Lumpy Belly

I still havent gotten the snake from the store. i am not sure on why they havent released her to me yet. But when I was visiting her yesterday I noticed she had lumps on her body. They were about marble sized lumps throughout the lower half of her body. I tried to get a picture....

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...1234453297.jpg

Any thoughts?

I wonder if it could be that she just ate?

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

I wonder if it could be that she just ate?

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This one was force fed last Tuesday so it has been over a week. And when she moves that part of her body it makes like a grinding/crunching type noise. Its hard to describe.

Broken ribs? Hard to tell from the picture...

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Broken ribs? Hard to tell from the picture...

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Thats what it sounds like to me. I would not purchase her if she is not 100%. I would also never purchase a ball that has to be force-fed to eat. I highly suggest finding a reputable ball python breeder close to you to buy from. Also make sure that you buy a captive bred animal. Captive hatched is what a lot of pet stores sell.

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

Thats what it sounds like to me. I would not purchase her if she is not 100%. I would also never purchase a ball that has to be force-fed to eat. I highly suggest finding a reputable ball python breeder close to you to buy from. Also make sure that you buy a captive bred animal. Captive hatched is what a lot of pet stores sell.

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She is more of a rescue situation. I am not paying for her. If she stays where she is at she may not make it. I am getting her to give her a try. There is another post about it in this section.

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

She is more of a rescue situation. I am not paying for her. If she stays where she is at she may not make it. I am getting her to give her a try. There is another post about it in this section.

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Then I suggest taking her the vet as soon as you get her to get her check out. You also have to realize that she may have to be force-fed, which can be very stressful on both the snake and the keeper. Unless you have experience with this, I do not suggest it.

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

Then I suggest taking her the vet as soon as you get her to get her check out. You also have to realize that she may have to be force-fed, which can be very stressful on both the snake and the keeper. Unless you have experience with this, I do not suggest it.

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I have a vet appointment lied up when I finally get her. As for right now I dont have her so I cant get her to a vet. I am going to give her a try to see if right temperature and setup will have any effect on her eating. If not I will make the decision to have her humanely euthanized if she wont have a good life and always has to be force fed. I am just trying to do right by the snake.

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

I have a vet appointment lied up when I finally get her. As for right now I dont have her so I cant get her to a vet. I am going to give her a try to see if right temperature and setup will have any effect on her eating. If not I will make the decision to have her humanely euthanized if she wont have a good life and always has to be force fed. I am just trying to do right by the snake.

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It sounds like you have a good plan. Good luck with her.

Why won't they let you take her home yet? This makes me so confused.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Why won't they let you take her home yet? This makes me so confused.

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They have to get permission from corporate. She sent an email out a while ago and hasnt gotten a response back yet. It is a frustrating situation. They force fed her another pinkie today after a week and now change. The manager now says the snake is blind and thats why it isnt eating because it didnt shed its eye cap. She is just so freaking stupid! She says the snake is perfectly healthy and that it is just blind now and the lumps are nothing to be worried about.

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

They have to get permission from corporate. She sent an email out a while ago and hasnt gotten a response back yet. It is a frustrating situation. They force fed her another pinkie today after a week and now change. The manager now says the snake is blind and thats why it isnt eating because it didnt shed its eye cap. She is just so freaking stupid! She says the snake is perfectly healthy and that it is just blind now and the lumps are nothing to be worried about.

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Are they a pet store? I dunno, something makes me feel like this is getting to be more trouble than it is worth.
You seem very dedicated though so good for you! Keep pushing on them to do the right thing for the snake!

Yes it is a pet store, but not a mom and pop store, its a big chain.

It does seem like a lot of trouble but I am attatched to the poor girl. If it comes down to it I will buy her. I dont care about having a snake but taking care of this one. I feel bad for it because its not cared for right by any means and really has no chance where she is at. The manager shouldnt even be a manager. She thinks she knows everything...

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

Yes it is a pet store, but not a mom and pop store, its a big chain.

It does seem like a lot of trouble but I am attatched to the poor girl. If it comes down to it I will buy her. I dont care about having a snake but taking care of this one. I feel bad for it because its not cared for right by any means and really has no chance where she is at. The manager shouldnt even be a manager. She thinks she knows everything...

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That just doesn't make any sense to me. There is a snake at a chain pet store and they won't give it to you even though it is just an inconvenience for them to have it?
Jesus, I would have thought they would have thrown it in the trash by now. Good thing you stepped in! Are there any other employees you could talk to to educate about the proper care of BPs so that maybe they could take care of it until she is in your hands?

I work at this petstore but not in the department with the animals. I know the manager well and all of the employees. No matter how much educating I have done or tried to do the manager will tell them to do otherwise. I printed off the careguide on this site and showed it to her. The only thing she did then was remove the UVB light. Other than that nothing has changed other than what i went in and changed (adding a humid hide, changed bedding to cypress and a bigger water dish) everything else is in her hands. So when she went to feed the snake yesterday she was trying to justify force feeding and I told her to do what she wants because she isnt listening to me and it isnt my snake yet!

its a very frustrating situation.

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

I work at this petstore but not in the department with the animals. I know the manager well and all of the employees. No matter how much educating I have done or tried to do the manager will tell them to do otherwise. I printed off the careguide on this site and showed it to her. The only thing she did then was remove the UVB light. Other than that nothing has changed other than what i went in and changed (adding a humid hide, changed bedding to cypress and a bigger water dish) everything else is in her hands. So when she went to feed the snake yesterday she was trying to justify force feeding and I told her to do what she wants because she isnt listening to me and it isnt my snake yet!

its a very frustrating situation.

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Can you not volunteer to take care of the snake after your shift or something? Like, off payroll? I don't know why this lady is so stubborn, why would she bother with trying so hard to take care of it when you are more than willing to do it instead? Is the snake still for sale in the store?

I hate to sound insensitive to what is going on because unfortunately a snake is being harmed but you are just enabling the pet store if you purchase this snake. If you rescue it fine but don't purchase a snake and support their bad business practices; it just frees up room for another poor animal to be neglected. I know its horrible because you can't help but want to do something for the snake but in the end you're playing a part in keeping the cycle going.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

I hate to sound insensitive to what is going on because unfortunately a snake is being harmed but you are just enabling the pet store if you purchase this snake. If you rescue it fine but don't purchase a snake and support their bad business practices; it just frees up room for another poor animal to be neglected. I know its horrible because you can't help but want to do something for the snake but in the end you're playing a part in keeping the cycle going.

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But she said it was a big chain store. So it doesn't matter if she buys the snake, rescues it, or if the snake dies. It will be replaced anyway. The cycle goes on no matter what. One of the many reasons I left PetCo.

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Originally Posted by spygirl

But she said it was a big chain store. So it doesn't matter if she buys the snake, rescues it, or if the snake dies. It will be replaced anyway. The cycle goes on no matter what. One of the many reasons I left PetCo.

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If thats the way you want to look at it that is fine. I know in the end the person is only trying to help which is what makes it such a hard choice but for me I will not be a part of it in any way. I bought my first snake at a pet store and it will be my last. It breaks my heart to see the conditions these animals are kept in but at the same time I cannot justify feeding into the corporate giants, to each his own.

Even if I offer to take care of the snake on my own time I cant change anything about its setup or feeding schedule, that is all in policy and proceedures. The store already replaced this ball python and they have it out on the sales floor. This snake has been in a back room since November, so it hasnt been for sale since then. The lady is trying so hard because she thinks she knows everything about everything and that she is doing right by the snake. She told me it was blind in one eye and it was just an unshed eye cap which I got off today (of course using the tips given on here). The woman is like this with a bearded dragon that has been needing to see a vet but another associate has been on her about that. The manager likes the small animals and wont wait to vet them but has no real concern for some of the other animals. It is a really hard situation because I want to help the snake out so bad but I know about the whole if you buy it you are supporting thing (I used to do public speaking on puppymills and petstores.) I guess it is no different with the snake. I just wish something could be done about chain stores selling certain animals. In the mean time my concern is the snake...

Is there any way you can talk to your managers manager? (I hope that makes sense) And tell them what poor condition the snake is in and explain how badly this snake is being treated?

Such a sad situation ): I hope you get her soon!

I did that and she had a talk with the manager in charge of the snake. She was just told to make the situation better. After the snake got out of its stuck shed she looked a whole lot better so they think the problem is fixed. These are ignorant people we are talking about. But the manager is going to talk to the store manager after this weekend to see what they can do about it. She was talking about taking it back to the vet where it was diagnosed with the body inclusion.

Jeez. Keep complaining to the store manager. I can't beleive these people. Explain how life threatening this situation is to the snake. It doesn't need to go to the vet, it needs to be in someone elses care. :/ Poo on those peope!!

I am trying my hardest believe me... the manager has already complained to other associates about how annoying I am about the snake. Oh well... Thanks for being behind me and I will keep you all updated on my progress.

Update: They took the snake to the vet today... I was surprised. The vet said nothing was wrong with it ( now I will remind you this is the vet who first diagnosed it with the inclusion.). Vet said the snake ate a pinkie for her no problem and did a full exam with nothing wrong. So now the store wants to keep the snake and see if they cant get it to eat on its own. Poor girl! I kinda hope she doesnt eat for them so I can take her home. I am still tempted to buy her but I am not sure...

If you love the snake and care for it, I would buy it. It won't impact how the big chain stores operate if you don't buy the snake. Someone else will and then you don't know what kind of home she is going to.

So I went back and spent sometime with her today since that manager wasnt working. I took her out and she had the lumps still and to me they looked worse this time. They didnt seem to cause her any discomfort at all. But I have decided that I will most likely buy her.. (i am about 95% sure..lol) I dont want to but I am hoping they will cut me a deal on her and I just want to be sure that she is taken care of and what not. I will try and post the pictures I took of her tonight on here when I get a chance to upload them.

Cool, is the vet they took her to a herp vet?

No it is the same one who saw her the first time. She is a dog and cat vet but will see small animals, birds and reptiles, even though she has no certification to see them. I wonder if there is any repercution for seeing animals she is not licensed or certified to see?

If I get the snake I will be taking her to a herp vet. and this guy is supposedly a very good vet and people travle from far distances to see him.

Here are the pictures from last night:

You can kind of see the outlines of the lumps/dents here
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...1235019199.jpg

This picture shows it a while lot better. Starts are the top of the picture with a lump and then it sinks in and then another lump and it sinks in.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...1235019200.jpg

I apologize for horrible pictures.

looks to be like she is constipated, would explain the lumps and the eating refusal. maybe she swallowed something that has stopped the poor girl up.

When they were soaking her after she had her horrible stuck shed she would defecate then. So she has gone to the bathroom for us. She hasn't eaten on her own since november but the vet said she ate for them on tuesday... I find it weird but who knows. Should I soak her and see if that helps?

i think a trip to a more reliable vet who does not think lumpy serpents are normal . that does not look normal especially if she is not eating. what els could it be?

Well I cant get her to a vet until I buy her. I am waiting for my tax money to come in. Should be here tomorrow. Then hopefully I can get her into the vet on Monday. Otherwise I just have to wait.

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

Well I cant get her to a vet until I buy her. I am waiting for my tax money to come in. Should be here tomorrow. Then hopefully I can get her into the vet on Monday. Otherwise I just have to wait.

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well, you have a great heart to buy a visibly sick python so you can rescue it. :gj: to that for sure! i bet she will turn out to be a great friend. and it sounds like your mind is made up and you will be taking her home. nothing could be better for her right now then a good home with proper care. and the vet visit that your offering of course. :salute:

They kind of look like kinks.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

They kind of look like kinks.

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i was wondering about birth defect........ but it looks like lumps of fecal matter, and thats in the tail (Anus) region so its possible its not defecating fully and thats why its not eating.

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Originally Posted by JeffJ

i was wondering about birth defect........ but it looks like lumps of fecal matter, and thats in the tail (Anus) region so its possible its not defecating fully and thats why its not eating.

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She just said it was pooing.
It is this picture that game me the impression that they could be kinks:
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...1235019200.jpg

Did the vet ever do an x-ray on this girl? Could also be broken ribs. I don't think she is constipated though. She has pooped in the last 3 weeks and hasn't been eating much since november. She has nothing to poop out.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

She just said it was pooing.
It is this picture that game me the impression that they could be kinks:
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...1235019200.jpg

Did the vet ever do an x-ray on this girl? Could also be broken ribs. I don't think she is constipated though. She has pooped in the last 3 weeks and hasn't been eating much since november. She has nothing to poop out.

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according to what i have heard, its possible for them to evacuate waste but not all of it properly. i could be wrong though.

They have not done xrays on her because they said nothing was wrong with her. So there wasnt a reason to xray. They said there was nothing wrong with the lumps or her not eating.

What if she has kinks? Is it not good? Could she still live a happy normal life?

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

They have not done xrays on her because they said nothing was wrong with her. So there wasnt a reason to xray. They said there was nothing wrong with the lumps or her not eating.

What if she has kinks? Is it not good? Could she still live a happy normal life?

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If those are in fact kinks, they are pretty small. She would still live a happy and normal life, but I wouldn't try breeding her.

I dont plan on breeding anything. But they wont cause her problems with defecating or anything like that right?

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

I dont plan on breeding anything. But they wont cause her problems with defecating or anything like that right?

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I have seen badly kinked snakes live happy lives, so she should be fine. :3