[SOLVED ] Q. my Pine Snakes tongue is coming out in a loop instead of straight. She's not eating, and appears to be going into a shed cycle, She's never ...

done this.

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. Have the snake examined by an experienced herp vet to rule out injury or infection. Waiting after the shed may be less stressful. Do not attempt to force feed the snake.

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

Molting is the most common cause of loss of appetite: your snake may stop eating when it`s about to molt or shed its skin. 1 In addition to premolt anorexia, look for your snake`s skin to become very pale and dull and its eyes to look blue and milky. It may not eat for a week or so before and after it molts.

Indications that your snake is about to shed usually include a loss of appetite, lack of interaction, spending time in its hide or water bowl, milky coloured eyes and dull skin. Ignore any Abnormalities. Most signs of illness will be visible on the snake`s skin.

The dead layer of skin from the points of the forked tongue is shed periodically at other times than the rest of the skin. These tongue sloughs are the length of one fork of the tongue, pointed on one end and flat on the other, and appear somewhat worm-like.

Sometimes snakes show a lot of interest in the food being presented, but don`t eat. This usually means we aren`t giving them what they want. Wether it be mice or rats, frozen or thawed, or any number of other items that may fall in the spectrum of snake prey such as lizards or birds.

There are many problems that can contribute to shedding problems or incomplete sheds, but the most common problem in inadequate humidity levels. Other factors include skin infections, injuries to the skin (including old scars), parasites, malnutrition, and inadequate heating or lighting.

The complete shedding process can take between one to two weeks. Whilst it can be tempting to intervene and help snakes shed, the best thing you can do is leave them be. Snakes become easily stressed when shedding, so avoid handling during this time and just visually check their progress.

The tongues are actually harmless, even though the sight of a snake sticking out its tongue may seem scary. A snake sticks out its tongue to collect information for its Jacobson`s Organ, an organ strategically located in front of the roof of the snake`s mouth that functions as a chemical receptor.

Quite simply, snakes usually stick their tongues out to get a better smell. That`s it! Unlike humans, who use our eyes as a way to take in most of the world, snakes don`t rely on sight for everything.

A snake may appear threatening when it flicks its tongue out, but it`s simply trying to get a better sense of its surroundings by “tasting” the air. To compensate for their poor eyesight and limited hearing , most snakes have an excellent sense of smell.

Smaller or younger snakes usually eat twice each week, while larger, more mature snakes typically eat once every week or two. Female snakes approaching breeding season can be fed more frequently. Your veterinarian can give you more specific advice about feeding based on your snake`s individual requirements.

Snakes can generally last around two months without food, however, wild snakes can go without fresh water for months or even weeks.

You can help your snake shed by placing a basin of warm water inside its enclosure. Your snake will be able to bath in the water, allowing its skin to come off more easily. Pick a basin that is big enough to hold your snake`s entire body. Add enough water that your snake can get its entire body wet.

Key Points. As a snake grows, its skin does not grow along with it so it has to shed the outgrown skin. Shedding its skin also allows the snake to shed itself of parasites and mites. Snakes shed their skin 3-6 times per year depending on its age.

During shedding, most snakes will refuse food and if fed, they sometimes regurgitate the item. Whilst feeding dead food items to your snake during this time won`t do it any harm, we recommend waiting until after it has shed to avoid wasting food items.

Shedding skin feels itchy to your snake or lizard. It`s nature`s way of encouraging them to rub up against something and scratch the itch, removing more skin in the process. You can facilitate the process simply by providing rough rocks and branches in their enclosure.

Usually, this happens when people handle reptiles or amphibians or their droppings and then accidentally touch their mouths or forget to wash their hands before eating or drinking. It is important to thoroughly wash your hands immediately after contact because the germs can easily spread to other people or things.

Give Them a Long Weekend

As a rule of thumb, wait 24 to 72 hours after your snake has fed before holding him. However, if your snake still exhibits a large food bulge after three days — or if it has gotten bigger since the initial ingestion — refrain from handling him.

Some snake owners feel as though their snake recognises them and is more eager to be held by them than by other people. However, snakes don`t have the intellectual capacity to feel emotions such as affection.

This is generally a sign of a very sick snake. Open-mouth breathing is never normal in snakes. Although the most likely cause is a respiratory condition, it can also be seen with gastrointestinal disease and severe pain. Most respiratory problems are rooted in poor husbandry.

But have you noticed that your pet snake opens and closes its mouth or seems to be yawning even when not feeding? Are you worried about it? What is this? Your snake`s mouth could be open when the snake is warming up for feeding, trying to smell the air, or starting to shed its skin.

“Why does my dog stick his tongue in and out like a snake?” you might ask. If your dog is sticking their tongue out repeatedly, it may be due to their nerves. As a way to calm themselves and release hormones, dogs may sometimes stick their tongues in and out rapidly. If so, your dog may be feeling nervous or excited.

To us, a snake`s forked tongue evokes danger and deceit. But the tongue`s two sensitive tips, called tines, actually help the snake smell in stereo. That`s bad news if you`re a mouse …

Your pet snake, though, will be fine with fresh pre-killed or even frozen rodents (you`ll need to thaw them first.) It`s safer not to feed your snake live prey. Live rodents will be scared and can bite your snake. Even small rodent bites can cause infection that will make your snake sick.

Many snakes are nocturnal, so they`ll be most likely to eat at night. If you`re feeding your snake in the middle of the day, and it`s refusing to eat, then try feeding the snake later in the evening.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. my Pine Snakes tongue is coming out in a loop instead of straight. She’s not eating, and appears to be going into a shed cycle, She’s never done this.

ANSWER : A. Have the snake examined by an experienced herp vet to rule out injury or infection. Waiting after the shed may be less stressful. Do not attempt to force feed the snake.

Read Full Q/A … : Parasite That Looks Like Hair – All About Parasites

Q. We have a 4 yr old lab-pit mix we raise from 6 weeks.If my husband tries to take hin by the collar and make him go out to pottie he growls.Problem?

ANSWER : A. This is not good behavior. Rather than take him by the collar, call him to come with you. If he’s not good about coming when called, you can work on that. Keeps treats on hand to to entice him out and reward him when he does go potty and he’ll come to look forward to it. Clicker training is another great way to teach a dog all kinds of things, from obedience to tricks.

Have treats on hand that you know he loves, then simply click and treat. He will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so he has to come to you. Call and click and when he comes to you for that treat, treat him and give him lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When he comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if he doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If he takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until he comes eagerly. Next, try him off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point he should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If he does not, go back to the last step he performed reliably and work on that again until he responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating him every time, but still praise him. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until he comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time he is overly excited so that he can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something he already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : Causes of Limping in Dogs

Q. My puppy will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. I’ve had her for a week now, and she still isn’t responding to any training or her name. What can I do?

ANSWER : A. Try clicker training her to come when called. Clicker training is an effective way of training you dog to not only come when called, but can be used to teach a variety of tricks and tasks.

Have treats on hand that you know she loves, then simply click and treat. She will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so she has to come to you. Call and click and when she comes to you for that treat, treat him and give her lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When she comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if she doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If she takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until she comes eagerly. Next, try her off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point she should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If she does not, go back to the last step she performed reliably and work on that again until she responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating her every time, but still praise her. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until she comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time she is overly excited so that she can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something she already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : How To Teach Your Puppy His Name – Puppy In Training

Q. My 3 month puppy eats his own poop and is also biting what can I do to prevent this

ANSWER : A. When it comes to poop eating, you want to consider a few things. First off, what is his diet like? Maybe something is lacking in his diet that is causing him to want to eat his own poop. This is the most common reason why dogs eat THEIR OWN poop. Try a higher quality kibble like Taste of the Wild, Ziwipeak, Orijen.. and try feeding three meals per day, instead of the more common two meals per day. Remember to gradually switch his kibble. Add a little bit of the new kibble and reduce the old kibble very slowly.. little by little every couple of days until the bowl is mostly new kibble! You should also be cleaning up his poops IMMEDIATELY after he does them.. I mean like, you have a bag in your hand, and you are low enough to scoop it up RIGHT when he finished so he doesn’t have a chance to eat his poop.

When it comes to nipping there are a few things you can do. First, you should yelp as soon as the teeth touch your skin, stand up, cross your arms, and ignore the puppy until he is ignoring you. Once he is off doing his own thing, swoop down and calmly reward him by playing with him WITH A TOY so he doesn’t nip your hands. Whenever you pet him, or interact with him, you should always have a toy on-hand so you can give it to him. This toy should be a soft braided rope toy that YOU own. This means, your puppy is never allowed to have this toy on the floor, and your pup can never “win” tug games with this toy. This is YOUR toy that disappears when you’re finished playing, and reappears when you want to play. If you keep this up, in a weeks time, your puppy will be so excited to see that toy, that as soon as you bring it out, he stops nipping you because he wants to play with the toy. Another thing you can do is have two bags of toys. Bag#1 is full of chew toys/soft toys/squeaky toys/etc. After one week, Bag#1 disappears and out comes Bag#2. Bag#2 has the same types of toys as Bag#1, and it only stays out for one week. This keeps the toys feeling like new to your pup!

Read Full Q/A … : Why Dogs Eat Poop – The 5 Primary Causes – Dog Poop Diet

Q. My dogs shed excessively. Is there something I can give them to help this problem?

ANSWER : A. Excessive shedding can be caused by a number of things. Many dogs will shed their coats every few months, or may have a minor allergy to a food or product used on them to cause shedding. In some cases, underlying metabolic conditions may also cause excessive hair loss.

The best remedy for helping with shedding is to make sure to groom your dogs by brushing them daily. This will remove any loose hairs on the body before they can be shed onto other surfaces. Products such as the Furminator ( available here: http://bit.ly/1xTFcLT ) are great for helping get the loose hairs quickly and easily however any brush will help. Bathing regularly will also help with increased shedding.

if you feel the shedding may be due to an allergy or food ingredient allergy, looking for a food with less commonly allergenic ingredients (ones that avoid products such as wheat, corn and soy) may help. Food changes should be done gradually over a week to avoid digestive upset. If after the food change and grooming changes the shedding status does not stop, it is best to schedule a wellness check with your local veterinarian to make sure there is not another underlying cause of the shedding.

Read Full Q/A … : How to Reduce Excessive Shedding in Dogs – wikiHow

Q. Why does my dog eat grass?

ANSWER : A. As another user mentioned, dogs can eat grass when they want to vomit. Sometimes, when a dog has an upset tummy, they will eat grass. If you notice your dog eating grass frantically, you can assume vomiting will shortly follow. Grass does not digest and pass normally. If your dog eats too much grass, it can cause serious issues with pooping. Your dogs poop can end up all tangled inside of her, and it can need veterinary assistance to remove it. The same goes for celery, so avoid feeding celery to your dog.

The other day my boyfriend accidentally left the laundry room door open where we were keeping the trash that was filled with cooked chicken bones. She ate one of the chicken bones lightning fast. We had to induce vomiting by feeding her some hydrogen peroxide. After we had fed her the peroxide, she immediately began frantically eating grass because her tummy was upset.

If there is something lacking in your dogs diet, it could be that your dog is eating grass to make up for it. I am sure that my dogs diet is extremely well balanced (I do not only feed her an air-dried raw food-type diet (Ziwipeak), but a wide variety of safe, healthy foods), so when she eats grass, I know that it is because she has an upset tummy.

That is why I think it is important making sure your dog has a very well balanced diet. If your dog is on a low quality kibble, your dog may be trying to let you know by eating grass (or eating poop).

Read Full Q/A … : Why Dogs Eat Grass: Causes and Prevention – WebMD

Q. My dog doesn’t eat, what should I do?

ANSWER : A. If this is a puppy, see a veterinarian immediately. Puppies should want to eat. Common causes for anorexia in puppies include viruses (parvo is a big one), parasitism, and foreign bodies. They need immediate care – go to an emergency vet if yours isn’t open. Puppies can get low blood sugar and dehydration very quickly.

If this is an adult dog and you observe other concerning signs, such as diarrhea or decreased energy, you should see a veterinarian.

If the dog seems otherwise bright and stable, try offering different types of food: wet food, canned tripe, or cooked chicken and rice. Some dogs will go for canned baby food: chicken, turkey, or beef as the main ingredient. Make sure there are no garlic or onions in the ingredients!

Causes of anorexia in adult dogs can range from less serious to severe. Younger dogs are more likely to get into trouble- they tend to eat things they shouldn’t, and can get foreign bodies from eating things like socks, or stomach upset from getting in the trash. Any dog may stop eating due to stress, or just being a picky eater. Middle aged dogs can stop eating when they’re stressed and also have Addison’s disease, which can be fatal. Older dogs tend to stop eating when they develop cancer or renal disease.

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe to know when the right time is to take your dog to the vet. The moral of this story is, if it’s not getting better, your pup feels bad, or you’re worried – go see the vet!

Read Full Q/A … : My Dog Won’t Eat

Q. My puppy refuses to walk outside on the leash. This only happens when we’re outside… Is it stubbornness or fear?

ANSWER : A. It is never stubbornness. Dogs are not stubborn, they can’t be. Dogs do not generalize well, and dogs display fearful behavior that appears to be stubbornness. Absolutely NEVER force this dog to walk outside when he is uncomfortable with doing so.. the more you force him to do it, opposition reflex – the more he will resist. The more he resists and is forced into it, the less he learns about being comfortable, and the more he becomes fearful of you and of the situation.

What you can do is carry extremely high value treats outside with you. Things like cooked white meat chicken, cooked fish, turkey pepperoni, turkey bacon, diced ham, mozzarella cheese sticks – all cut up into tiny little pea-sized pieces. You can also use peanut butter in a squeeze tube. First, put on the leash indoors and begin feeding him the treats. Help him make positive associations with having the leash put on. Then, take the leash off, and start over in 10min. Put the leash on, feed treats, walk to the door, open the door, feed treats, close door, take off leash. Start over in 10min. Put on leash, feed treats, go to door, feed treats, open door, feed treats, go outside, feed tons of treats and praise. Keep Titus in his comfort zone. If he doesn’t want to go far, just feed him tons of treats where he IS comfortable going. Make sure everything is calm/happy/positive. I bet in a week of doing this, he will be happy with walk further and further all of the time. If ever he is uncomfortable, feed him lots of treats for being a brave boy, and then turn around and go back home. It’s all about keeping him in his comfort zone.. it’s all about remaining within his threshold and never forcing him to feed uncomfortable.

This is very common for puppies. The world is scary! It’s brand new to them, and it’s up to you to make their interactions and discoveries positive, happy, calm, and to never force them into anything.

Read Full Q/A … : My Puppy Won’t Walk on Leash! 3 Ways to Train Your Puppy to …