Snake twisting around/shaky, IBD?

Take it! I would...
I would also try feeding him. Pinkies are way too small for him. Try a rat crawler. If he eats it there's no doubt about taking him home. He deserves a life and you sound like your willing and able to give him the attention he needs.

What did You decide to do with this sweet little snake?

The vet offered to keep him for a week to see if it gets worse, on Tuesday we are going to try to feed. In the mean time I am rabidly reading all I can about ball python care.

It is odd, this seems to get better for a bit. He is definitely less wobbly when he is stargazing/bending over backwards. Sometimes he acts almost normal.

The thing that really worries me is that if you flip him over he will stay flipped over for a bit. It just doesn't seem natural and I have only really read about that with IBD. Beyond that the exotic vet has told me really any neurological issue can cause this symptom in a snake. Since this snake is from one of the big pet marts there is really a lot that could have gone wrong.

Would it be best to attempt to feed with what the snake is used to (thawed pinky and fuzzy mice), or try to do thawed rat? I can't find anywhere local that carries live.

Thanks for the update. This story has intrigued me and I hope he makes it. If he is used to mice I would attempt to feed him what he is used to, but maybe a more proper sized meal for him and not a pinkie. If you really want to try and feed him live I'd recommend joining a local reptile oriented facebook group, they can probably help point you in the right direction of local rodent breeders.

I am already pretty attached to him. I get to sign the "adoption" papers this monday then he will officially be mine.

Has anybody heard of this stuff or used it in snakes? It is supposed to help with neuro issues apparently.

http://www.vetriscience.com/index.ph...il&p=900590120

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Originally Posted by mtag

I am already pretty attached to him. I get to sign the "adoption" papers this monday then he will officially be mine.

Has anybody heard of this stuff or used it in snakes? It is supposed to help with neuro issues apparently.

http://www.vetriscience.com/index.ph...il&p=900590120

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The neuro issues are neurological damage - it cannot be reversed. It's either due to some sort of hereditary issue, chemical or mechanical trauma...or a pathogen.

If it's the former three, a supplement is not going to heal the damage... if it's pathogenic you can potentially stop additional damage, but giving snake oil to a snake isn't going to fix anything.

In the end, it goes without saying that it's your decision, however perhaps you can become attached to an animal that is not either sick or has a potentially life-shortening defect.

I had a carpet python that recently passed that I had received from someone who couldn't take care of her anymore. The snake had been kept on ceder chips for a while and had deveoped moderately severe neurological symptoms. Head quaver, neck twisting, turning over, difficulty controlling her movements, etc. I had her for 10 years. While her symptoms did get slightly better over time they never went away completely. I had to feed her by holding the rat up againsts the left side of her neck right behind her head so she could find it and constict it otherwise she always missed. She was a nice snake and a rewarding pet. I used her several times for educational programs but she was a special needs animal for the rest of her life.

That makes sense. I am a dog nut so I know there are some supplements that help with certain conditions with dogs, but I have no idea how that transfers over to a non-mammal.

I want to give it a chance and even if he does pass away in the near future I will have a practice run for my future snake. I have been going back and forth between a ball python or a corn snake, so this will give me a good chance to see.

Should I try using feeding tongs or drop the mouse in?

Definitely keep us updated on his progress once you get him home. You potentially have an animal that can bring years of education and beneficial experience to not only yourself but other snake owners and enthusiasts. Without being blindly optimistic, I wish you the best of luck and hope you can set up a steady situation with your new friend. Let us all know how he takes to the change in situation and if anything improves or changes. Who knows, this snake might just teach everyone something new about what is known about neuro deficits/abnormalities in snakes in general.

Today I went into the store he came from to ask them about the snake as they were REALLY vague over the phone.

I now know for sure that he ate last Tuesday from a tong. He struck it and ate it. The most interesting thing I learned is that upon arrival he was VERY cold. They said he was cold to the touch and would barely move around. They didn't notice the wobble till the next day when they found him laying upside down. I don't know if this was because he just wasn't moving as much so it wasn't obvious, or if it was because it didn't start until he started to warm up.