Rescue BP won't eat

[j'khar]

Sorry for the long post, once you read, you will see why it is so long... the boy has a horrible history!

I know that everyone says not to take/buy any snake that isn't eating and healthy... but this poor boy needed someone to take better care of him. He hasn't eaten in two months and I am very very concerned. (I am new to the site but I have another BP who is happy and healthy for a very long time now and used to own a couple corn snakes, not a beginner).

First you need to know his history because I think he is a very special case for not eating.

The most recent owner reports that he was owned by one person before her. Says that the first owner had him for about 5 years and would hit him on the head with a stick in order to get him to strike and eat the dead feeders. Talk about screwing a snake up! Last owner says that he was ALWAYS very tough to feed because he always stresses, tenses and hides when he smells prey.

The last owner had him for about 10 years. Says she could only ever get him to eat about every 2weeks to 3 months. (3 months!!! on a regular basis). Oh, also, he has only every lived in a 10 gallon tank until I got him. And he was never temp/humidity regulated and never had a hide box or a big enough water bowl. He was basically kept in the poorest of conditions.

In the time that she owned him, he stopped eating for a several months, so she switched him to live prey, dangling at the lip of the tank. She says that when he would eat (med rat--i think it is too big since that is a little bigger than his girth) she would get him to eat two at a time.

So, he has had it rough, with her, he escaped and climbed into the light box above. He has a very long scar down his side to prove it. He has also had pnemonia and she said he once vomitted a rat 5 weeks after eating it.

I have had him for two months. One week after getting him he ate a med rat for me. Then I moved him to his new terrarium, 48"x18"x18". (Maybe I should move him to a smaller cage since he may be too insecure to get into a large one?)

I waited over a week to offer food (giving time for adjustment), nada. I have tried several times since. I have offered a mouse, even. I also tried making the prey den, a box with hole on top and feeder inside so that he can go at his leisure. He was so nervous from the noise of something moving that he never came out of his hide. I don't know what to do.

To top it off, last night I thought I heard a very very high pitch whistle coming from him. When he was poking his head close to the top, I got close so that I could hear better, he smelled me and his tail started twitching, sort of like the tip of a cat's tail or not quite as fast as a dog wagging it's tail. Also, his head started quivering when he smelled me. What is going on with him??

I have been keeping his habitat at prime condition and I just can't figure him out (and I haven't handled him, other than to clean his tank). Oh, his stool was pretty messed up too. A wad of hair and a few inches away the white solid waste.

Help! I am so worried about him!

[kavmon]

a vet check to do fecals and cultures, is in order.


get the snake setup in a small enclosure, and in a fairly dark quiet place.


leave it alone for a while to settle in.



vaughn

[littleindiangirl]

Woo wee you got yourself a handful! Nice job for stepping up and taking this animal in. First off, I agree a vet visit is definitely in order. If you can hear a whistling coming from him, an RI is most probably the cause. Tell us exactly how you have him set up. Temps, humidity, cage etc. I agree that setting up the snake in a quiet dark place will help him settle, just don't let his initial comfort take away from any urgency with taking him to the vet.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I applaud you to take charge and try to give this BP a second chance.

The first thing I would do is take him to an herp vet to have a clean bill of health.

The second thing I would move him to a 41 quarts tub with 2 identical hides (avoid log hides) temps of 80-84 on the cool side and 90-94 on the warm side and 50%-60% humidity.

Make sure you have proper measurements of your temps and humidity this mean having digital thermometer/hygrometer.

Once you have done all that leave him completely alone for 1 to 2 weeks no handling.

Once that time has passed I would suggest offering small preys and I would start off with rat pup and slowly move to small rats (45/65 grams) which is the biggest size you will ever need to feed him.

[j'khar]

I was really not sure whether taking him to the vet while he is so stressed would mess him up any more. I will take him to the vet straight away!

I haven't handled him yet, except when I moved him and when I cleaned the cage. I have also made sure that the food we offered was a week after the brief handling.

I have him in my room because it is the quietest place in my house. When he is out at night, we never turn on the lights and if we (my husband and I) need to talk, we whisper and then leave the room, so not to disturb him.

You say identical hides but not logs? I am using ceramic plant pots right now, is that okay for him?

The way his cage is set up is a hide on each end. The large water bowl on the cool end. That end stays in the low 80's and the warm end with basking area (heat strip under tank and light above) stays in the low 90's. I am going to get digi to verify (though right now I have three non digi hydro and thermo across the tank). Humidity gauge says about 55, but I read the thread that says how off non-digi ones are, so I will replace it tomorrow.

Does all of this seem okay? Should I move him to the smaller cage and put him in my closet where it will be dark all the time (other than the light for basking)?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

You say identical hides but not logs? I am using ceramic plant pots right now, is that okay for him?

As long as all the sides (including the top) touch his body, yes, however if you do decide to switch him to a tub the low ceiling will require you to change your hides in this case I would recommend something like those

have three non digi hydro and thermo across the tank).

The problem is that dial devices are no accurate. You can get a digital one at Walmart for 12$ it looks like this

Should I move him to the smaller cage and put him in my closet where it will be dark all the time

Plastic tubs are great when it comes to rehab a snake, if after couple of months, he is healthy eating with consistency and you want to move him back in his glass enclosure you can do so however for now I would strongly recommend to house him in a plastic tub. 41 quarts (34 3/4"L x 16 1/2"W x 6"H) will work perfectly.