Ball Python - Refusing Food / Infection / Vomiting

[Danh]

My 10-year-old ball usually goes into a two-month fasting cycle in late winter each year. Last year, he got an infection that needed antibiotics to clear up.

This year, the same thing happened. We went through the antibiotic cycle, but the snake refused to eat. We're going on four and a half months. His weight is dropping, but not by much at a time, and his behavior has been normal.

He does express an interest in food (thawed frozen rats), perking up and moving toward it when offered, but he doesn't eat it.

The vet recommended daily warm water soaks, which I've been administering when I haven't been traveling.

A few days ago, he was offered a fuzzy with the brain pan open and ate it. He then shed and defecated, some of which was runny. (I've sent this to the vet for a lab screening.)

I was soaking him just now, when he started to make a horrible noise. Apparently he just regurgitated what remained of the mouse. I put him back in his enclosure.

For those curious - plastic tub, 83 at cool end, 87 at warm end, paper towels as bedding. I've cleaned the tub already to see if that would have an effect, but no dice.

I know balls can go for long periods without eating - but that's not normal for this one. Is there anything else I should be trying out?

[Bogertophis]

By "infection that needed antibiotics", are you referring to a respiratory infection? (aka "RI")

One thing to keep in mind, whether for snakes or humans, is that a course of antibiotics destroys not only the bad bacteria but the good bacteria that promotes
digestion in the gut. Many people take probiotics after a course of antibiotics, or they eat foods such as yogurt & sauerkraut to replenish their beneficial gut flora.
Snakes aren't going to eat those things, but you can get probiotics made for reptiles (such as Bene-Bac) to add to their food or dose them with orally. That may
help? The fuzzy you gave him a few days ago should have been better digested by now, not thrown up. (but I'd also avoid bathing a snake after feeding him-
why does the vet want you to bathe him all the time?)

I'm glad you sent in a stool sample, there may be more going on here than just poor digestion from antibiotics. His "warm end" (of cage) sounds a bit low also,
and snakes cannot digest without enough warmth. He needs a basking temperature of around 88-93*. And if you're running A/C like most people this time of year, his cage temps might be lower than you think. (is his cage in a drafty location? are you sure your temp readings are accurate?)

Does he have hides in his cage on warm & cool sides? Where does he spend his time? Snakes often choose "security" (like a hide) over the proper temperatures (warmth needed to digest), that's why we generally recommend using at least 2 hides, one on the cool end & one on the warm end.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

This year, the same thing happened. We went through the antibiotic cycle, but the snake refused to eat. We're going on four and a half months. His weight is dropping, but not by much at a time, and his behavior has been normal.

For an animal that age it's nothing, the key is proper husbandry, proper temps, adequate enclosure size, proper prey size, and patience.

The vet recommended daily warm water soaks, which I've been administering when I haven't been traveling.

So your vet recommends to stress your BP daily and for what reason? No wonder your snake will not eat, additionally stress + improper husbandry will lead to health issue, you need to stop daily soaking now.

A few days ago, he was offered a fuzzy with the brain pan open and ate it. He then shed and defecated, some of which was runny. (I've sent this to the vet for a lab screening.)

The prey size is not adequate for an animal that size so runny stool would not be surpising, little fur mainly fat and milk.

For those curious - plastic tub, 83 at cool end, 87 at warm end, paper towels as bedding. I've cleaned the tub already to see if that would have an /effect, but no dice.

Switch to coconut chip bedding or aspen, this allows them to burrow if they want and offer more security, offer a larger gradient in temps 77/78 cool and 87/88 warm, a 4 degrees difference does not allow for much thermo-regulating.

[bcr229]

I'm going to guess that the regurge was due to the stress of being soaked after eating recently. Unless you're dealing with a truly dehydrated snake, soaking isn't needed.

Since he did regurge you will need to wait three weeks before feeding again, and then offer prey half the size of what he normally eats. Get some reptile probiotic, either the BeneBac or NutriBAC powder. I like to dust a pinch on a wet f/t feeder to ensure the snake ingests it.

Once your snake eats don't fool with him other than to check his water and clean up any messes he may make. Offer another half-size feeder in two weeks and then leave him alone.

If all goes well you can build him back up slowly to his regular feeding schedule.

[JodanOrNoDan]

I am thinking new vet. The soaking thing is just kaka. It needs to be established what is causing the infection. I am guessing it may have not been totally gone from the prior year or there is something else making the snakes immune system weak.

If the snake is already on a fast, totally getting rid of an infection may be problematic since the digestive tract is in suspend mode and the metabolism of the animal has dropped. This requires a longer run of antibiotics. The few times that I have had snakes on antibiotics, they did not want to eat either. Under recommendation of the vet I tubed them with carnivore care and plugged them with a rat pup. If you don't know what this means have a vet show you how it is done. The vet should have also recommended a hot side of around 90 for the duration of the antibiotic run.

As far as the regurge goes, regurges happen due to too large a meal, stress, or the inability to digest which is usually temperature related. I can't say how soon your snake needs to eat without seeing it and if you are not sure yourself get it to the vet. A new vet. There is a good chance that the RI is a secondary infection to something else unless there are serious husbandry issues going on.

[Craiga 01453]

I gotta say "yup", "yup" and "yup" to Deborah, bcr229 and JodanOrNoDan, as well as agree with bogertophis.

They touched on everything I would have said and then some. But I just want to reiterate that I think a new vet is paramount, husbandry tweaks need to be made as well. Also, it's very important to wait at LEAST two weeks before feeding again.