Help with burm

I recently bought a female burm. She's between 8 and 9 feet. Very skinny, has basically nothing on her. Like retic skinny. Almost colubrid like. Her underside caves in and her skin is very baggy. The guy I bought her from said she recently laid eggs. Is this what they're supposed to be like after laying eggs? She has a big scar on her face, I have no idea what it's from because he said he didn't feed her live. When I brought her home I put her in quarantine. Today I noticed she has a scab on her gums. All the substrate was also sticking on around the front of her mouth. She's extremely restless. I thought I noticed mites today so I soaked her, cleaned her enclosure, washed it with mite spray, and wiped her off with a towel with mite spray on it. I don't see any more, but I really don't know what to think of her anymore. She doesn't stay still. She continually pushes up on the enclosure top. I notice sometimes she drools a little bit. I don't see any other signs of RI. Her temps are fine. It's getting really stressful because I don't know what's wrong. She doesn't do anything odd besides act very restless. Does anyone know what's up?

Pictures would help. It sounds like she's really under weight. I would probably take her to the vet too.

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Sounds very underweight. Do you have a weight?

Details on how you have her set up, temps and humidity etc. will help you get quicker answers.

Sounds like she was neglected :(

They get skinny after laying eggs, but from the description I highly doubt that is the case. It sounds like an underfed snake, the pushing could very well be a result of looking for food. I'd get her to a vet for a full check up including for a potential RI since burmese are notorious for that. Get a fecal done if you can when you can as well, they aren't too expensive. Make sure you have her very well QT'd. Burmese are not suppose to be morbid obese, but if scales can pinch together its bad news. Make sure you keep her warm and humidity up. And don't start with giant foods, work your way up for sure.

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

for a potential RI since burmese are notorious for that.

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This is news to me. Do you have a source for this bit of information?

Also, the rubbing is likely due to the mites. They itch, even after they're gone. Get the temp in the hot spot up to 92-94, make sure there's a water bowl big enough for it to soak in and try feeding it in a day or two. It will probably go into a shed cycle soon too. Pics would help.

Wilomn have I become your Ed Clark on BP? If so challenge accepted - A quick google search with "Burmese Python Illness" will show the majority of the reported problems to be RI or Pneumonia related illness. I trust you can type into google.

I don't have an exact weight. I have an 8 foot boa that was weighed 12 pounds and she is lighter than him. She's in a tank with a 93 hotspot and 50% humidity. I put her on paper towel to see any mites easier. She is far away from my other snakes in QT. I took some pictures of what I could get. I couldn't get her head close up because I can't keep her still. I'm getting info for a vet that's somewhat close by.
I just fed her and she took it quickly.

Here is her middle
http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/...pse0879a52.jpg
http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/...pse2716299.jpg
This is about as thick as she gets.
http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/...ps393dd714.jpg
This is what it looks like when I pick her up on some parts of her body, the skin sags completely away from the muscle.
http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4447faa7.jpg
Here is kinda how it caves in, I can't get a good picture. It does that all the way down her body.
http://i1310.photobucket.com/albums/...psafc95cbb.jpg

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

A quick google search with "Burmese Python Illness" will show the majority of the reported problems to be RI or Pneumonia related illness. I trust you can type into google.

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That's your source? Google? And everything on the internet is true too... So, no personal experience, which is understandable given that you are so young, but google alone does not a fact make.

That snake doesn't look that bad. If it's eating it's got a good chance of being just fine with a few meals and a good home.

Ok. How often should I feed her? Should I keep it at every 7 days? or? I've never dealt with a problem like this before.

Every 7 should be fine. A couple large rats or a nice fat jumbo, maybe a small rabbit if you can get one.

That big right now?
I didn't think snakes could eat anything bigger than how big they were around. Maybe i'm not right about that but I don't know?

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Originally Posted by wilomn

That's your source? Google? And everything on the internet is true too... So, no personal experience, which is understandable given that you are so young, but google alone does not a fact make.

That snake doesn't look that bad. If it's eating it's got a good chance of being just fine with a few meals and a good home.

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Ahh, the three of us meet again! This time I'll be third party. -puts on bulletproof vest-

While I agree that the internet is a tough place to get honest to goodness facts off, and there's a LOT of bad info out there, they said that one of the most "reported" illnesses is RI's. Which means that other people are claiming it as a common problem. So by that logic, I'm gonna say that they're going off of OTHER people's experiences, which is what the OP is/would be doing anyway. So without Burm owners/specialists chiming in to say otherwise that's about the best any of us can do.


To the OP, I'm no Burm owner, so I can't offer anything helpful in specifics about your new girl. I'll just say that I held a 9-footer at a show and she was like three times as big around as your new one. But being skinny isn't anything that good meals won't fix. Start slow with maybe one or two jumbo rats, and work up from there?

It's not that the burms are prone to RIs, it's that humans are prone to improper husbandry.

Do it right and 95% of the time you'll have no problems. Of course I've only produced a few hundred, and only kept them for about 20 years and never did have one get over 21 ft and a couple hundred pounds or so, so maybe I should go back to the internet too.

It's great the kid wants to help, but parroting what he reads, or what anyone reads and repeats as fact without really knowing if it is, isn't really helping or teaching anyone. Talk to breeders and keepers, go to the sites of the big guys, join forums and Herp Societies.

Do OTHER stuff than cruise the Net.

Kept properly they're not really prone to anything other than growing.

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Originally Posted by confucius

That big right now?
I didn't think snakes could eat anything bigger than how big they were around. Maybe i'm not right about that but I don't know?

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Big snakes eat big food. When you get him, I think it's a boy, on rabbits, you can go every 2 weeks with no problem.

I miss my Burm :(

I hope you get him back to health.

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Originally Posted by wilomn

It's not that the burms are prone to RIs, it's that humans are prone to improper husbandry.

Do it right and 95% of the time you'll have no problems. Of course I've only produced a few hundred, and only kept them for about 20 years and never did have one get over 21 ft and a couple hundred pounds or so, so maybe I should go back to the internet too.

It's great the kid wants to help, but parroting what he reads, or what anyone reads and repeats as fact without really knowing if it is, isn't really helping or teaching anyone. Talk to breeders and keepers, go to the sites of the big guys, join forums and Herp Societies.

Do OTHER stuff than cruise the Net.

Kept properly they're not really prone to anything other than growing.

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In order to not be a troll to you wilomn as you are quickly becoming to myself, I will only say this . . . Good for you. Now, in respect to that. Being the OP got the snake in poor condition, and bad husbandry is key, the experience of what is probably wrong is likely what occurs when the conditions and needs are not met. Since I don't abuse my animals to make them sick and see what sickness pops up first, I must result in third party experience on the matter. Not good enough? So sorry. Tell you what, go take one of your burms, underfeed it, lower its humidity to typical room levels. Let its water run dry all the time. Keep it on, oh i dont know, pine shreedings. Yeah! OK ok, and feed it a hopper mouse once a month, people do that right? Ok, good. Now keep this up for a few weeks. Oh and go ahead and turn your heater off. Who needs it! Now, when your snake gets sick you can give us your first hand experience on what sickness hits it first. :banana:

PS. Please do not refer to me as "Kid". The college degrees on my wall have earned me at least that respect from you. You may refer to me as Sir, Reptileexperts, or Mr. Conway. Thank you.

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

In order to not be a troll to you wilomn as you are quickly becoming to myself, I will only say this . . . Good for you. Now, in respect to that. Being the OP got the snake in poor condition, and bad husbandry is key, the experience of what is probably wrong is likely what occurs when the conditions and needs are not met. Since I don't abuse my animals to make them sick and see what sickness pops up first, I must result in third party experience on the matter. Not good enough? So sorry. Tell you what, go take one of your burms, underfeed it, lower its humidity to typical room levels. Let its water run dry all the time. Keep it on, oh i dont know, pine shreedings. Yeah! OK ok, and feed it a hopper mouse once a month, people do that right? Ok, good. Now keep this up for a few weeks. Oh and go ahead and turn your heater off. Who needs it! Now, when your snake gets sick you can give us your first hand experience on what sickness hits it first. :banana:

PS. Please do not refer to me as "Kid". The college degrees on my wall have earned me at least that respect from you. You may refer to me as Sir, Reptileexperts, or Mr. Conway. Thank you.

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Well Squirt, college taught you a lot. Riddle me this college boy-

When you don't have experience, and you're offering advice, and there's someone else who does have experience also offering advice, whose advice do you think may have more...weight? The fine college edumacated inexperienced oh so helpful kid, or the guy who's done this probably since before the kid was done, has seen this many many times because he's been doing this so long, is well versed in taking care of the problems people create for themselves and their snakes through ignorance and or stupidity, or the guy who went to school but has NO personal experience in what he chooses to give advice on, hmmmm?

Respect ain't automatic.

My experience in reptiles goes deep for my age good sir. You still have not versed your experience in sick snakes that I now assume you must have.

Again. You can address me as what I've stated before. Anything else will be considered offensive language.

"grabs a snack, sits back"
Ok gentlemen, please continue!

Go just go to BOI and look up his name. Plenty of entertainment! Never thought I'd be in one of his showboat forum plays ;)

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

Go just go to BOI and look up his name. Plenty of entertainment! Never thought I'd be in one of his showboat forum plays ;)

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Thinking, original thoughts anyway, is something I'm guessing is not your usual way of attaining enlightenment. It's OK though, the world needs followers. Lots of college kids talk real big, like you, and consider mere words offensive, as you do, are here for a while, then gone; never to be heard from again.

Like you?

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

My experience in reptiles goes deep for my age good sir. You still have not versed your experience in sick snakes that I now assume you must have.

Again. You can address me as what I've stated before. Anything else will be considered offensive language.

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At least your grasp of the obvious is in no need of improvement.

Did you, by chance, go to rutgers? And you're what, not quite as old as a good bottle of scotch?

Take offense where you will, the choice to do so, as always, is yours.

I'm sorry but can everyone just stop and try to help the OP out so they can get their burm healthy instead of arguing.

EAC I actually tried to take this to PM but since there is no Audience, Sir Wilomn will not respond, hmm.

Well kid, I don't know who you pm'd but it wasn't me.

I'm not much for pms anyway.

There IS the ignore function, I'm sure someone can tell you how to use it. Hey, could pm a mod again, they all know how.

Making accusations of PMing a mod? Far cry there. My claim to messaging you? Not so much. Perhaps a screen shot of my sent folder will show people how much of an honest joy you are. It's not nice to tell stories.

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

Rather than continue an endless debate on a public area to clog up another forum with rants and unneeded philabuster . . . .

The internet is a valuable resource if used properly - you can find sources other than bill and :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: over at want to know more .com. Most of my information searches land on Google.com/scholar the peer reviewed source of information.

My burmese has never had a personal account of getting sick, but from seeing numerous posts about sick burmese across forums, the majority of the problems seem to fall around RI issues, with most keepers using improper husbandry as the key issue to their problem.

Dont belittle my age - that's a biased argument for someone who thinks they are always in the right because age is on their side. I've done my studies in college, preformed years of research in the field of biology, and now contribute to society in a working role as a chemist . . . but again . . . I'm young, therefor I know nothing. This is now the second time this has come up? Feeling old or we Wilomn?

Pitty.

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I received no notification of this being sent and I don't hover around my inbox. As I said, I'm not much for pms, especially from little pissants with attitude problems.

Seems you have some personal issues that need some attention. Have fun with that, kid.

HOLY CRAP such immaturity for a couple adults!!!!!! Shut up!!!!!


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To actually add to the topic,

When I first read your description the burn sounded bad, but those pics really don't look too bad to me. I don't have experience with Burma but I do know after a ball python lays her eggs, sometimes it is quite alarming to see how deflated they become.

No worries though, usually after a few meals they start plumping back up. After my balls lay their clutches I start them pretty slow back on food. I usually offer a weaned rat a day after. I give a weaned rat every 5 or so days and then slowly bump them back up. Seems to work for me and my snakes.

Also, did you actually see any mites on your burm, or did you just suspect them?

Either way once you've got all the husbandry spot on, any issues should sort themselves out. Any that don't, you can see a vet for help.


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Oh and after going back and re-reading your post, it sounds like maybe the scar on her face could be from rubbing on her enclosure? The drool could be result of the scab maybe,

I'd think with a snake that big it would be pretty easy to notice the signs of RI. I would just keep a very close watch. And you know, once you get her feeding regularly, a vet visit is not a bad idea. Just to make sure everything is in check.


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She does have mites- i've been treating them for a few days. First spray I got didn't work so i'm trying another. The scab is almost gone, parts of it fell off and it doesn't look nearly as bad now. She's also stopped rubbing on the enclosure. Once I can get these mites gone i'm thinking it should be okay. Thanks for all the help.

Sounds good, glad she's getting back on track! Also, excuse my types up there^^ I was typing on my phone and didn't realize it had changed burM to burN and also Burma, lol.