What to feed a starving python? HELP.

[sprytaen]

At the end of July, I left to visit family in a different state. On day 2 of my trip, I received a frantic call from my husband saying that our [baby] ball python was missing. He'd frantically tossed the house, but hadn't found him. When I returned a week later, I too searched the house but to no avail. We leave the sliding glass door open for our dogs and our thought was that perhaps he made it out the door.

This evening our cat was staring at something in a messenger bag on the floor of our computer room. Sure enough, there was our python. Here's the issue. It's been nearly a month since he's eaten and we're not sure where he's been getting water from. He's alive, but his skin is very shriveled and he's way thinner. We've put him back in his cage with water, but he doesn't seem interested in drinking.

We want to give him food in the morning - it's currently 2am and there aren't any pet stores open - but what should we feed him? He was eating frozen adult mice before, but we're worried he'd be too weak.

Anyways, any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. We assume he's a baby, but this is our first snake - he's about 2 feet long. :\

[m00kfu]

You could try soaking him in a tub of lukewarm water. Just deep enough to go half way up his sides. Leave him in there for 30 minutes or so and that should help with getting him rehydrated. A month without food shouldn't be too much to worry about for a ball python.

[DustinB]

If you're worried and since he's young, I read you might try the soaking as suggested above but add some pedialyte to the water so he can get a few nutrients as well. I don't know how young he is but I wouldn't imagine a hatchling could go a long time without eating. If he's big enough to eat adult mice I would imagine he's fine, just dehydrated. Try a live hopper if he won't eat his regular f/t meal as long as he isn't weak.

[rabernet]

I'd give him 4 to 5 days with no handling to get re-settled in his enclosure and THEN offer him some food. Allow him time to de-stress.

Glad you found hm!

[sprytaen]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions! I'll soak him this morning with a little added pedialyte. And yes, we're super happy we found him too!