Is my young ball python fat or sick? Photos

Before everyone jumps on me and says "take her to the vet", let me see if I actually need to take her to the vet or not. Maybe this is normal or a quick fix.

After a shed my young female ball python seems to have turned a lighter color and she appears to be swollen. Like her scales are farther spaced apart. She also feels more stiff. When I hold her she likes to lay more stretched out and doesn't bend as easily. Very hard to explain, her body just feels different and not as flexible. She is acting 100% like she always has. Curious, hides in her hidey hole, eats well, same temperament. I have been feeding them twice a week. They are 24 inches long. Is she maybe getting fat or possibly is constipated? She looks 100% perfect with everything except this. No bubbles, no breathing issues, no bulges, nothing. Just kinda fat looking and not as bendy. She has been like this for a few weeks now. Yesterday her sister was feeling a little bit like that too after a shed. Am I just over feeding her and she's fat?

The ambient heat is 82, warm end is around 94. Humidity is around 65%. They are handled once or twice a week.


This first photo shows her.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/DSC05462.jpg




Second photo shows her on the left and her brother (which doesn't show these symptoms) on the right.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/DSC05464.jpg




Third photo shows her brother on the left and her on the right.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/DSC05468.jpg

Depending on age/size, they should only be eating every 5-7 days.

Are you monitoring her weight? It's a good idea to go to walmart and grab a scale know how much she is growing.

She doens't look fat, but twice a week is probably a little much. I would cut it back to once a week.

I think she looks perfectly healthy. It's hard to get a Ball Python fat, as they can be picky eaters, but if they are you will see skin pushing out from under her scales.

You don't house them together, do you?

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

Are you monitoring her weight? It's a good idea to go to walmart and grab a scale know how much she is growing.

She doens't look fat, but twice a week is probably a little much. I would cut it back to once a week.

I think she looks perfectly healthy. It's hard to get a Ball Python fat, as they can be picky eaters, but if they are you will see skin pushing out from under her scales.

You don't house them together, do you?

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They aren't housed together. They each have their own tub in the rack. I do need to start weighing them.

Mine aren't picky eaters at all. They always eat and always appear hungry to eat. They are each receiving a hopper mouse twice a week. I haven't had any of them refuse a meal even during shedding they still eat. I can see skin in between her scales. So maybe she is fat? I can't think of anything else it could be. My husband wanted them on the twice a week feedings so they would grow faster. Is that too often for younger balls?

A hopper mouse is what you feed a ball python for its first few meals. Sounds like they should be getting bigger meals by now.

She looks fine in the pic, I get the feeling you have never seen a ball python with a full belly.

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Originally Posted by lusciousdragon

They aren't housed together. They each have their own tub in the rack. I do need to start weighing them.

Mine aren't picky eaters at all. They always eat and always appear hungry to eat. They are each receiving a hopper mouse twice a week. I haven't had any of them refuse a meal even during shedding they still eat. I can see skin in between her scales. So maybe she is fat? I can't think of anything else it could be. My husband wanted them on the twice a week feedings so they would grow faster. Is that too often for younger balls?

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Well, no wonder they are so hungry all the time. That is way small for your girl. Way small. A hatchling bp can handle an adult mouse. I would feed once a week a weanling rat. But, definately get a scale to see their growth. Feed someting as big around as the widest part of the snakes body.

I do not think they are fat at all. In the last pic the snake on the right has a slightly underfed triangle look.

Good luck!

Oooooh so you all think that maybe they are supposed to feel like how she does and I didn't know it? That might be it. I have only had one other ball python and it was a big full grown girl. These are my first little ones. I have about 100 of these hopper mice left frozen. So I should continue feeding those twice a week and then once they are gone to offer them a big mouse or weanling rat once a week after that?
Sorry for my questions, I thought I was feeding them correctly :( . They get a lot of love and attention here, so now I feel bad that I wasn't feeding them correctly. I thought maybe I was over feeding them if anything. If I weight her could you tell me if she is over or under weight for being 24 inches long?

it a sign that ur bp willlay egg.lolz!.just kidding.i never seen this before.

I personally would save the hoppers for future little ones or emergencies, and go buy some adult mice. Or weaned rats depending on their size. Feed 1x weekly and that will give her a good schedule.

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

I personally would save the hoppers for future little ones or emergencies, and go buy some adult mice. Or weaned rats depending on their size. Feed 1x weekly and that will give her a good schedule.

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Agreed. It's ok. I mean they are way small, but at least she was getting two a week. You weren't hurting them by any means. And, now we can get them on a steady food schedule. :)

You can continue to feed them, but you would need to feed a lot. I'm guessing your little ones are in the 300 g range. Just out of the blue guess, not educated or anything. That means they can eat 30-45 g's of food a week. I'm lucky to find an adult mouse at 20 grams. Lets say your mouse hoppers are around 5. Thats 6-9 hoppers a session. That's alot. And at under 5 grams your bp's would be good on a 5 day schedule. For 3 bp's that's over 100 hoppers. :P

Don't worry yourself though. I think they look fairly healthy. Just need to upgrade thier num nums. :) And then, they will start fasting for you. So, it's a roller coaster no matter what.

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

Agreed. It's ok. I mean they are way small, but at least she was getting two a week. You weren't hurting them by any means. And, now we can get them on a steady food schedule. :)

You can continue to feed them, but you would need to feed a lot. I'm guessing your little ones are in the 300 g range. Just out of the blue guess, not educated or anything. That means they can eat 30-45 g's of food a week. I'm lucky to find an adult mouse at 20 grams. Lets say your mouse hoppers are around 5. Thats 6-9 hoppers a session. That's alot. And at under 5 grams your bp's would be good on a 5 day schedule. For 3 bp's that's over 100 hoppers. :P

Don't worry yourself though. I think they look fairly healthy. Just need to upgrade thier num nums. :) And then, they will start fasting for you. So, it's a roller coaster no matter what.

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Thanks for your help! I do appreciate it. I just now weighted them (I have a postage scale for my ebay sales). The girl pictured weights 200 grams. Her brother weights 198 grams. Her sister weights 178 grams. They are each 24 inches long. They last ate on Tuesday. Not sure when they last poo'd as I don't record those. Their hopper mice are averaging at 5 grams a piece. So maybe 2 of the hoppers twice a week? 4 total for the week? Next time I go to a show I can pick up some larger food. What size of food should they be eating? I buy from Rodentpro and they go to one of the shows here in Ohio once a month.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

I personally would save the hoppers for future little ones or emergencies, and go buy some adult mice. Or weaned rats depending on their size. Feed 1x weekly and that will give her a good schedule.

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I'll save them for in the future. Do you know how long they will keep frozen? I just always worried about giving them too big of food.

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Originally Posted by lusciousdragon

Thanks for your help! I do appreciate it. I just now weighted them (I have a postage scale for my ebay sales). The girl pictured weights 200 grams. Her brother weights 198 grams. Her sister weights 178 grams. They are each 24 inches long. They last ate on Tuesday. Not sure when they last poo'd as I don't record those. Their hopper mice are averaging at 5 grams a piece. So maybe 2 of the hoppers twice a week? 4 total for the week? Next time I go to a show I can pick up some larger food. What size of food should they be eating? I buy from Rodentpro and they go to one of the shows here in Ohio once a month.

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Awww. They are wittle. :P Sorry, babies are my favorite.

They will do fine on 20-30 grams of food. So, they need about 4 a week. You can try all at once, or 2 twice a week. It seems like a lot of work, but your guys are pretty small so it probably won't stress them out too much. At this point they will take what they can get. The great thing about young ones.

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

Awww. They are wittle. :P Sorry, babies are my favorite.

They will do fine on 20-30 grams of food. So, they need about 4 a week. You can try all at once, or 2 twice a week. It seems like a lot of work, but your guys are pretty small so it probably won't stress them out too much. At this point they will take what they can get. The great thing about young ones.

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Ok I'll try that out! So if they all start swelling up like that, then thats a good thing huh? Here I thought there was something wrong with her. I am honestly not an idiot, just not familiar with baby balls. :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lusciousdragon

Thanks for your help! I do appreciate it. I just now weighted them (I have a postage scale for my ebay sales). The girl pictured weights 200 grams. Her brother weights 198 grams. Her sister weights 178 grams. They are each 24 inches long. They last ate on Tuesday. Not sure when they last poo'd as I don't record those. Their hopper mice are averaging at 5 grams a piece. So maybe 2 of the hoppers twice a week? 4 total for the week? Next time I go to a show I can pick up some larger food. What size of food should they be eating? I buy from Rodentpro and they go to one of the shows here in Ohio once a month.

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Mine are about the same size and they are currently on rat Pups. I live in Northern Kentucky and there is a pretty good reptile show in Cincinnati (near Kings Island)http://cincityreptileshow.com/ and DK Reptiles will be there. http://dkreptilesales.com/index.php?...d=53&Itemid=50 They have a large variety of frozen. You may have a hard time changing them over to rats (I heard that can be tricky) but you never know, as hungry as they act they may love it.

The next one is this Sunday April 10th. 10am-4pm :) Were going! :D

The frozen will keep for a good long while. I'm not to sure on an actual use by. Bc things tend to go quickly out of my freezer. But as long as it's airtight I think they'll be fine.

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Originally Posted by MoshBalls

Mine are about the same size and they are currently on rat Pups. I live in Northern Kentucky and there is a pretty good reptile show in Cincinnati (near Kings Island)http://cincityreptileshow.com/ and DK Reptiles will be there. http://dkreptilesales.com/index.php?...d=53&Itemid=50 They have a large variety of frozen. You may have a hard time changing them over to rats (I heard that can be tricky) but you never know, as hungry as they act they may love it.

The next one is this Sunday April 10th. 10am-4pm :) Were going! :D

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Oh cool Northen Kentucky. I am heading to Pittsburgh this weekend as a romantic weekend thing with my husband. I am hoping to stop over at the Pittsburgh show there on Sunday. A friend of mine is going to the Cinci show this weekend though. I think I am just going to "look".
I can't see these guys turning down rats. I fed them each 2 of the mice a little bit ago and they ate them right up. Maybe I'll pick up rats next time then.

Don't worry about thinking you were doing the right thing only to find out you weren't. The important thing is you came here looking for help, so now you can do right by the babies!

One word of advise on keeping the hoppers for a long time, divide them up into smaller amounts and vacuum seal them, they'll last about a year. The way I know they are too old? If there are ice crystals in the bag, or the feet and ears and tails have white spots from freezer burn.

For your three, if you go ahead and feed all three two hoppers twice a week, you'll go through that 100 in no time flat. If the bigger girl will take three, let her have them. Just watch that she's digesting them if you offer that many. Basically, if she eats three hoppers and is out hunting for more food on the next feeding day, let her have three. If she doesn't seem as eager as the others keep her at two.

And just so you know, BP's are very thick, heavy bodied snakes that should feel like solid tubes of muscle. So chances are, your girl is just putting in the weight she needs, and is starting to feel like a healthy, well fed snake. :)

Gale