Re: Please help! Aggressive baby ball python!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AlabasterDynamo
She has super-rough sheds. She refuses to soak or go near her water on her own and that was one reason the vet had her in the first place. He had to inject liquid under her skin and force-soak her to shed, and to rehydrate her. She has been aggressive with me since I got her back from him in November. I will definitely try the washcloth idea!
A scale is not in the budget right now. I am currently asking around to see if someone has one I can borrow. I have friends who do a lot of mailing, so I assume one should have a postal scale! I did a decade ago, but no longer have it.
Yikes, no wonder she's upset! I agree you should look for a new vet, that doesn't sound right at all to me.
Gonna restate that soaking is unnecessary and can actually be harmful to the shedding process. Instead, make sure the humidity in your enclosure is at least 60% and bump it up closer to 70% when you notice she's going into shed. You might also want to consider adding a humid hide to the enclosure. Make/buy a new well-enclosed hide (a modified tupperware container can work well here) and fill it with sphagnum moss. Keep the moss damp at all times, but not so wet that you can wring water out of it. You'll have to maintain it probably once every day or two. This will give your girl a nice high-humidity retreat to go to when she needs it.
Re: Please help! Aggressive baby ball python!
I never knew that soaking was such a bad thing to do. I have owned several BPs and went to 2 different vets over the years which both told me to soak to help with tough sheds! I have never had to do that before. Just with this one. I only owned her for a couple weeks before I took her to this vet, who force-soaked her and told me to do the same. I figured I could trust the vet, but clearly I cannot. I really appreciate all the helpful suggestions from everyone here. I guess I have just been lucky in the past with my BPs and never "had to" soak them like the vets had suggested. I will work on proper husbandry and also re-plan her enclosure. She has more than she had when I got her, but it seems like I need to up her humidity and give her more hide and basking options with different temps. I just want her happy and healthy. This has been breaking my heart. This is my first BP I got as a baby. All my others have been adult rescues and we bonded easier and trusted eachother faster.
Re: Please help! Aggressive baby ball python!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AlabasterDynamo
I never knew that soaking was such a bad thing to do. I have owned several BPs and went to 2 different vets over the years which both told me to soak to help with tough sheds! I have never had to do that before. Just with this one. I only owned her for a couple weeks before I took her to this vet, who force-soaked her and told me to do the same. I figured I could trust the vet, but clearly I cannot. I really appreciate all the helpful suggestions from everyone here. I guess I have just been lucky in the past with my BPs and never "had to" soak them like the vets had suggested. I will work on proper husbandry and also re-plan her enclosure. She has more than she had when I got her, but it seems like I need to up her humidity and give her more hide and basking options with different temps. I just want her happy and healthy. This has been breaking my heart. This is my first BP I got as a baby. All my others have been adult rescues and we bonded easier and trusted eachother faster.
You're on the right track! Ball pythons are pretty hardy and I'm sure she'll bounce back and settle in nicely once you make some adjustments.
Best advice is to triple-check any information you come across, even if it's from a vet. Take the initiative to do a lot of research and don't always trust the first source you find until you're able to confirm it with other experienced keepers. There's so much outdated and incorrect advice out there and it can be hard to sift through.
