Non-Infectious Conditions

Nutritional Deficiencies
As stated earlier, nutritional deficiencies and diseases resulting from malnutrition are relatively rare among captive snakes because of their habit of consuming whole prey animals. However, exclusive use of whole, but immature prey animals such as “pinkies” (neonatal mice and rats), juvenile goldfish and invertebrates can create nutritional problems. Furthermore, certain snakes which receive monotonous diet (no variety of prey items) are also susceptible to nutritional deficiencies. Owners must find ways to “supplement” the prey items in these cases before they are offered to the snake. One method involves injecting the prey items with vitamin and/or mineral preparations. Another involves implanting a gelatin capsule filled with a powdered vitamin/mineral/amino acid supplement into the prey animal.

Failure to Voluntarily Feed
Anorexia (lack of appetite) and failure to voluntarily feed is an extremely common problem among captive snakes. Despite the fact that snakes are uniquely suited to survive prolonged periods without feeding, it is imperative that onwers make every attempt to discover the reason(s) for the snake’s failure to feed. This search must include the possibility of illness since anorexia is a universal symptom of disease among snakes.

Regurgitation
Regurgitation of food may result from handing a snake too soon after it has fed. When this occurs, the regurgitated food will be undigested and relatively odorless. Another common cause of regurgitation is inadequate and incomplete digestion secondary to relatively cool environmental temperatures. In these cases, the regurgitated food will appear digested and be malodorous. If it is not possible to raise the temperature of the enclosure, a focal source of heat (hot rock, heating pad or pads) on which the snake can rest is a necessity to ensure adequate and complete digestion.

Other causes of regurgitation include stress in easily excitable species, parasitism, intestinal obstruction and serious internal disease. An experienced veterinarian should be consulted if the cause for regurgitation is not readily determined.

Burn Injuries
Snakes commonly sustain serious burns when they contact unprotected or malfunctioning heat lamps or other heat sources (including hot rocks). Interestingly, snakes tend not to move away from heat source which inflicts the injury which can make the wounds considerably more serious. Medical treatment (including injectable antibiotics and periodic wound dressing) is required in these cases and surgery may be necessary to minimize the disfiguring effects of such injuries.

Prevention of these injuries is a paramount importance because they are totally avoidable. Owners must routinely and periodically check all heat-supplying appliances to make certain that they are functioning properly and that they are “snake proof.”

Rostral Abrasions
One of the unfortunate consequences of captivity is injury to the captive animal resulting from repeated attempts to escape. Snakes tend to push and rub their noses against the walls of their enclosure as they repeatedly move about in search of a means to escape. This constant trauma initially results in damage to the scales and skin of the nose (rostrum). If the trauma is long-standing, deep ulceration of the rostrum with subsequent deformity may result. Rostral abrasions are equally likely with enclosures made of glass or wire mesh.

Prevention of this problem is difficult but the provision of adequate visual security (hiding places) and other additions to the enclosure (artificial plants, branches, etc.) do help minimize it. Furthermore, a visual barrier of dark paint or plastic film placed on or along the lower 8 to 10 centimeters of the enclosure’s walls often inhibits pacing and rubbing.