necropsy performed. Just don't freeze the bodies! Sorry for your loss, I've been keeping snakes for about 25 or so years and it always hurts to lose one.