Blood on Bedding?

So, we adopted a female adult ball python. When we got her she was slightly underweight, had some bite marks from the previous owners mistakes of not observing live feedings, and had a really bad shed.

She has three bite marks, here is a photo of one.

http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/q...a/P1010020.jpg

She refuses to eat a full rat, like she is scared of them. So I feed two medium mice.

I went in her tank today and found bloody bedding...what could it be? Her temps are 88 on the hot end and 76 on the cool end. She has two hides and a big water bowl.

Here is a full pic of her.

http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/q...a/P1010009.jpg

It almost looked like she regurged a mouse but the mouse was nowhere to be found...do you think she re-ate it?

I am making an appointment for the vet but takes a week at the least to get in. Any help is appriciated. Thanks!

I've never heard of a snake eating a regurge. Your temps are too low on the hot side, they should be right around 91-92. ALso too low on the cool side, should be around 80. Could she have scraped one of the bite marks on something in the tank?

I shoot for...

78-80 cool end
86-87 warm end
90-92 hot spot if your using a heat pad

91-92 is too hot for an ambient temp IMO

Did the snake shed recently since the bedding was changed?

91-92 is the hot spot, sorry if that wasn't clear. ;)

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Originally Posted by Sammy412

I've never heard of a snake eating a regurge. Your temps are too low on the hot side, they should be right around 91-92. ALso too low on the cool side, should be around 80. Could she have scraped one of the bite marks on something in the tank?

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Possibly the branch/log thing that is in there for when she sheds...They are old bite wounds...can they re-open?

Also, the blood was no where near the poo/urate.

Good that it wasn't near the waste. If that picture is recent, then she could have pulled it on something and made it bleed a little. I know if I get a rescue with bite wounds, they go on paper towels with smooth plastic hides, just to be on the safe side until they are healed. The would in that picture still looks open a little.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sammy412

91-92 is the hot spot, sorry if that wasn't clear. ;)

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Ok, there is a heat mat in there too though. I don't have a temp gun yet so the two thermometers are about 3" from the ground...would the big heat pad make the temp a bit higher?

Yeah, the temp will not be accurate even 3 inches above. Temp guns are awesome, I love mine.

I double checked my thermometer too...it's a weird one. The line is between the numbers 87 and 92. So about 89-90?

The thermometer skips a few numbers...goes from 87-92 and the temp is saying it's right inbetween the two numbers, closer to 92. I need a better one, lol.

But again, there is also the heat pad.

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Originally Posted by Sammy412

Yeah, the temp will not be accurate even 3 inches above. Temp guns are awesome, I love mine.

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I got one in an order...just need to get a bit more money to get it shipped in.

But still...what could the blood be from?

Remember that the air temps, even if it's not that high from the floor of the tank, is always a lot cooler than the belly temp. Your snake doesn't hover 3" above the floor of their enclosure.

If there was a lot of blood, I'd be a bit worried. Did she maybe shed recently? The can sometimes be a bit rough on themselves and they can make themselves bleed a little, that's no biggy.

Another thing to consider is the possibility of it being from a feeder. Sometimes the snake can be kinda rough and it can make the feeder's belly explode (gross, I know), so maybe it's feeder blood from something like that?

Next time you have her out, take a good look at her to make sure she doesn't have any open wounds. If she does, you should make sure that she doesn't get it infected, and you might want to bring her to a vet.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

I shoot for...

78-80 cool end
86-87 warm end
90-92 hot spot if your using a heat pad

91-92 is too hot for an ambient temp IMO

Did the snake shed recently since the bedding was changed?

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The bedding was changed after her horrible shed. I had to put her in the bathtub and let her soak a long while, then gently rubbed it off her. It came off easy, just in little pieces and like a million of them.

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Originally Posted by lexxielightning

Remember that the air temps, even if it's not that high from the floor of the tank, is always a lot cooler than the belly temp. Your snake doesn't hover 3" above the floor of their enclosure.

If there was a lot of blood, I'd be a bit worried. Did she maybe shed recently? The can sometimes be a bit rough on themselves and they can make themselves bleed a little, that's no biggy.

Another thing to consider is the possibility of it being from a feeder. Sometimes the snake can be kinda rough and it can make the feeder's belly explode (gross, I know), so maybe it's feeder blood from something like that?

Next time you have her out, take a good look at her to make sure she doesn't have any open wounds. If she does, you should make sure that she doesn't get it infected, and you might want to bring her to a vet.

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Eww, I didn't know feeder bellies exploded, haha. She has no open wounds, and she shed over a week ago. Maybe since I have to feed her two 'fresh killed' mice one exploded? (2 mice cuz she wont eat a rat) She had no sign of blood on her or the stick or near her poo/urate...

I do plan to get her to the vet anyways...I am getting fecals done on all my snakes :) Checkups are so not fun, haha. But I like to make sure they are healthy. Vet bill for 9 snakes...not fun, haha. But I'm only doing a few at a time. This turn are my 2 ball pythons :)

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Originally Posted by SnakeLady1990

Eww, I didn't know feeder bellies exploded, haha. She has no open wounds, and she shed over a week ago. Maybe since I have to feed her two 'fresh killed' mice one exploded? (2 mice cuz she wont eat a rat)

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It sounds to me like it's blood from the feeder. If she has no bodily signs of injury and it's not in the stool, then it sounds like that's the only logical explanation. Good call on the vet visit, and a 9-snake bill sounds like no fun at all!

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Originally Posted by lexxielightning

It sounds to me like it's blood from the feeder. If she has no bodily signs of injury and it's not in the stool, then it sounds like that's the only logical explanation. Good call on the vet visit, and a 9-snake bill sounds like no fun at all!

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Not fun, but they are my babies and get the best care I can find them :) I sure hope the exploded food was it. She wont eat frozen but she will eat fresh killed so I have to 'thump' them which can really crack thier skulls...maybe a big blood rush from that. Thank you for your help!

And thanks everyone else!

ok, I have made her a vet appointment for Oct. 30th for a fecal and full exam...since she was in such poor care before I obtained her, I decided to do the full exam to look for any 'hidden' illness.

I do have to say though...this is the first time I have ever taken anything to a vet as these animals are my first animals I have ever had 'myself'...as in w/o my parents help, haha. What can I expect?

I got on a local vet forum and called the two top recommended herp vets and I am going to the more experienced one. It's a $40 first time pet AND owner charge and the fecal is $20 so not as bad as I thought it would be. Anything else done is extra so I'm taking $150 in case they need to do some other test. Plus I plan to take one other of my snakes with me ... they said it doesn't matter which one I bring, just that it's another $25 charge for the pets first visit...after they all come at least once the 'office charge' will drop and it'll be regular prices afterwards.

I am going to wait until closer to the date of the appointment to decide who else to take...everyone else is doing fine, eating well and I'm not sure who to take! haha. I might take my little amel corn snake since it's the only one I do not know the sex of, but if one of my other snakes show a sign of illness I'll take them instead. :) I'm so excited!...yet I'm anxious...I don't know what to think :)

Oh, and the only reason I am waiting until october...I'll have a whole $350 to go towards all this so that way I know I can cover any costs for meds, ect. Plus this vet is kinda hard to get into...they are always FULL! that is good right?

Is it bad that I am waiting so long?

Well, she seems to be doing fine...comes out every night when the lightes go out and drinks, then wanders around her tank ... should I feed her on feeding day? I still haven't found any source for the blood except the idea of the exploded feeder...