Putkonen

[etana]

Putkonen is eating solid food!!!!! With great appetite, too!!!

What an amazing start to my day to feed him sweet potato and see him eat it - slowly and carefully still, but anyway!!! It's been so long, a couple weeks at least since I last saw him eat like that! (Hardy little guy he is, he does weigh very little right now though.)

Woooohooo!!!

I'd return him to his huge tank with all his friends, but with him being the 2nd snail to get ill there (not counting the unfortunate miscarriage-related deaths I have had) and get better near a better heat mat, I think I know what to do first.

[jolovessnailies]

Whooooooopeeeeeee. I am so pleased for you Etana hun. I am so glad that the little chap is getting better, all your love and care has paid off sweetie. Thank you for keeping us posted. I agree hun, wait until you can get another heat mat and in the meantime just enjoy watching him eat. Do you know what his favourite food is?

Hugs
Jo xx

[etana]

Thanks Jo.
I'm not entirely sure about his very own favourites, but like all my snails he adores sweet potato, and also minced beef (the offering of which was one of the things his previous home did right). I saw him rasping on a carrot piece too.

Weird thing is, the guys in the warmer tank left him largely alone at first, maybe by his own wish. However before we left for our travel he had gone to sleep quite close to Kalie. I wonder if his long days of living all alone show this way when he's ill.

[jolovessnailies]

You are welcome Etana love and yes, mine love their sweet potato too. It is hard when you have so many to determine a particular snaily's favourite. Mine usually have three slices of banana and apple or pear alternately. I have never put meat in there for them so I will remember that next time we have some and share it with my snailies. Maybe he does want some company at last love, do keep us posted.

Hugs
Jo xx

[etana]

Putkonen still has something wrong with him, as he retracted extremely deep again. He came out on my hand and ate a lot, though. I'm not removing the "happy ending" addition to my thread title yet.

[jolovessnailies]

That's the spirit Etana love, let's keep our hopes up for the little fellow. He is certainly in my prayers. Thanks for the updates.

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

I found lots of strange poop in the tank yesterday. As if someone had been constipated and then finally had relief. It was abnormal in quantity, color (considering what he's been fed), and consistency. I am sure it is Putkonen.

I wonder if he's been in pain. Poor guy. Hopefully that little tummy will work better soon.

[etana]

Another quick update - I saw Putkonen doing shell maintenance. That's good, sickly snails often don't care much about that. I will keep an eye on him.

[jolovessnailies]

Wey hey!!!! More great news, I think he is going to be OK hunni. Thank you so much for the he updates.

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

He does seek to rest his shell against other snails' shells now when sleeping, which is adorable. I still am waiting for his gut to work right - since he made that huge mess in the tank, he has pooped only very little.

He'll also do this very funny secret eating where he retracts into his shell on top of the food dish, and if you look very carefully you can see him slowly rasping the food in there instead of sleeping.

[etana]

Today Putkonen was lethargic again. I made him some banana & spirulina crush, and he appeared to lack motivation to eat. He also moved like he wanted to poop, but nothing came out.

Well so far I still have my super loving empath snail Tauno so I fetched him, hoping he'd help Putkonen as he's so good with ill and sad snails.

A few very, very gentle eye stalk pats later the two were eating almost in rhythm. Spirulina is very nutritious so I hope it'll boost them both - yes, both, as Tauno is still a bit worn out from all the snaily love he's made lately.

I will make sure Putkonen gets to bathe in his tank, still hoping for those normal gut functions.

[jolovessnailies]

Thank you Etana love for the update and I am sorry he has been lethargic and isn't pooping very well but I am really glad that Tauno has helped him and he is eating again. Poor little love, I think they are good company for each other Etana and seem to do each other good. Everything crossed for bodily functions.
Hugs
Jo xx

[etana]

There was a bit of poop from him today, almost normal size! That's very good. It only was strangely dark, but he may have been eating a lot of soil trying to help his tummy.

I wanted to have Tauno in that tank, but when I put him in, he promptly started snailing in the general direction of the big fulica tank. What could I do but return him there. A bunch of horny snails immediately pulled him in for a group hug and later a failed orgy right on top of Halonen's shell LOL (she wasn't impressed). So much for resting from that kind of thing!

[jolovessnailies]

I am glad he has had a bit of a poop Etana love and I think it is because he has been eating his soil to make his tummy better that it was so dark. I forgot to mention that we had a clean out yesterday where I left half the old stuff, squeezed it all out and then mixed it with the new. They are a bit confused at the moment but it was soaking in there, I didn't want to leave it any longer but I wonder if the sailies prefer it.

Ha ha, a lot of snailies getting jiggy, naughty old Mauno. No they never need a rest from that sort of thing for long do they hun LOL?

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

Lol yeah, Tauno just really, really can't get enough, hahah.

I'll be updating on Putkonen's situation.