confession: i messed up big time...

[kldoss89]

i am semi-new to ball python care. my bp, severus, is about 6 or 7 months old, and ive hade him for a few months. he has always had good feedings, and from day one was a very social yet calm snake. then a few weeks ago, he snapped at me when i went to get him out. i assumed he was shedding, and left him alone for a while and upped the humidity in his cage. however, as time went on, it became clear it wasnt a shed. he was more jumpy than normal and didnt want to be held, but was eating pretty normally (once, i did have to leave the thawed mouse in his tank overnight though.) everyone kept telling me hes shedding and leave him alone. i listened to them, and didnt follow my own instinct. i left him in one of his 2 caves. he only came out to eat or soak in his water dish (another thing i wasnt comfortable with but everyone swore was normal).

turns out, his uth was working fine, but i had way too much substrate over it so it was staying cold. the probe thermometer was junk, and giving me way off readings. i didnt find out until last night, when i finally said forget what everyone else said, this doesnt feel right, and i took him out to check him. he was making a sneezing noise, but wasnt making bubbles or opening his mouth to breathe. i did not waste any time and immediately called the vet to get him an appointment for this morning.

turns out, he has a bacterial infection and was dehydrated (even though i kept a large-ish water dish in his tank). he got the typical antibiotic shot. then the vet saw a mite on his head. when he went to pick it off, my snake defecated on him. he said that his stool looked strange, so he put it under the microscope and said there are 2 parasites in it. UGH! poor baby! he said most likely it either came from the pet store or even the wood in his cage?? he said that next time, to be safe, boil the wood first before putting it in. has anyone ever heard of that? thoughts?

he prescribed profender for the mites and the shots for the bacterial infection. what are your experiences with the profender, if youve even heard of it?

i really feel horrible right now. i should have followed my instinct instead of listening to others just because they used to have snakes. but i cant dwell on it. i am trying to move forward and get everything going to keep him healthy. and i am desperate for tips.

i have a glass tank with screen top. i keep a towel over half of the top. i have this thermometer and humidity gague (didnt know when i bought it that it was bad) http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo what would you recommend for temp/humidity regulation. some people say to use foil/wet towels/plexiglass for the top of the lid, but there are a lot of mix reviews for that. should i get a humidifier? he is in a walk in closet because its the only room with no vents and my roommate keeps the apt cold. he has a red light on one half of his cage and uth on the other end. i know now to keep the wood a lot thinner (i read about 1/2 inch max, does that sound right?). i know the best stuff is online, but can i get stuff at walmart/petsmart/petco/etc. normally i wouldnt mind but i dont want to put him in a cage that isnt perfect for him and waiting a week or more for stuff seems cruel when hes sick.

i really thought i had everything figured out with him. i feel horrible because now he is sick because i didnt listen to my instinct.

please be sure to keep an eye on the comments. i know i am probably going to have to add more details since this post was mostly just rambling.

[liv]

I'd keep him on paper towels for now so that you can keep a handle on the mites easier-- less hiding places for them when you clean out the enclosure.

[bcr229]

I've heard of baking substrate and wooden hides, driftwood, etc. at 180*F for an hour to kill off mites, mold, bacteria, etc. Never heard of boiling it - maybe messy? - but the same idea applies. Pasteurization occurs at 170*F, boiling is 212*F so definitely high enough to kill off the germs and bugs.

Don't bake any plastic hides, just wash and apply the Provent-A-Mite (PAM) to everything - except the snake!!! - as directed.

[MrLang]

Make sure the UTH isn't too hot now. Is it regulated by a thermostat?

I don't think you should be too hard on yourself. It is a lesson in internet advice though. After a while you will get a feel for when your snake is going into shed. The colors and shine of the skin change and in my experience they're only 'snappy' once their eyes have a distinct blueish white hue to them.


Good luck and glad you got him to the vet when you did!

[kldoss89]

update: thank you everyone for your advice and support. sorry, every time i try to reply to each person indvidually, it freezes. anyways, i have gone away from substrate and am using a cage carpet, at least for now. i felt like that eliminated my worries. i have paper towels over it for now to monitor his pee (since he was dehydrated). i like that i can wash it in really hot water and not worry about damaging it, so i think i can get a good hold on the mites problem. he seems to like it a lot, and i dont have to worry about any dander or anything from the wood substrates.

he seems to be doing much better already. he stayed in my shirt (lol his favorite spot on me, its nice and warm) while i deep cleaned his cage last night. he got 3 shots at the vet (one of fluids, one antibiotic while i watched, and one of just sterile fluids for me to practice) and never tried to bite once. he even got a tube down his throat for tests. poor baby had a rough day. i might see how his mood is tonight before i see if he wants to be held. it could go either way.

as far as heat, i just got a thermostat last night, and some really good accurate thermometers mostly to make sure the thermometer on the thermostat is accurate, which it was. i have his tank set and his humidity set (i have a fogger set on low) on the thermostat, but honestly i cant remember what it was set on, and i am at work and cant check, but it was the numbers the vet gave me. i got a better (and slightly bigger, more fitting for his 30 gallon tank) uth on the thermostat, and his heat lamp on a timer.

im hoping that this will be better for him. i want to push over that hump from good care to the best care.

one more question: my roommates boyfriend (who used to raise ball pythons) told me that i should not worry about him being in his water dish. at first i did not listen to him and still worried because it went against everything everyone says on here. then my vet told me the same thing, that some balls float in the water to rehydrate and that they can absorb it through their skin. is this true? should it stop now that i have the fogger and his humidity more closely monitored? or are there really bp's that (like my vet said) just like water more than others? he said that it could also be his way of killing parasites, but dont be surprised if he stays a water lover. he said they are not as common but they are out there. he said that he was not in the water long enough to cause any damage to his skin. any personal experience?

[Marrissa]

He was probably soaking in his water dish to try to kill off the mites. Personally, I've never seen my snake in the water dish. The only time I've seen him do anything with the water dish besides slither over it, is I was putting him back in the tank one time and he took a drink while curled around me arm.

[swansonbb]

I think the carpet is going to offer another place for the mites to hide. Liv's advice, keeping your bp on paper towels, is sound.

I have one bp that soaks every time she starts a shed cycle. And sometimes just because. I wouldn't call soaking a red flag, but certainly yellow.

It also sounds like you have an awful lot of equipment for a bp. A misting system?

[kldoss89]

yeah thats what i was thinking too. he would sit in there for up to 30 minutes, with just his head sticking up out of the water. mind you, the vet i spoke to was not the one that treated him (there are 2 vets) and he was the less experienced of the 2 in exotic animals and reptiles. he was just the one that i spoke to cuz he stayed later and i had to wait til i got off work to pick him up. so i take everything he said with a bit more grain of salt than my actual vet. thats why i wanted to ask.

[kldoss89]

would just the paper towels be safe over an uth? it said on the instructions that it is dangerous. that is why i was putting the paper towels over the carpet.

and i have had a VERY hard time with keeping his humidity up in his tank. this has been the only thing. i have tried misting him with a water bottle, but it was causing problems (like a mildew smell...) this was a bit more pricey, but it is keeping the humidity at a perfect level at all times. i chose a fogger instead of a humidifier for looks, even though it is not turned on very often. the thermostat had a spot available to plug it in so it can be monitored too. i have to admit, even if it was more expensive, its nice not to have to mist him all the time (which he absolutely hated) when his tank was too dry.

[liv]

If your UTH is on the outside of your tank and regulated by a thermostat (not a thermometer), there is no problem just using paper towels.