new ball python : malnourished

Also I have a live hooper on me right now and he won't eat so what should I do with him

Poor little lamb. Take things slow with him, in his condition he will need small meals frequently, rather than larger ones. You heart wants to stuff him and help him gain weight fast, but you should not do that. Feed him a hopper mouse or rat, whatever he will take every 5 days if he'll eat them. Don't fuss at him over the whole mouse/rat debate, just get him eating if you can. Give him a small, warm, clean enclosure with a tight hide and fresh water and let him relax for a day or so. His poor weakened system has already been through a lot, and taking it too far too fast will only make things worse.

try not to disturb him any more than is absolutely necessary, as hard as that is to do, he'll be better for it. Keep his area a little on the dim/dark side and as quiet as you can. If you have access to f/t feeders you can try those, otherwise try live. But remember small live prey, he's too weak to take on a properly sized meal right now, so going small and feeding more often is what he needs to begin to recover. You can worry about prey size in a few months once he's gained some size and strength back. I've dealt with a number of badly malnourished snakes myself, most of them came around given time and care, but I've lost two that were simply too far gone when I got them. So do your best, but keep it in the back of your mind there could be something wrong inside from the neglect that you cannot see.

If he refuses food again, wait at least 2 days before trying again. Forcing food on him over and over and over is only going to stress his already weak body and may cause him to take even longer to get feeding. If he seems to be having a hard time, or is not interested in hopper mice/rats, try to get your hands on a crawler rat. Hoppers get that name for a reason, and may be a little too crazy for him. You won't know until you try. If he seems interested but too weak/slow to hit a hopper, you can always p/k the hopper and then offer it. A hard thump to the back of the head, or a quick cervical dislocation is your best option if that becomes necessary.

Please let us know how he does.

Gale

Thank you im going to look for frozen hoppers over the weekend and feed Monday or Sunday

Were me....I would thunk that hopper (strong flick to the back of the head should kill it instantly) and leave it in with the snake overnight. Stick its head just outside the snake's hide.

Here is what I would do for optimal result if you have not done so already

6 quarts tub, aspen bedding to allow the animal to burrow, 6 inches plastic flower pot saucer, 76/88 for temps, wait a week, NO HANDLING, offer a LIVE hopper mouse for starter, open the tub, drop the mouse, close the tub and move away, remove the prey if not eaten after 15 min

A lot of good advice here.. Please keep us up to date..

Looks like it's having a bad shed. How's the humidity?

Should I do that now? Or after a couple of days .
He is in a tub setup
humidity is at 69%
should I kill the mouse and leave him in front of him

The shed was good from tail to mid body only the head has a large piece that doesn't want to come off

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Memo

The shed was good from tail to mid body only the head has a large piece that doesn't want to come off

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I will be watching this thread. As a snake owner, I have one snake who is a notoriously picky eater. She ate a f/t for me 2 days after I got her, then refused to eat for a like 3 weeks. She was actually losing weight and she was just beyond a hatchling size when I got her, so eating was crucial for her. Eventually, I tried a live mouse, and she ate it no problem. Most snake owners end up going through a time when their snake decides to be picky eaters. This can be caused by anything; e.g., too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry, too windy, not windy enough, or anything. One of my snakes was bitten by the live mouse I was feeding to it, and didn't eat for 2 weeks. So just get your husbandry dialed in and he may come around. I do agree with feeding him a f/t rat pup, but when you go to the store, you may want to buy a f/t rat pup, as well as a live one. The frozen one can always be put back in the freezer, and the longer the rat pup lives, the weaker it'll get (without it's mother's milk that is). That's a little inhumane, but if the rat is weak and unable to fight back a lot, then your snake may be more willing to try to eat it.