My Ball Python has a Problem

ok one shed was bad now she wont eat her skin peels off we continue to put her and water to keep her hydrated I raised the humidity so she could if possible stay hydrated we tried every thing to get her to eat we are going to try a live mouse this time if that does not work what do I do....have her force fed? by the vet?....I scared I might lose her so please some help.....:(

umm I made a typo I ment I'm not I

Hi,

Well it might help us if we can get a few more details.

Can you tell us what age/size/weight your snake is and how long you have had it?

When was the last time it ate and when was the bad shed?

Have you tried the damp pillowcase yet to help with the shed?

Once we have a better idea of what is going on we should hopefully be able to help you. :)


dr del

Hi,

Dr. Del is pretty quick w the replies. I was going to say that you're probably going to have to post more details before anybody can give you any helpful information.

Also, ball pythons are pretty famous for not eating. Try doing a search on this site and see what comes up. I searched "hunger strike" and this was one of the first of many threads that came up.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=72367

good luck!

ok her weight is well she lost weight she was 250 grams now she is 150 her age well I'm guessing a year I got her at a pet store -__- she is 2 feet long

her bad shed was about a 2 weeks ago I was maybe thinking she has internal parasites

If those weights are accurate then you are right this snake has a problem. BPs go on hunger strikes, but they aren't supposed to lose more than 50% of their weight.

If she lost all that weight in the 2 weeks since the bad shed, then I'd recommend rushing her to the vet. I'd guess something pretty significant is wrong if the weight was lost that quickly. A hunger strike alone would not cause a sudden drop like that.

You also need to go over your husbandry carefully. A young BP shouldn't go on a hunger strike, so often it means something isn't right in their environment.

maybe using umm paper towels is doing it?

Definitely take that snake to the vet; thats a huge weight loss in such a short period of time. I've had snakes not eat for months on strike that didn't loose that much weight.

Edit:

Paper towels are not causing the bad shed.

Right now the stuck shed is the last of your worries. You'll want to take that snake to a vet and find out what's wrong with it. Treat the snake, correct your husbandry, and next shed should go much better. Step one is to find out why your snake lost 100g in 2 weeks.

sorry to say we might have to put her down if it costs to much money :( my mom said we will get a new one but choker won't be replaced in my heart :tears:

She may have parasites. You do need to take her to the vet. It may not be that expensive if she just needs to be treated for parasites.

Did you weigh her the first time on empty (before eating & after pooping)? Did you use the same scale both times?

It does sound like your humidity is not correct. What are you using to measure humidity/temperature?

A trip to the vet will more than likely cost far less than the pastel or albino ball you are looking to purchase in our 'classifieds' section of the forum :oops:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

sorry to say we might have to put her down if it costs to much money :( my mom said we will get a new one but choker won't be replaced in my heart :tears:

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Im sure the vet bill would be cheaper than and Albino or a Pastel. You need to tell your mom to make Choker an appointment at the herp vet ASAP.

There are always other options, putting her down should not be what your thinking about right now. Worst case senario give her to some one that can help her.

umm a humidity gage and she has a trip to the vet tomorrow I hope she stays alive long enofe to go....and I'm keeping the humidity at 60 to 70% and her heat is 80-90 F
and I thought she had parasites and yes I weigh her before eating then weigh her after pooping I weigh her at least 2 maybe 3 times a week every time we feed her or she poops

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

umm a humidity gage and she has a trip to the vet tomorrow I hope she stays alive long enofe to go....and I'm keeping the humidity at 60 to 70% and her heat is 80-90 F
and I thought she had parasites and yes I weigh her before eating then weigh her after pooping I weigh her at least 2 maybe 3 times a week every time we feed her or she poops

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How often are you offering her food each week? weighing her 2-3 times a week seems a bit excessive. Are you using digital or anolog gauges?

anolog gauges

Analog gauges are notoriously inaccurate! You can inexpensively purchase a digital one called Acurite. These measure both temps and humidity and can be purchased on-line and sometimes at Lowes and Walmart for around $12. I encourage you to check these out.

Also, you'll want to save some of her poo so that the vet can do a fecal float to determine what, if any, parasites are present.

yeah but she hasn't pooped for a while

Understood.
You're still taking her in today, right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

yeah but she hasn't pooped for a while

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She likely hasn't pooped because she hasn't eaten. You NEED to look over this link CAREFULLY

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=59

If your bp does not make it, please do not buy another one before you consider the costs (INCLUDING VET BILLS) of owning one. I realize you are trying to help your bp now which is the right thing to do but if you or your mother cannot afford the requirements of owning one of these snakes, consider giving this bp to someone that can care for it properly.

If you do make it to the vet and discover what is ailing your bp, you MUST put out the money to attain a proper enclosure and husbandry habits.

I wish you all the best of luck, and I do not mean to scare you but it is gravely upsetting to see situations like this that can be prevented with a little bit of education.

Continue to ask questions and we will all try to help you, but just keep in mind that a Ball Python is not like a gold fish, it requires much more attention to detail and persistence on your part.

To help you see where you may have husbandry issues, read over this SUMMARY version of bp care. The link I have provided in my previous post is much more informative and will provide the solutions to any husbandry issues you uncover.

1) To measure your humidity and temperature accurately - Use DIGITAL gauges (stick on gauges are NOT reliable, and a waste of money unfortunately) The most cost friendly device you can purchase is an accurite digital thermometer/hygrometer from wal-mart for $12. The gauge does not have to be this brand, but something with an outdoor/indoor measurement will work because this means the device uses a probe.

2) You need a belly temperature (right on the glass under the hide on one side of the tank) measured by a probe (which comes with something like an accurite) of 90 - 93 degrees. This is where your bp will spend his time digesting and hanging out A LOT. A UTH (under tank heater) costs about $20 at a pet store but MUST have a control.

The safest and most reliable type of control is a thermostat ($70 - $300) but the minimum requirement for a control is something like a lamp dimmer (a rheostat, which is something that must be manually adjusted). Lowes sells piggyback lamp dimmers for about $10.

3) You need a hide on the cooler side of the tank with a belly temperature or ambient temperature in the low 80's. This can be achieved through a heat lamp with the correct wattage bulb, or simply a nice warm room. Keep in mind that the two hides you choose should be the same so your bp feels EQUALLY secure in BOTH hides. Your bp will choose where it feels safest, whether or not it is the correct temperature.

4) HUMIDITY = very important - just as important as temperature. 55-60% humidity is required for proper shedding. For tips on how to achieve this please see the care sheets.

5) A sturdy water dish with fresh water can be put anywhere in the tank, if placed over a UTH (under tank heater) it can help raise the humidity.

6) Substrate can be anything from newspaper or cage liners to aspen. Cedar is TOXIC. Do not use cedar. CYPRESS mulch is good - don't mix it up with cedar.

7) Security - ball pythons are shy. They hide more than 80% of the time so if your snake is hiding a lot, thats a good thing. Cover three sides of your tank with paper/aquarium background - what ever you would like to help your snake feel less exposed. Snug, identical hides are a MUST, one on the cool side one on the hot side.

the hide we have is made out of pine o.o could that cause his scales and bad stuff with his skin? I know it's toxic to all reptiles so do i need a different hide and we go to the vet in 2 hours ;_; I'm praying she makes it unlike the other one...this time we will ummm..... park closer to the vet place and I wont leave her in the car..and we will get the required stuff for her tank....

*First post*:cool:

Anyways, I get the impression that money is a bit of an issue, if you're looking for a cheap new hide box for your ball, try using plastic plant bowls (the ones that go under the pot to catch excess water) and cut a hole in the top (big enough for your ball to get through obviously) and your set, they cost around 1.50 at Wal-Mart. I used them with our ball and she loves them. Good luck!

I didn't even know about the snake/car incident until you just brought it up - and I wasn't going to say anything on here until you brought that up.

In your other post you said you were going to try to find this snake a home with someone who could care for it - I understand you are taking the animal to the vet but if you cannot continue to care for it please do find a new home for the snake with someone with the means to care for it, as that would be in the best interest of the animal.

You are only 13, a life is a heavy responsibility, not one you can end because you/your family cannot afford it. Do a lot of research, save up a lot of money for emergencies/vet bills, then think about getting more. Trust me - I have a rescue RTB that no one got treated, she has cost me almost $500 in vet bills over the past year and she is just now starting to get better. If a snake is left untreated for illness/injuries it will be that much harder to fix it later, so the sooner you figure out if you can handle what ever problem it has the better, because if you can't you can find someone sooner who will be able to.

ok hay guys we are back from the vet...it turns out because of her bad shed she dried out to much and umm well we need to bath her in olive oil lol

I gave my mother a peace of my mind and she said she will buy every thing it needs....of course I did a lot of research of what we didn't have and need right now...so we are keeping my Ball Python choker.....but R.I.P cyrestal the ball python that we put down...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by edie

You are only 13, a life is a heavy responsibility, not one you can end because you/your family cannot afford it. Do a lot of research, save up a lot of money for emergencies/vet bills, then think about getting more. Trust me - I have a rescue RTB that no one got treated, she has cost me almost $500 in vet bills over the past year and she is just now starting to get better. If a snake is left untreated for illness/injuries it will be that much harder to fix it later, so the sooner you figure out if you can handle what ever problem it has the better, because if you can't you can find someone sooner who will be able to.

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This guy speaks the truth. The wife and I have money put away for every one of our pets just in case something should happen.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

ok hay guys we are back from the vet...it turns out because of her bad shed she dried out to much and umm well we need to bath her in olive oil lol

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Olive oil? Thats a new one. Was the vet you took her to experienced with reptiles? Just because they are a vet does not mean they know how to treat every species of animal that is brought in and that still doesn't address the most serious problem here which is that she is not eating and losing weight at an alarming rate! Did the vet do any tests for parasites, or check for any other reasons she might not be eating?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

I gave my mother a peace of my mind and she said she will buy every thing it needs....of course I did a lot of research of what we didn't have and need right now...so we are keeping my Ball Python choker.....but R.I.P cyrestal the ball python that we put down...

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Look I understand that you do care about your snake "choker" but you really need to make sure you are doing what is right for her. Get the things that you need and take her to an experienced herp vet. If you don't want to have to "put down" another animal I suggest you really do your research.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woody190

This guy speaks the truth. The wife and I have money put away for every one of our pets just in case something should happen.

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I'm a girl! Haha, e-dee, not eddie!


Riokeshen -

Did they say anything about the weight loss? Or why it wasn't eating? And I have heard before (I might be wrong) that using oil on a snake isn't recommended anymore.. anyways, water works just as well if you soak her and let her run though a damp towel afterwards.

I'm glad she went to the vet, but save up money in case she needs to go again, and be sure to get her the supplies she needs so that there will hopefully be no problems in the future - buying the correct items for her care now will help prevent other health related problems in the future.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

the hide we have is made out of pine o.o could that cause his scales and bad stuff with his skin? I know it's toxic to all reptiles so do i need a different hide and we go to the vet in 2 hours ;_;

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This seems to answer itself... ;) If you know that pine is bad, why even risk it? As many have testified, you can get
cheap hides from a dollar store. All you have to do is cut out a hole for the entrance, smooth it down so there's no sharp edges,
and VIOLA! instant snakie happiness!
(provided, of course, that all the other requirements are met) ;)

Good luck with Choker!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

Olive oil? Thats a new one. Was the vet you took her to experienced with reptiles? Just because they are a vet does not mean they know how to treat every species of animal that is brought in and that still doesn't address the most serious problem here which is that she is not eating and losing weight at an alarming rate! Did the vet do any tests for parasites, or check for any other reasons she might not be eating?



Look I understand that you do care about your snake "choker" but you really need to make sure you are doing what is right for her. Get the things that you need and take her to an experienced herp vet. If you don't want to have to "put down" another animal I suggest you really do your research.

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one yes the vet is a herp vet he said because of the bad shed she has become too dry resulting in her not eating so within a weeks time all the dried out skin should be gone and she should start eating again * I also think she was too dehydrated she drank for 5 minutes* we bought every thing we plan on geting another one next month or so. so she does not get stressed from a 55 gallon tank we plan on geting every thing listed.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by edie

I'm a girl! Haha, e-dee, not eddie!


Riokeshen -

Did they say anything about the weight loss? Or why it wasn't eating? And I have heard before (I might be wrong) that using oil on a snake isn't recommended anymore.. anyways, water works just as well if you soak her and let her run though a damp towel afterwards.

I'm glad she went to the vet, but save up money in case she needs to go again, and be sure to get he the supplies she needs so that there will hopefully be no problems in the future - buying the correct items for her care now will help prevent other health related problems in the future.

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lack of eating is the cause for weight loss plus she is gained a lot of weight just from drinking lol *JK* any ways she should be fine within a weeks time ^^'

and yeah people all ways say I'm a guy when I'm not XD most people think that cause of my username ..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

lack of eating is the cause for weight loss plus she is gained a lot of weight just from drinking lol *JK* any ways she should be fine within a weeks time ^^'

and yeah people all ways say I'm a guy when I'm not XD most people think that cause of my username ..

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I think your missing what some very experienced people here are saying.

Lack of eating is from husbandry problems or internal parasites. Loss of weight in such a short time is a symptom of an illness.

Did your vet perform a Fecal Float? If he/she didn't, I would question their experience. Remember, not all vets got all A's in school.


I also don't follow along with the vets logic that olive oil will help with the dehydration of the animal. This is NOT just a stuck shed. A bad shed is from too low of humidity AND can also be created by an animal that is dehydrated.

It has been shown that putting olive oil on a snake can actually increase the likely hood of stuck shed.

Also, how is olive oil going to rehydrate the body, the actual body of the snake?

Oil is NOT water, oil and water do not mix. Does that make any sense what so ever to you? He needs to have water ALL the time and given oppurtunity to drink it.


No, my personal advice is to find a different Vet, one who knows what the heck they are talking about. The only thing olive oil will do is give you a greasy snake. Give him fresh clean water in a nice big bowl that he can soak in.

Have you given us a detailed set up of your animal?

Keeping a baby ball python in a 55 gallon tank is going to dramatically hurt your chances of getting them to eat by making them feel unsafe and open for predators. Ball pythons love small tight spaces and feel more comfortable eating when secluded and alone.

I would first give us the best description of your set up (tank, substrate, lighting, heat, how you measure heat), down to the littlest bit of information because we want to see you do well with this snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

we bought every thing we plan on geting another one next month or so.

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I would SERIOUSLY advise you to get your setup straight and get THIS snake back to good health before you even THINK about getting another. Honestly, you've had one "beat half to death" and another that won't eat and probably has more problems than you know. Getting another snake with the one you have in its current state is IRRESPONSIBLE, CRUEL, and just DUMB.

Get this one straight and healthy before you even consider the possibility of buying another snake.

[shakes head in disbelief]

I hope and pray that you get your bp the care that it needs. Sending you a PM

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riokeshen

lack of eating is the cause for weight loss plus she is gained a lot of weight just from drinking lol *JK* any ways she should be fine within a weeks time ^^'

and yeah people all ways say I'm a guy when I'm not XD most people think that cause of my username ..

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Okay, obviously not eating causes weight loss. A BP isn't going to stop eating and lose all that weight because it is too dry, that is a husbandry issue that can be fixed in a seconds time (I don't see why that is even still an issue, if my snake has a stuck shed they are soaked for 20 minuets and its taken care of - end of story and humidity is checked and corrected if it is not normal) - weight loss like that is a serious issue and should be treated as one.. and how do you know she should be fine within a weeks time? She isn't going to put all that weight back on after one meal.

If the quote Inknsteel posted from you means you are getting a new BP soon then I am very disappointed. I know I have my hands full now with the pets I have, I AM NOT GETTING ANY MORE! Imagine that! I'm being responsible and not taking on more than I can handle and provide for! You need to really think about this, you have had serious problems with your (dead i'm guessing) car BP and this one.. do not bring any more animals into this situation, it is not fair on them at all.

Seriously, I tried to be as nice as possible in the last post since I know you are young, but PLEASE do not get any more snakes until you are at least 18, you are a child and children shouldn't be responsible for a life, since obviously they do not understand everything involved with caring for one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by edie

Okay, obviously not eating causes weight loss. A BP isn't going to stop eating and lose all that weight because it is too dry, that is a husbandry issue that can be fixed in a seconds time (I don't see why that is even still an issue, if my snake has a stuck shed they are soaked for 20 minuets and its taken care of - end of story and humidity is checked and corrected if it is not normal) - weight loss like that is a serious issue and should be treated as one.. and how do you know she should be fine within a weeks time? She isn't going to put all that weight back on after one meal.

If the quote Inknsteel posted from you means you are getting a new BP soon then I am very disappointed. I know I have my hands full now with the pets I have, I AM NOT GETTING ANY MORE! Imagine that! I'm being responsible and not taking on more than I can handle and provide for! You need to really think about this, you have had serious problems with your (dead i'm guessing) car BP and this one.. do not bring any more animals into this situation, it is not fair on them at all.

Seriously, I tried to be as nice as possible in the last post since I know you are young, but PLEASE do not get any more snakes until you are at least 18, you are a child and children shouldn't be responsible for a life, since obviously they do not understand everything involved with caring for one.

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While yes, I agree with everything else you've said, the last part where you said that children don't understand about caring for a life was a bit un-needed. Just because this person isn't taking care of her animal doesn't mean I'm taking care of mine because I'm about the same age as her too.

But back to the OP, please, please, please, please never get another animal. :O Why is this such a big drawn out thing? Soak him. Not in olive oil. In water.
Then find another vet. If you can't do that, give him to a nice, helping member on this site that can take care of him. You have two options. Pick one. Oh, and the whole dropping 100 grams is really scary.... Just had to mention that. D:

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Originally Posted by gothkenny

While yes, I agree with everything else you've said, the last part where you said that children don't understand about caring for a life was a bit un-needed. Just because this person isn't taking care of her animal doesn't mean I'm taking care of mine because I'm about the same age as her too.

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I am only 20, but I know more about caring for a life than a 13 year old does (I know nothing about caring for a humans life, I'm only speaking animals here) - and, in some cases age and maturity play a big deal in certain situations. I do not believe that calling her age into the conversation was un-needed at all.

Clearly you can see she is having problems and I don't think you can say her age has nothing to do with it, because I'm sure it has a lot to do with it. I do not know how old you are but it seems as if you clearly know more about reptile husbandry then the OP does based on the second half of your post, which shows although you are young you are mature enough to educate yourself about your pet - your responsibility, which is a great thing, and a thing that the OP doesn't seem to get. Age and maturity are two different things but they do go hand in hand usually, and one young person may be more mature about certain situations than another in that same situation.

Maybe I meant maturity more than I mean age in my post, but I don't expect many 13 year olds to be mature.

Hope that makes sense.