Tips for nursing a very under weight poorly cared for BP back to health?

I did something bad. Something I said I wouldn't do. I bought a snake that was not in good health. *sigh*

The heart strings. They were tugged.

Anywho. This boy is in yucky shape. He has mites. Stuck shed. Wrinkley skin. Dull color. Is very underweight. Almost emaciated. Prominent spine. Poor muscle strength. He's eaten once I'm the last 9 or 10 months and regurged.

I soaked him and let him slither through a wash cloth and got the stuck shed off. I set him up in a pre treated with PAM tub with 4 hides: humid hot, humid cold, cold and hot. With a water bowl big enough to soak. Fake plants to provide coverage as he goes from hide to hide. Its small and cramped. Using an UTH w/ thermostat (A cheap one, but it works well). I set him up in the second bathroom... I figure it had better humidity in there and I can shower after tending to him as I am pretty sure he is a cesspool. Ugh.

But... I already love him. Are there "heart snakes" the way people have "heart dogs?" 'cause he would be it for me.

I am considering a vet visit for him, as his body condition really is that poor - but im not really sure the vet is going to be able to tell me much more than I already know... I worry that a vet trip would just be more stress and that I should just get him to acclimate and eat without messing with him.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Pictures would help, but a vet could at the very least get some IV fluids into the poor critter.

Showering and changing clothes after caring for him is a very good idea, don't let anything he has spread. those mites can go far!

With the emaciation + regurge, your vet can tube feed some Carnivore Care + probiotic to give the poor thing some nourishment. Hopefully that will help with getting him to eat and keep his meals down.

Well I'm definitely going to take him in then. :) thank you.

Of course with it being the holiday - that won't happen until early next week. Unless you guys think it might warrant a trip to the emergency vet....

The regurged happened a month a go and the snake has refused ever offered meal since.

I'll get pics later of him. He's got potential to be a handsome boy. I hope he makes it.

If it's not an emergency situation does the humid hides and larger water bowl sound like the right thing?

It pisses me off when people neglect/mistreat animals. Any animal. Sounds like he is good hands now. Crossing my fingers for you Voodoo. Hope you can get him headed in the right direction.

In the principles of the emaciation /starvation protocol it's always best to start with fluids first. I would continue with the soaks every two days or so. Make sure the water is slightly above room temperature and shallow. Do this for about 1 week. After 1 week mix in some pedialite on the final soak but make the final soak a prolonged soak for about 45 minutes. Use enough pedialite to color the water. Here is a link to a great resource..... Anapsid.org>starvation
Anapsid.org>mainhealth

I peeked in on him a few minutes ago. He is coiled up in his water dish. Probably trying to drown those mites! Didn't want to bug him just now while he is doing his thing and trying to feel better.

I'll snag some pics tomorrow.

He's a special guy to me. He's actually the reason I got into ball pythons... he was being sold in my area almost a year ago. And I thought holy heck that is one gorgeous snake. I couldn't get him out of my mind, I literally had dreams about that snake. By the time I decided to pull the trigger he was off the market. So then I got my big girl. Then 3 more... So when that same snake showed up for sale again even considering his condition, I had to try. Feel like I owe him for being my gateway into this awesome hobby.

I know it was a silly thing to do.... but sometimes I am a silly person.

Good luck with him! Hopefully you can get him back into good shape. Keep us posted!

His soaking is a good thing, since it will help both the mites and dehydration. Make sure to change that water daily, if not twice daily.

Any clue how old he is? What he wasn't eating before?

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Originally Posted by melcvt00

His soaking is a good thing, since it will help both the mites and dehydration. Make sure to change that water daily, if not twice daily.

Any clue how old he is? What he wasn't eating before?

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No clue on the age, I asked and they couldn't tell me.... but he has to be at least a year old considering he was offered for sale twice about a year apart. Probably older than that, I vaguely remember the first ad a year ago saying he was either an adult or sub adult.

He is longer than my 18 month old male. Almost as long as my 2012 boy., but rail thin. For whatever that's worth.

The story is that he is a "live feeder" only. The person I bought him from didn't have a 'source' for live. (Funnily enough I live in the same city and seem to be able to keep my live feeder a chunky monkey :rolleyes:).

The meal he took and regurged was a frozen thawed mouse fuzzy. Yes. Fuzzy.

I snapped a quick pic when I changed his water this morning... I'll post in a sec...