Cornsnake twitching

She can somewhat move her head while she’s twitching. She can look around vaguely- but she can’t stop the twitch. I know it sounds weird. Like she can kind of move and look in different directions but she twitches while doing it. Kind of like if you have hiccups while talking. You can talk but you’re at the mercy of the movement. Or if it’s really bad in between twitches she’ll move twitch move twitch move, but the twitches deter her movement where she wants to go. It looks like she’s animatronic. Her tail doesn’t really twitch. It’s mostly the upper part and maybe the most in the neck area upper chest area.

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Ok, I will do that as well just to be on the safe side. I don’t want her to feel like she’s constantly near a predator.

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Maybe if it is extremely anxious and frightened the milksnake smell may be adding to this behavior like @caryl suggested and moving the milksnake could be done just in case. I have never encountered this though and I had corns and kingsnakes on the same rack regularly put in the same enclosure to breed and the corns never showed any signs of distress. I think you may at least try to get a fecal sample to the vet as well as a video of the twitching problem. If it’s not rattling the tail or hissing and the twitching is mostly in the upper neck and chest I think it is probably a medical issue, hopefully not neurological but you may have a high parasitic load or who knows what else? Time for vet to do some tests and see it( at the very least online)

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From that description it sounds like she’s got some control but it’s really hard to tell from a verbal description. They can twitch really energetically and it’s a behavior, not a physical/neuro issue. Does she essentially keep her head in a normal orientation? As opposed to more rolling or thrashing movement with her head corkscrewing? If you can get a brief video it will help. @banereptiles is right, getting a fecal sample to the vet is an excellent idea. If you can make that happen, it will at least help the vet get more info to you.

Just btw, in case you (or other readers) aren’t aware, corn snake hissing isn’t the dramatic “Ssssss” of threatening movie snakes. It’s more like a brief “Ffft,” kinda like a sneeze.

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yes, her head is always a completely normal angle. She never hisses or blunt strikes. Her tail never rattles. Even twitching her head is upright and she’s looking around. I took her out to try and video it yesterday but she didn’t twitch that time. So it’s getting worse over time, but it doesn’t happen every single time. It’s like 2/3 times it happens now. I have been calling vets and trying to see if one will watch a video of her and assess.

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Because it’s a service that requires significant research and time, I would anticipate that most vets would charge a consultation fee, as they won’t be able to assess thoroughly without providing history & doing an exam. A full assessment would require an in- person exam.

Definitely bring footage and know your husbandry practices and history so you can tell your vet. . If you call in advance and discuss the issue, they may have a better idea regarding whether an exam or consultation is called for. I lean towards an exam. Bring a fresh fecal sample- ideally within 8 hours of, um, production, and keep in the fridge but never the freezer.

Brief mention- temperature shock can also cause ‘twitching’ and even death. Just skimming (I’m babysitting my niece), it definitely sounds like pesticide or other toxin exposure should be strongly considered. Also musculoskeletal problems can sometimes be misinterpreted as neurological in origin, so footage for the vet is a must. I once misinterpreted a broken scapula in one of my leopard geckos, and trust me, it’s super embarrassing when you’re a vet too. :woman_facepalming:

I am a retired dog/cat vet, but it sounds to me like either a consultation or appointment should happen shortly. Neuro issues generally need to be evaluated and (if needed) treated quickly to minimize risk to the patient.

Just in case you need it:

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Fwiw, I absolutely second @mblaney 's remarks.

I do want to add that this…

… is encouraging. Total head control sounds like this may possibly be behavioral. That said, again, I concur that a veterinary evaluation is in order.

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