Help Help Help!! Hatchling BP in Trouble

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fightfan311

Update:
Took him to the vet and she was AWESOME! She reassured me that he is in no immediate danger and that the most important part of the ordeal from here on out is to keep him clean and get him to eat. She gave me a chlorhezadine solution to dilute with water and bathe him in every day. Said the laceration and subsequent scar will get less noticeable with each shed. Keeping him on clean paper towels until further notice..
Any other suggestions?

---

Good for you for taking him to a vet. Just follow the vets directions and your snake will be fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fightfan311

Update:
Took him to the vet and she was AWESOME! She reassured me that he is in no immediate danger and that the most important part of the ordeal from here on out is to keep him clean and get him to eat. She gave me a chlorhezadine solution to dilute with water and bathe him in every day. Said the laceration and subsequent scar will get less noticeable with each shed. Keeping him on clean paper towels until further notice..
Any other suggestions?

---

what happened to it? What caused the laceration if I could ask?

glad u got your baby checked out. All my best to your your cutie baby BP.

Glad it looks like he'll be fine!

I would definitely want to find out how that happened. If it's a laceration, something caused it. If it's a torn vent, then maybe the sexing did it and no one noticed until it became infected...

If it's an outside laceration, then yes, as long as it eats and you keep it clean and treat it as per vet directions, the scar will decrease with every shed until it's gone completely.

If it's a torn vent, I would make sure to ask the vet about the animal going poo and getting it nasty, etc.

Definitely follow the vet instructions though. That's why they go to vet school, after all.

Good luck and glad to hear the good news from the vet visit.

I'm glad you have a vet to help you.

Now, as to feeding the little darling. If you have access to live food, that is the route I would take for now. A pinky mouse or rat is really too small for the little bit. Try a fuzzy rat or hopper mouse. The best time to try is after sunset, since ball pythons are nocturnal. Place the prey in a small container near the baby to get it's scent in the air for an hour or so. Make the attempt a non-event. Simply open the babies tub, remove the hide if you need to, and drop in the prey. Close the tub and wait, keeping the lighting dim. Don't hover over the baby and tub, but remain nearby in case of trouble.

As long as the baby has access to fresh water, they will drink when they need to, even if you don't see it.

Gale

Update #2

"Shaggy" (as my kids finally named him lol) is doing better...the laceration has dramatically improved due to following the Vet's prescription to the letter. I tried every recommended feeding method and type(except ASFs) and nothing. The vet told me not to let him get beyond the Three-Week-Mark without feeding so I attempted an assist feed on the evening of the 3rd week...nope.
But, as I said, I am following the Vet's instructions Verbatim so I GENTLY force fed a fuzzy mouse with the blunt end of a ball point pen. He seemed really pissed off at me for a day or so but is has pooped and is now acting as if he's hungry again, being very active most of the day and night. I'm thinking of ordering some ASFs for him over the 'net to see if that might do the trick...My Yellowbelly BP(Scooby) that was from a different breeder but was born on the exact same day as Shaggy is almost twice Shaggy's size/weight and is destroying rat pups weekly.:gj:

I would try a live hopper mouse before ordering ASF.