About 5 or 6 weeks ago I decided to finally buy my first ball python. I researched it a lot before I picked him up. I went with a lot of advice I found on here on setting up a habitat, not buying from PetSmart, etc. I decided it was really important for me to buy a captive bred snake as well. Looking around my local area (St. Louis) I was able to find a shop that had exotic reptiles. I called beforehand to verify that these baby balls they had were indeed captive bred, which the person on the phone said they were. When I bought the snake, I asked again and it was reiterated that these were indeed, captive bred. Fast forward 5 weeks....
I notice a couple days after feeding that he is swelling up almost sausage like. I take off of work a half day and take him to the reptile vet where I live. He examines the snake and says, yeah..this little guy is sick for sure. The vet helps him regurgitate his food that was not digested and then had to help the snake pass his bowels and urates. After manually doing this for the snake the swelling was gone. Fecal exam proved negative. I took the snake home Friday and the only advice the vet could give me was to keep an eye on him and to try feeding him again Sunday.
Today my wife and I decide to go look at geckos at the shop I had originally bought our snake. This is the first time Ive been back to this shop as its sort of a drive and Im trying to save gas. I look to see how many of the baby balls are left and notice there is one left and theres a sign on the enclosure that says these snakes have been marked down to 25 dollars. I paid 40. I ask why the price reduction and Im told that wild caught reptiles are hard to sell....
She then goes on to tell me that several of the snakes from that batch that they received have been brought back dead or dying. Symptoms....you guessed it. They swell up and die. She showed me one of the live ones that had been returned and the area by the vent looked ready to burst. I told her what the vet did so she tried to help the snake pass its bowels and urates. The snake passed and the swelling went away. While we were discussing the issue that the snake was sold to me as a captive bred (she even admitted that the employee probably lied, she seemed to imply he was shady) A CUSTOMER CAME IN WITH A DEAD PYTHON. Guess what...it was from the same group and it swelled up and died.
My first question is...what is wrong with these snakes. I dont want to return mine as Im quite attached to him. Has anyone seen this before?
Second question...I was told to call back Tuesday and talk to the owner who will refund me the money for the snake. However, since I was lied to I feel that he should also refund me 70 dollars for the vet visit. I would not have bought this snake had it been advertised correctly as wild caught. Is it too much to ask for store credit for that?
Third question...if my snake keeps swelling up obviously he has some kind of deformity or sickness and should probably be put down. I do not want him to be put down inhumanely and if it comes to that, I want the breeder to tell me how he will put the snake down when I return it, or to pay for a vet to put it down humanely.
Am I asking for too much? How would anyone else here handle this situation? I appreciate your responses.
Edit: My snakes vent area is already beginning to swell up again.
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