This is the most common cause of egg binding. An adequately sized moist moss box must be provided and maintained by daily spraying. The snake should be left in privacy and not handled when heavily gravid, and should also not be in a vivarium with other cagemates who might disturb her - this will ensure she is not stressed in the week leading up to her pregnancy, and has a suitable place to lay her eggs.
The diet we feed our rodents is not necessarily the same as they would receive in the wild. In recent years, attempts to cut down on food costs and therefore the cost of frozen supplies, it has been suggested that some of the diets that the mice are fed are lacking in calcium. If you are worried about this, you can buy liquid calcium from a chemist or reptile shop. One drop per mouse after brumation and up to egg laying should help ensure that there is adequate calcium to produce eggs that are easy for the snake to pass.
There is a rule of "3" that is often quoted when dealing with corn snakes - 3 years, 300 grams, and 3 foot. This is not a guarantee in any way, but if a snake is younger than 3 years, or is smaller than 300 grams, she is in an increased risk group for egg binding. The smaller and younger she is, the higher the risk factor.
Firstly, do not disturb your corn snake whilst she is laying her eggs. I know how exciting it is, and how hard it is to wait, but you must resist the urge to peek and look at her. This can disturb her and result in the very thing we are trying to avoid.
If after 24 hours of the first egg, you notice she has still not come out of the moss box, gently and quietly go in, and check that she is okay. If you can see that she still has several visible lumps, back out, and leave it up to another 24 hours. If she has no lumps, you should be able to safely remove the eggs.
If you think you have left her long enough you can start to go through the motions.
Consult a Veterinarian
Even if you do not want to go to the veterinarian yet, it is best to make an appointment for the snake for the following day, around 24 hours after the last egg was laid. You do not want to be caught short without an appointment after closing hours, so if you have an appointment for the next day, it can avoid last minute panicing. You can always cancel this appointment if the last eggs are successfully passed.
Oxytocin
When you visit the vet, the first course will be an injection of oxytocin, and depending on the condition of the snake, the vet may decide on an injection of steroids. Oxytocin is a drug that encourages contractions. It works better on mammals than reptiles, but has had some success, so is usually the first port of call for the vet. They will most likely recommend you come back in a few days for a second injection.
Bathing
If there are multiple eggs stuck higher up the body, you will almost certainly need to see a vet. If there is only one egg near the vent, you may be able to solve this with home treatment. Swimming stimulates contractions and muscle control. I would recommend 10-15 minutes of luke warm swimming every 2 hours for the first day to try and encourage the egg to pass by itself. Do not continue this for too long, as after the first day, she may be running out of energy. It will be time to move onto massage & stimulation.
Massage & Stimulation
I personally have resolved almost a dozen egg binding problems with simple massage and stimulation whilst in the bath. If you are confident and careful you can use a cotton wool bud and a large quantity of a lubricant such as KY Jelly or Vaseline, to stimulate and open the vent of the snake. Sometimes dried fluids close the vent up, and placing plenty of lubrication in the vent can help the egg pass more quickly. If the egg is right next to the vent, gentle massage underneath, pushing firmly but not hard, and see if it moves towards the vent. If it does, you may be able to lubricate the end and sides of the egg through the vent, and with gentle squeezing, the egg may slip out into your hands. Often, this egg is infertile, but put it in the incubator anyway - you never know!
This method should only be done if you are confident about handling your snake. It is possible to damage a snake by pushing too hard.
There is also a risk of prolapse or piercing the bowel if you are too heavy handed, squeeze too hard or break the egg, which is why it is essential that if you are not confident and careful you see a veterinarian who may be able to do this for you.
Aspiration
By inserting a needle through the scales of the snake and into the egg, the contents can be drawn out. This leaves the shell in tact, but the egg deflated and a fraction of the original size. This can then be passed by the snake much easier. This will render eggs infertile.
This should only be done by a veterinarian and will usually be around after the snake has laid it's last egg after the oxytocin and baths have failed to produce a response.
Surgery
The final option is surgery, where an incision can be made into the corn snake's underisde by your veterinian, and the eggs manually removed from that incision, much like a caesarean. The snake will then be stitched up. It is possible to receive a secondary infection from the stitches, and your snakes health will have to be monitored, and the stitches removed several weeks later.
The eggs are usually damaged or rolled in the process but it is possible that your vet may be able to save them for you, if in one piece you should attempt to incubate anyway.
Surgery holds many risks, as it requires an anaesthetic and should be taken as a very last resort. It is usually taken 10-14 days after the last egg is passed. Surgery can sometimes render the snake infertile, but it is usually advised that she is not bred the following year after surgery.
Please select which section you would like to navigate to.
Introduction
Housing
Heating
Handling
Feeding
Health
»Mites/Ticks/Parasites
»Feeding
Problems
»Shedding Problems
»Egg Binding
»Burns/Injury
»Respiratory Infection
»Mouth Rot
»Scale Rot
»Prolapse
Breeding
Incubator Guide
Housing Together
If you are thinking about purchasing a corn snake, and require a setup, please visit Reptile Cymru in Cardiff, who sell plastic starter kits from £30, and full setups for adults in 3 foot wooden vivariums from £125 (including heating/lighting).