Ball Python from Work - strange behavior and pigmentation

Also take care with your own collection. Change your clothes and sterilized before going any where near yours. You might not be able to help the ones at work, just make sure to protect your own.

I've been changing clothes, and washing before entering my reptile room.

So I was not able to isolate the python's cage mate but told my department manager that we needed to watch him for symptoms. That same day she is on the phone with the district pet care manager saying she wants to transfer over one python to her store because "we have too many" Today I learn from my co-worker that it may be the python that was housed with the one with symptoms. I was like :O How dumb can you be? My co-worker says that my manager says she doesn't think there is anything wrong with the python in the sick room.

I work with ball pythons every single day, at work, and at home. I feed them, I clean them, I breed them. I KNOW when something doesn't look right. I plan on going to my store manager about this. I will do so in a polite and professional manner, but I will definitely be letting him know that this was a very bad move on her part. According to my co-worker my pet care manager says the department is hers and we need to get over it" Um, five years old much?

Anyway, I will get the video and pics tonight (phone is charging away so I will definitely have it) Maybe then we can help figure out what this is, or I can at least get an idea on what it might be so I can go to the store manager to get him to the vet.

And I understand about steering people away from pet stores. It is why part of me wants to start my own store, but I doubt it will ever happen. I got the job there so I can try and make a difference (give people the right information, help the animals) but with this manager, I don't see that happening. Her and I butt heads almost every day. We are both very dominant people. I'm more dominant in the fact I care about the animals and I want to do what is best for them. She's dominant in the fact she wants to save and earn money. I really hope she flunks out of vet school when she gets there. Can you imagine her being a vet?

What a horrible manager. If you don't want to provide the best care for animals, WHY are you working at a pet store, or anywhere where there are animals in general? I'd (professionally, but firmly) tell her exactly what you think, and your experience to back it up. Knowing this type of person though, you probably will have to watch the animals just suffer without any help. And just because she wants to be a vet, DOESN'T mean she's going to work with reptiles. Many vets aren't qualified to work on reptiles because they're a specialized field, thus why it's often hard to find a vet for them.

I hope you can do everything you can for the little guys. :please:

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I really hope she flunks out of vet school when she gets there. Can you imagine her being a vet?

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This is a very disturbing thought indeed. The last thing we need is a veterinarian who is more interested in profit than the well-being of animals. If she doesn't see something wrong with AT LEAST the heating issue at that store, something tells me she won't make it into vet school anyways. I'm well aware of how insanely difficult it is to get into a good one. Anyways, since this seems to be out of your hands, the only way you can make something good come of this is steer customers away from buying those snakes. The last thing an excited 10 year old needs is for his first pet (i'm sure we all remember our own and how devastated we were when he or she died) to die a few weeks after he gets it because the pet store was too interested in earning money to take good care of the snake.

ANYHOO, pictures/video would definitely be helpful :D

She wants to be an equine vet. Horses have many diseases that are highly contagious. If she's willing to risk disease and illness in a few ball pythons, what is to stop her with someone's horse. It is the probably one of the most important things when working in any type of medicine. If there is an illness, you isolate that individual for observation and testing to determine the cause. After diagnosis you treat. If that individual was exposed to any other individuals, you QT them as well for observation. Even I know that.

She says that the district pet care manager owns two snakes so she listens to her when it comes to reptiles.

With the habitat's temp being so low, that is how the habitat is designed. The ball python cages use 25watt bulbs I think. The bearded dragons use 40watt. The 40watt bulb would give the ball pythons the heat they need, but because the python habitat uses a plastic lid, we can't use anything over a 25. We use the plastic lid to keep humidity in. If we use a metal lid (like the bearded dragons use) then it is against policy. They had this survey go around to all the stores and the associates were to complete the survey. At the end of the survey it gives you a box for comments. I talked about the habitats not providing proper care, but what is one little comment box going to change. I've thought about going to higher management about it, but no one wants to ruffle any feathers. And why would they trust the opinion of some random part time associate that happens to keep snakes, over the opinion of veterinarians that work with Petsmart?

Vets who work with petstore chains i would hope to god would be appalled at how snakes and other reptiles are treated at the stores. What is 20 vets going to do with... 5,000+ stores for chain stores. They can't keep track of all of them. I bet you that any of those vets would not tell you that a temperature ceiling of 85 on a good day was acceptable.

If those habitats can't keep the optimal temps for the animals then they need to change the habitat or only have animals in them that they can provide the correct husbandry for. My preference is to not even sell Those poor animals. Holy crap actually provide the basic needs for the animals they are selling? Wow. It's disturbing to me that they know and acknowledge that the habitats can not provide the correct husbandry for the animals but it's ok with them.


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I've mentioned to my manager many times (the store manager) that the habitats were not adequate, but nothing is done. I'll get readings on all of the "hot spots" in the habitats on Saturday and post them up here along with what species has which hot spot.

I got pictures of the ball pythons belly but wasn't able to get good video of him wobbling. Yesterday he didn't wobble as much as he did the first day (it was hardly noticeable last night) but when I took him out today, he was wobbling a lot. He'll be cruising along and have his head slightly elevated, and then he'll go to change direction and he'll wobble back and forth like he's really unsteady.

I talked with one of the managers in the store and he said they are shooting around emails to other managers and vets to see if they can figure out what to do about him. I'm uploading the pics of his belly right now.

I'm not surpised that your stores BP's don't eat. They are being housed together and get moved for feedings. Then mix that with an already stressed animal and incorrect husbandry...

I know this isn't your doing though...Pet stores just suck!