Well time for liquid food

you've been given some great info in this thread. i agree with it all.

one thing i have read on this forum in the past is that some vets, even though they treat herps... it's not something they know a lot about... so before you allow your vet to start your snake on a liquid diet, please be sure of the 'knowledge level' your vet has acquired.

here is her tub for last 4 weeks...

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/2713/babytubkp4.jpg

those hides are not secure at all. get something more like what jo described--something like a bowl turned upside down with a hole cut or melted into it. it should be just big enough for the snake to fit into but not roomy. you should have one of these on each end of the enclosure.

is that blue bowl a humid hide? it looks way too wet--the moss should just be moist, but not so wet that you can squeeze water out of it. also, turn it upside down so that the clear part is on the bottom so it will be more secure feeling.

actually moss was dry the day of this pic... but i have one of these bowls in 3 tubs and they will sit in them for days.....

A nice start, just perhaps a few "tweaks" I'd suggest. Pull out the big bowl and just put in a small, easy to clean and heavy water dish. I use small white rammikans I get from Target for the babies (you get 4 for about $6.00). I also have some very small heavy ceramic pet dishes that you can find in pretty much any pet store. That will free up the space needed for two identical hides. What you've got now is basically one hide and the half log hides aren't that great for ball pythons.

Basically, think like a small shy nocturnal snake. First off, you are just as much a prey item than a predator when you are small so hiding is a way to perserve your existance. With a half log the snake is never really protected in it's hide as there are two entrances to "guard" from predators approaching. I would suggest two identical small, tight, dark bowls or the plastic spill pans from planter pots with appropriate small entrances cut into them. One on each side so the snake can properly thermoregulate (plus utilizing the newspaper trick so it can move hide to hide in "safety").

Is the other thing a humid hide? With a tub normally you shouldn't need to have that in there taking up space as tubs keep a nice 50-60% humidity. Generally if you feel you need a humid hide you can just add it in at the first sign of impending shed. There's an excellent shed write-up/pictorial here for you to review.

Other than what your vet can do medically for this snake (was it checked for internal parasites when the RI was going on?), your job as it's owner is to give it the best environment that will encourage a strong feeding response. With a few small tweaks I think you are almost there. :)

ok we will wait a couple more weeks... i willk add more hides this evening,,,,

The last thing I do want to add though is remember in the end this is your snake, you are the only one that can see and has hands on with this snake. If you feel it needs to see the vet for a followup, to make sure the RI has completely gone or to check for any parasite load this is your call. We can only suggest husbandry changes, etc. but in the end if this snake needs further medical intervention or is going downhill fast, then a call to an experienced herp vet will be the way to go. Unfortunately, over a computer, none of us can really help you with knowing when that is appropriate.