A little bit worried about my regular ball python.

He is roughly 3 1/2-4 years old (we bought him from a pet store 2 years ago and he was pretty rough when we bought him. We paid 40 dollars for him. The previous owners dumped him in front of the pet store after they didn't feed him for 5 weeks. Not to mention they didn't assist him with his last 4 sheds... they left the old skin on him. When we purchased him, the pet store employees were working with him to help with the shed so they could get some food in him. During the shed process they pulled at the skin and took some of the scales off so now he has a scar down his back. When we brought him home he ate well and has had a perfect shed every time.) Now to move on to this year. In December/ January we had an issue with him not eating... after 1 month of not eating and acting sluggish I took him to the vet ( my bearded dragon was due back to the vet also so I took them at the same time) It was Giardia. The vet gave him one dose of medicine and he was eating like a champ again. Well, towards the end of April he decided not to eat once again. The difference is that he is active and he hasn't really lost any weight ( of course no bowel movements since his last meal) We offer food weekly, the second we put the mouse in there he will circle it and then try to get out of his container, so he is not interested in the food. we've tried giving him smaller mice ( we have smaller snakes in the house so we have a variety of rats and mice in the house) He is currently in a ( I believe) 150 gallon tank, we hand made the top so he cant get out ( he is an escape artist) There is a piece of glass in the center at the top that he loves to squeeze onto so he can sit right under his lamp. Humidity stays anywhere from 60-70% depending on the rain. ( we live just outside of new Orleans so humidity is not a problem here.) temp goes anywhere from 85-90 on the hot side, 75-80 on the cool side. Husbandry has always stayed the same no changes. We limit holding him to once a week when we feed him. He is very skittish. When we give him a mouse or a rat, it must be frozen. We've tried feeding him with tongs and wiggling it and he would curl up in a ball. No striking at all. we have always put in a mouse before he goes into the container and that seems to be the only way he will eat it. My other snakes will eat the mouse sitting in the container or placed in front of their face they don't care, its food. My other snakes will also accept more than one mouse if given the opportunity. I would love answers about why my BP decided he doesn't want to eat. It worries me.

Welcome to the forum!

Do you know how much he weighs? I know you said he's around 4 years old, so I'm wondering if it's just him being an adult male ball python. They frequently go off food for part of the year.

I don't know much about Giardia, but did the vet make sure it was gone? A 150 gallon tank is pretty large for a ball python, so I would definitely make sure it's very cluttered so he feels secure, and cover the back and 2 sides with paper. One mouse a week doesn't sound like enough for an adult. I know he's not eating for you now, but I would try to up how much food he's getting (either by giving him more mice at each feeding, or by switching him to small rats). I would try feeding him in his tank, and if he doesn't take it, leave it in with him overnight (since it's frozen/thawed). Make sure you only offer food once a week. They can go several months without eating, so if he doesn't eat, don't worry too much about it, and try again a week later.

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Originally Posted by bumblebee1028

Welcome to the forum!

Do you know how much he weighs? I know you said he's around 4 years old, so I'm wondering if it's just him being an adult male ball python. They frequently go off food for part of the year.

I don't know much about Giardia, but did the vet make sure it was gone? A 150 gallon tank is pretty large for a ball python, so I would definitely make sure it's very cluttered so he feels secure, and cover the back and 2 sides with paper. One mouse a week doesn't sound like enough for an adult. I know he's not eating for you now, but I would try to up how much food he's getting (either by giving him more mice at each feeding, or by switching him to small rats). I would try feeding him in his tank, and if he doesn't take it, leave it in with him overnight (since it's frozen/thawed). Make sure you only offer food once a week. They can go several months without eating, so if he doesn't eat, don't worry too much about it, and try again a week later.

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when I took him to the vet he tested his feces and said that it should mostly be gone. He also stated that a little bit of giardia is fine because it assists in the digestive process, but too much and it can start eating the nutrients he has causing him to lose tons of weight in a small amount of time. It causes the snake to get gassy and bloated which makes them lose their appetite.

Just before he stopped eating he was eating small rats. Which is why we tried large mice when he stopped eating because we thought that he may want to try something smaller. As far as his enclosure we have a large bonsai tree hide big enough for him to hide in, a half log hide, a large water bowl for him to soak and play around in ( he loves the bowl) and like I said the glass at the top in the center he goes up there to sleep. He is mainly at the bottom when he wants to move around.

Ive be never heard of covering 3 sided of the tank for a snake. I know I needed to do that with my bearded dragon, but never with my snake. He has been in the same enclosure since we got him. Two side of the tank are against the wall, the front faces my desk the other side faces the other desk. We moved about a month ago but we left the set up the same in the house. We try not to change things up. I know how picky my beardie is and try not to let the snakes stress out either.

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Originally Posted by wwdanniedo

when I took him to the vet he tested his feces and said that it should mostly be gone. He also stated that a little bit of giardia is fine because it assists in the digestive process, but too much and it can start eating the nutrients he has causing him to lose tons of weight in a small amount of time. It causes the snake to get gassy and bloated which makes them lose their appetite.

Just before he stopped eating he was eating small rats. Which is why we tried large mice when he stopped eating because we thought that he may want to try something smaller. As far as his enclosure we have a large bonsai tree hide big enough for him to hide in, a half log hide, a large water bowl for him to soak and play around in ( he loves the bowl) and like I said the glass at the top in the center he goes up there to sleep. He is mainly at the bottom when he wants to move around.

Ive be never heard of covering 3 sided of the tank for a snake. I know I needed to do that with my bearded dragon, but never with my snake. He has been in the same enclosure since we got him. Two side of the tank are against the wall, the front faces my desk the other side faces the other desk. We moved about a month ago but we left the set up the same in the house. We try not to change things up. I know how picky my beardie is and try not to let the snakes stress out either.

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Yep, our ball pythons are just as picky (or even more picky) than my beardies. He could still be a bit stressed from the move. As long as it's not a really high traffic area, having the tank up against the wall on two sides may be enough. I just know that with picky eaters, that's an easy thing to fix, and it sometimes it's really helpful. I would probably add a bit more to the tank (fake plants or even wads of paper), and see if that helps. They like clutter and small spaces to help them feel secure. Also, have you checked the temp up near the lamp where he's sleeping? I would be concerned that it might be too hot up there if it's 90F on the floor of the tank.

It does sound like it could just be that he's an adult male ball, and has decided to not eat for a few months. I would still offer the frozen/thawed small rats, but I would leave them in his enclosure overnight. If he continues to not eat, only offer every 10-14 days.