Ginger still isn't eating..

Her last meal was a f/t rat on October 8 :-(
She's 15 months now, 1173 grams, 38" long.
Her last shed was perfect - the best ever.


Based upon comments here, I switched her back to her 30 gallon tank from her 55 gallon. I've offered her the same size rat that she would greedily suck down on her usual Saturday, to no avail.

I've made a vet appt for this coming Monday, but really don't expect too much.

Any further ideas? Feeding live is not really a good option for us.

Thanks,
P.

What is her weight loss since then?

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

What is her weight loss since then?

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2.5 months without eating is nothing. Especially right around the 1000 gram range.

I can't find the computer file with her weights. She is much less active than she was - moving slower and not exploring as much when she is brought into the living room in the evenings.

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Originally Posted by pbyeerts

I can't find the computer file with her weights. She is much less active than she was - moving slower and not exploring as much when she is brought into the living room in the evenings.

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So... she's a ball python being a ball python? ;)

I guess so!

It could last a year, it's a mature female over 1100 grams if your husbandry checks out there is really nothing to do except being patient.

I would also cancel the vet appointment, it will be a waste of time and money and depending on how honest the vet is he could very well take you on a ride (from recommending X-rays to blood sample etc)

This is what they do just remember that snakes metabolism cannot be compared to mammals, I know it is frustrating however so long the weight is maintained and the animal is well hydrated there is nothing to worry about.

Thanks for your reply! I guess that I'll get used to it.

I took Ginger to see her vet today, and it turns out that her eye caps did not shed. They were very attached and would not come off. So, she will get eye ointment twice daily for 1 week and then has a re-check appt.

Hopefully this is why she so suddenly stopped eating. I was relieved to hear that she's in excellent shape, with no signs of dehydration or other problems. Hooray!

Our vet also recommended a Reptisun UV 10.0 bulb to also spur her to eat again.

So that's the scoop! I feel bad that I didn't realize her caps were stuck. Hopefully she'll be all better soon.

Cheers,
P.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pbyeerts

I took Ginger to see her vet today, and it turns out that her eye caps did not shed. They were very attached and would not come off. So, she will get eye ointment twice daily for 1 week and then has a re-check appt.

Hopefully this is why she so suddenly stopped eating. I was relieved to hear that she's in excellent shape, with no signs of dehydration or other problems. Hooray!

Our vet also recommended a Reptisun UV 10.0 bulb to also spur her to eat again.

So that's the scoop! I feel bad that I didn't realize her caps were stuck. Hopefully she'll be all better soon.

Cheers,
P.

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BPs are an underground dwelling species though? They don't bask, I don't see how a UV light would trigger eating.

I don't know either, but our vet said that it's worked on other BPs that he's seen.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I would also cancel the vet appointment, it will be a waste of time and money and depending on how honest the vet is he could very well take you on a ride (from recommending X-rays to blood sample etc)

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i dont know ur vet and im not an expert but i think deb called it. bp's dont need uv. i have a problem feeder as well that i so far have had very little success with so ive been doing a ton of research, and absolutely no where have i seen anyone recommend a uv light.

The ointment was a waste also. Eye caps will come off themselves during the next shed assuming your humidity is where it needs to be. Not sure how much BP experience your vet actually has...

Deb is usually pretty on the money. Other than simple seasonal fasting, stress seems to be the biggest factor in a poor eater. The key to getting python chowin' is reducing or eliminating any stress caused by their environment, including excess handling, then giving them a chill period to sort of 'reset'. Have you taken a look at this article? It could prove useful.

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Originally Posted by pbyeerts

Our vet also recommended a Reptisun UV 10.0 bulb to also spur her to eat again.

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This right here would make me find another vet........................ SMH

I read this article:
http://jkrballstreetjournal.com/2014...-eating-again/

And took the advice. I couldn't move the enclosure but did a very thorough cleaning of it and the decor. Then instead of usual coco husk bedding, put in paper towels, and changed around the usual hide locations.
I don't know if that is what helped or just plain old hunger but yesterday, after doing all this my BP ate for the first time in 20 days. It was quite a relief to have him finally grab the little rodent out of my tongs and wrap around it.

Ginger still hasn't eaten anything since October 8. I took her back to the vet, and despite another shed, the eye caps are still there. Any suggestions? Thankfully, she's gained about 100 grams since her last vet visit.

I did move her into a smaller terrarium and followed everyone's advice about moving things around, etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pbyeerts

Ginger still hasn't eaten anything since October 8. I took her back to the vet, and despite another shed, the eye caps are still there. Any suggestions? Thankfully, she's gained about 100 grams since her last vet visit.

I did move her into a smaller terrarium and followed everyone's advice about moving things around, etc.

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As long as she's not losing any appreciable weight, just wait it out. That's only four months, she could go another four without food very easily.

If you are really desperate to try something, try something like offering her an FT day old chick. Some BP's won't recognize them as food, but some love them.

Suggestions:

1) Stop wasting money on a vet. If you feel the need to spend money, donate it to a charity of your choice.

2) Check your humidity. If you are having constant bad sheds and stuck eye caps - it's because your humidity is too low. If you are using a hygrometer - check it. Here is a quick and easy test (follow the link) http://www.wikihow.com/Test-a-Hygrometer

3) Check the heat. Do you have the proper floor and ambient temperatures? If you have a digital or analog thermometer - check them. I'd also recommend a laser heat gun for double and triple checking regularly.

4) Relax. Ball Pythons commonly go off of food for up to a year. I realize that this can be stressful, but after millions of years of evolution their bodies are more than capable of maintaining health without food. However, evolution doesn't prepare them for a human bothering them. So, leave her alone. Stop handling her and let her do what instinct is telling her to do. She will eat when she is ready.

Ginger's last shed was her best one, as it all came off in one piece. That's why I didn't think to check the eye caps. I also thought that the humidity must be ok if she had such a good shed. Her shed skin looks like lace to me - so pretty.

Her ambient cage temp is 86, with 92 on the hot side and 82 on the cool. I have her UTH connected to a thermostat. I check temps with a laser.

I am going to have to just ride this out..... The vet said that she has good muscle tone and we know that she's gained weight. Therefore, everything is fine. It's uncomfortable for ME to see her refuse to eat, but I guess that she's just doing what BPs do.......

Thanks for your help!