I think my Ball might be Sick. Help!

I think my Baby might be Sick!!!

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Posted by: rns91294 at Mon Apr 11 09:03:24 2005 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]
Hello. Please bare with me as I start from the beginning. When I bought my snake 10 years ago, I knew nothing about them. However, I quickly learned that mine was wild caught and was not eating. I took him to the vet and he was anemic.I needed to give him shots, and oral medications. He was so thin, you could almost touch your fingers together when pressing on his sides. Anyway, that was 10 years ago. Since then, he started eating, and has been very heatlhy and active.

I posted about a month ago about a mouse I gave him that looked like it had some sort of growth on the side. I was told my snake should be okay, and I think my problem now really has nothing to do with that mouse. In the past month or so, he appears to have lost a LOT of weight. He still eats and is active, and drinks water, but he is getting really really thin again, like he was when I first got him. He has problems shedding too, but he always has. Anyway, I feed him about once every 3-4 weeks. He is about 4 1/2 feet long, and eats two mice per feeding (sometimes he won't eat a rat). Is it possible he has tape worm? Why would he get so thin, yet still remain active and still eat at feedings? Should I make his feedingas ever two weeks and see if he starts to gain weight again? Do I need to see a vet?

Thanks for your help. Anything to save my poor Fenton.

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Originally Posted by rns91294

Do I need to see a vet?

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If you have to ask this question on an internet forum then the answer is yes. If you have a concern about the health of an animal in your care, the only person qualified to diagnose and treat the problem is an experienced reptile veterinarian.

If the weight loss is as dramatic as you describe, I would make an appointment immediately.

Good luck.

-adam

I agree with Adam, you should take him to the vet. Also, if your husbandry is correct, the snake should not be having trouble shedding after this long in captivity. A month or three's worth of bad sheds, sure, but beyond that it definitely indicates less-than-optimum husbandry.

He was a very sick snake when I got him, and has always had problems shedding. According to the vet, this is fine. He said Ball pythons do have trouble shedding more than other snakes. I keep his tank humid and everything. The problem with my snake is he has a fear of water. Yes, he drinks it, but he will not sit in it at all, which often causes me to put him in the tub at times. While in the tub, he does nothing but hiss at me because he hates the water. Most snakes sit in the water bowl in their tank, but not mine. I just find it odd that he still has his appetite, and he is still losing weight.

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Originally Posted by rns91294

Most snakes sit in the water bowl in their tank, but not mine.

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I have a large group of ball pythons and none of them ever sit in their water bowls. With humidity between 50% and 60% he should shed just fine. You could also create a humid hide which works great!

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Originally Posted by rns91294

I just find it odd that he still has his appetite, and he is still losing weight.

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And hence the recommendations that your snake should see a vet. You should bring in a fresh stool sample so that a fecal can be done.

-adam

I will definitely be bringing in a stool sample for them. I know it is the only way to test for internal parasites.

Thanks for your help!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rns91294

He was a very sick snake when I got him, and has always had problems shedding. According to the vet, this is fine. He said Ball pythons do have trouble shedding more than other snakes. I keep his tank humid and everything. The problem with my snake is he has a fear of water. Yes, he drinks it, but he will not sit in it at all, which often causes me to put him in the tub at times. While in the tub, he does nothing but hiss at me because he hates the water. Most snakes sit in the water bowl in their tank, but not mine. I just find it odd that he still has his appetite, and he is still losing weight.

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If your vet says a ball python with multiple years of problem sheds is "fine," then you need a new vet, one who has reptile-specific training and experience. You might try checking with www.arav.org or www.herpvetconnection.com to find one near you. Your snake should not need to soak in order to have good sheds. Most of the ball pythons I have owned have not been big on soaking, and yet I've rarely had one have a bad shed more than two months after I got the snake.

At any rate, you should have at the very least a fecal exam done, and depending on amount of weight loss and other symptoms, a thorough external exam by a qualified vet is a very good idea as well. We'll be happy to work through your setup with you and help you figure out your target areas of improvement so that you have a better chance of keeping your snake healthy from now on.

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Originally Posted by Marla

If your vet says a ball python with multiple years of problem sheds is "fine," then you need a new vet...

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I don't know that I necessarily agree with that. Every ball python is different. I keep the humidity in my facility mechanically controlled at around 58% and almost all of my animals have great sheds each time. Some on the other hand are just always problematic.

With the large number of animals I have that are shedding fine and kept side by side with problematic shedders, I don't feel that it is a husbandry issue. A my veterinarian (a former president of the ARAV) has ruled out any health related issues.

It just seems that some animals shed differently from others. It seems to me that the snakes that I do have problems with have "thinner" sheds than all of my other animals. I'd hate to speculate to far about possible theories or other connection because I really don't have data to back anything up, but I do believe that you can be doing everything right, have a healthy animal, and still have problems with sheds.

Just another perspective.

FWIW, I do agree that there is a lot of bad information given out by vets and even vets that are members of the ARAV .... choose your vets carefully and check references .... your animals deserve it!!


-adam