Last year, my 5’ albino male corn snake Henry had a large tumor removed from his tail (just behind cloaca). It was touch and go for a while, but he healed somewhat and seemed to be on the mend. He was in good enough health to return to the classroom and be adored by yet another set of 32 10-year-olds.
Slowly, his appetite waned. He’s kill, swallow halfway, spit out. Then he stopped killing. He ate one prekill, then just…stopped. That was a month ago. He’s lost a lot of muscle tone–his skin is starting to hang–and his spine is apparent. Two weeks ago, he seemed fine, though weak. Then last week I noticed a new growth. It’s doubled since then.
So…I called a local teaching vet hospital that I know takes donations (as learning experiences for the residents). They accepted Henry and promised to take good care of him. Several of my students were quite saddened by this, although plenty certainly don’t seem to care one way or another. But Henry was delivered with a stack of Get Well cards to his new home.
He’s just a reptile, but we like him. I just couldn’t stand watching him die slowly, and couldn’t afford the kind of extravagant treatments they’ll use to save him.
Dammit. I’m actually grieving over a friggin’ snake.
I’m so sorry Ruffian! Nothing that we’ve come to love is “just a dog”, “Just a cat” or “Just a snake”. You gave Henry the best you could. We’re not here to keep God’s creatures, he only lets us take care of them during their short time on earth. I see nothing the matter with grieving.
I absolutely hate snakes, but I’ve heard about Henry a lot on this board, and I really feel for you. (And he sounds cool, for a snake-though I’m severely ophidiophobic and can’t even THINK about snakes for a long period of time or I’ll start freaking out).
I don’t know, Boscibo. My horseback riding teacher donated a baby chick that they fixed and then returned, but I don’t know if that’s any kind of exception or not. I did have to fill out a donation form basically saying I was turning him over to them.
My HRT referred me to the clinic and said to be sure to make it very clear it’s a class pet (which I’ve more than done)…she said the vet is a good woman who’ll most likely see Henry gets back to us if he’s curable. I don’t really know what else they’d do with a 5’ snake, but I can’t be a part of that decision.
To be honest, his condition has grown so poor so quickly that I’m not giving much hope. Reptiles, with their slow metabolisms, heal slowly…and sometimes, die slowly. That’s what I feel is happening here.
(And thank you for your comfort, gulls. I told the students that it isn’t silly to be sad, and that those that aren’t sad are to respect those that are. I suppose I should listen to myself and respect my own sadness!)
Ruffian, I’m so sorry. I’m hoping Henry will be able to muster the strength to make it through. If not, may he pass peacefully from this world.
Please don’t feel silly or embarassed about grieving for “just a reptile”. Henry is a living thing, precious and rare- his like will never be seen on earth again, no matter how many other corn snakes you may come to know and love. Take comfort in knowing you kept him well, and joy in knowing you loved him.
But cancer in reptiles is very difficult to treat, due in part to their metabolism as you mentioned. Just this past October, I lost my beloved savannah monitor. He was 7 years old, 4 ft. long and weighed 15 lbs., and he was the sweetest reptile that’s ever lived. He loved to have his neck scratched and his chin tickled; he ate out of my hand and was careful not to catch me with his teeth; he liked to crawl into my lap for a quick snooze. But in early October I detected a small swelling in his lower abdomen, and so took him to the vet. Not much was visible on X-ray, so we decided to perform exploratory surgery. I waited in the office for over two hours, before the vet appeared and told me that on opening his abdomen she found it riddled with tumors. He had no chance- extravasated blood was beginning to leak into his abdominal cavity. My heart broke when I told her “Don’t let him wake up.”
I still miss him, and it’s likely I always will, even though he was “just a reptile”. He was a friend and a loved one, despite his species. How could anyone spend so much time caring for any living thing and not come to love it? Though it was hard, I made the right choice for him, and gave him the peace in a quick death. I loved him enough not to let him linger in agony, and I can only hope that when my time comes, someone will love me enough to do the same for me.
So let yourself grieve for Henry, if it comes to that. And remember him as the snake who taught you to love all things, even ones we often deem most unworthy of that love. In his small snake way, he’s made you a better person.
Poor Henry! He sounds like a well-loved snake. Don’t let anybody tell you you’re being silly because he’s a snake – he’s YOUR snake, and it is perfectly possible to love a reptile as much as a cat. I like reptiles myself.
I don’t ‘do’ snakes… a neighbor boy scared the shit outta me with one when I was little, but I do ‘do’ every other pet and I’m a big believer in animals.
We all have feelings and they are all valid so loving a snake is just as valid as loving a dog or cat. Cut yourself some slack Ruffian. If I remember correctly from meeting you last year, you are a caring person.
Oh, Ruffian, I’m very sorry to hear about your snake. Any animal that we give our hearts to will also receive our grief when they leave us. We can’t help it - we’re human.
I’ve always liked the feel of a snake in my hands - so smooth and almost silky.
Ruffian, I’m so sorry about Henry, but don’t give up hope yet! We had a pit bull back in the early 80’s and she got really sick. Cornell University treated her for free so they could study what turned out to be very similar to AIDS. She lived many more happy years after that. So, the moral of my story is: just because he went to a teaching hospital doesn’t mean he won’t come home. Good luck. Call the hospital and keep us updated.
Guina, for a savannah monitor, think Komodo dragon but a whole lot smaller. KDs are also known as the giant monitor lizard–that long, streamlined body and neck, long tail, etc. Savannahs can get up to 6’ in length, and get this, can be trained to walk on a leash. Ain’t NOBODY gonna mess with you if you’re walking a 6’ lizard.
Yes, I still have Cleo. (I’m flattered you remember her!) She is growing like a weed and eating without hesitation every single time. The kids adore her, and I’m glad I have the back-up snake. I bought her last summer partially because I feared for Henry’s health.
Henry is five feet. Five inches would be really, really tiny for a snake. At his peak weight, he was 5’2" long and 4 3/4" around his girth. In comparison, little Cleo was just under a foot long and 3/4" around when I bought her (age 2 weeks).
As far as visiting Henry, I don’t know. I do need to get my butt over there with his vet records. It’s been a chaotic week (to say the least) so I haven’t had the chance, but hope to tomorrow.
Thank you everyone for the sympathy. I don’t feel quite so silly now…it’s just been a weird, weird week, and this didn’t help things any. Here’s hoping for the little fellow…
The Vinman has a sot spot for animals, and I worked as a zoo educator part time over the summner. One of the animals I handled was a corn snake, and they are wonderful animals- very docile, and they almost seem to enjoy being handled. Not to mention beautiful to look at. So I know how you feel.
I dropped by the clinic today to give them copies of Henry’s paperwork from when he had the tumor removed last spring. They told me they thought it might be an abcessed anal gland, and that they were able to get pus drained out of it. I was honestly surprised.
But then I realized–that’s what the vet thought last time. I showed on the paperwork how Henry had been getting antibiotic shots every other day plus topical, and that when I brought him in for surgery after two weeks of such treatment, we’d all thought it was just an abcess the vet was going to be cut opened and drained. It surprised the vet somewhat to find the tumor there.
So perhaps it’s taking the same route. The tumor caused the infection last time, so it could be the same thing–or, it could be the surgery made Henry more prone to infection. Who knows. The vet assistant said it might yet be a tumor, but hopefully not. Makes me second guess myself, but what’s being done already would be $150+.
