Adopting a Ball Python

While we were visiting with my mother in law tonight, a friend of ours that lives in the same complex stopped by to tell us he had rescued something that slithers and wanted us to come have a look and see if we wanted to take it home. We got all excited and rushed over. He told us it was a ball python that he had rescued along with a turtle and a fat tailed gecko from the same person. We were not prepared for what we saw. He handed us a ball python that had just had a really bad shed (stuck shed everywhere) and a retained eye cap. But that wasn't the worst part. The first thing you see on this snake is a long scar all the way down its back where the scales have been rubbed clean off. Not to mention I suspect the snake of having belly rot (scale rot?) and a possible RI. (I heard it make a wierd noise). I suspect belly (scale) rot since a few scales seem to be off color and the belly is kind of pinkish (and not in a shed kind of way).

I'm going to pick it up tomorrow since we couldn't bring it home tonight. We will be keeping it in a 40g breeder tank in QT for the next 3 months. I didn't see mites but I didn't get a really good look at the snake. My guess is that its somewhere around 500-600 grams but I don't know its age.

I will post pictures tomorrow and ask advice on how to get this snake healthy.

Sounds like a vet is needed asap. RI's are deadly and only go away with medication. And I'm sure getting the scar/possible scale rot checked out would be a good idea.

vet check is the best choice for giving this snake its best chance at living a long healthy life.. It's so sad when this sort of thing happens.

I will call the vet today and schedule an appointment. The poor thing just looks so horrible. You will see what I mean when I post up pictures.

Couldn't call the vet today. We have no phones. I'm going to borrow my friend's phone tomorrow and set up an appointment. I'm dead sure the snake has an RI. It is wheezing when it breaths. I took some photos, gave it a hide (I only have one extra) and some heat (no heat provided when I picked it up).

Cage she is housed in (I will be cleaning the tank as soon as I'm done writing this up. Changing it to paper towels to watch for mites)
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/DSCN4506.jpg

As you can see, the scar goes all the way down his/her spine. I actually found out it is because of the cage she is kept in. The lid is not a proper lid and she kept escaping, causing the lid to scrape her back. I'll be getting her a new lid next week. For now we have taped the lid down.

Close up of scar
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/DSCN4507.jpg

Belly shot
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/DSCN4514.jpg

So anything I can do to help the snake while its waiting for a vet visit. I might try and get the snake a visit tomorrow, if not then Monday. (Vet is closed Sunday)

Soak her for an hour or so in warm water, then help to get that shed off and she'll look much better.

Keep her warm, 95 hot spot.

I'll go ahead and soak her in warm water. Any advice on getting that retained eyecap off? She's very head shy.

Your going to make her very uncomfortable getting the eye cap off. She will thrash and try to get away, but you can get it off.

Terry cloth washcloth, soaking wet after she has soaked and firmly wipe it over her head over and over. She'll pull her head back in, and you'll find that position where she can't pull in any farther and you'll be able to just keep wiping until you get it off.

BTW, I mean soaking wet washcloth. If your shirt isn't soaked by the time your done with her, you didn't keep the washcloth wet enough.

Will just a normal washcloth work? Or a wet shirt? Oh and anything I can do for the scar or will that always be there?

Wet Tshirt wont have enough roughness to it. A terry cloth washcloth is made from the same fabric like towels. The little loops provide a rougher surface to help get the skin off.

The scar will most likely always be there.

I will try this and report back on whether or not I could get the eye cap off. This is my first rescue.

Didn't take me long to get the stuck shed off. I got every last bit of stuck shed off of her. Most of it was around her head. I used a wash cloth and got the eye cap off. She is wheezing really bad though. With every breath, you can hear it. Is there anything I can do until I get her to a vet. If I can't get her an appointment for tomorrow, the earliest is Monday or Tuesday. I've increased the temperature in the house as well as given her (its a she for now, until I know) a hot spot. I just found my extra thermometer so I'm waiting for it to tell me the temperature of the warm spot. (This was kind of sudden that I agreed to adopt the snake, so I didn't have a chance to go out and get anything. I know for certain I have a second hide floating around here somewhere, I just need to find it.

Warm (85 to 90 ) water soaks help with RI's. It helps the animal clear it lungs since they can't exactly cough like we do. Boost her temps. Higher temps will help her fight infection. Keep her as stress free as possible. I would have worried about the RI, before I worried about the stuck shed. Additional stress, causes increased respiration. Increased respiration, with lungs full of goo, means it is harder for her to get oxygen.

Whenever you take in a rescue, prioritize the problems (ie. the RI is immediately life threatening, while the stuck shed is not.) At this point, make her feel as secure as possible, even if it means covering the sides of her tank so she can't see out.

I will be doing everything possible to make her comfortable and stress free. How often should I give her warm soaks?

Sounds like she has had enough excitement for the time being. If you can get her to a vet first thing Monday, I would just boost her temps and let her be. To much stress can push a sick snake over the edge. Being moved so much (I assume she was not at your firends house very long) has probably stressed her quite a bit. You have to weigh the stress level. Her whole world has been turned upside down, not once, but twice in a short period of time. For the better of course, but she does not know that yet. I would just get her to a vet ASAP.

I'm waking up early tomorrow morning and calling the vet as soon as they open. I have to be at work at 11, but my husband could probably take her in. I'm not sure of my schedule next week, but more than likely I can take her in on Monday. She's enjoying her hot spot. It is sitting near 90 as that is as high as i can get it to go. I don't have any UTH or other bulbs. I've raised the temperature in the house to almost 80, so hopefully this will help her. I'll go out tomorrow and get a stronger bulb.