please help!! bp not eating

[aoxomoxoa]

hi, i (a little over a moth ago) purchased a pastel bp from a reptile convention-- male, a bit over a foot in length...i had no background info on him unfortunately. he pooped a few days after purchase. i had him vetted out because he was wheezing a bit, the vet gave me baytril & insulin needles, he received two doses before the wheezing went away--at which point i halted the meds to avoid further stress on his part.

i've been offering him live fuzzies every few days and he shows no interest (he wont eat for me, it's been not much over a month). he is !!EXTREMETLY!! timid. pooped again yesterday (not much too it, very liquid-ey). also shed recently, and easily (i did help him out a bit) however he retained the scales around his nostrils, and i noticed the wheezing is back. i am very concerned about this guy, by appearance he looks very healthy--not dehydrated, gorgeous(!!) coloring... he's kept in a 10 gal with all the amenities + a bit of terrarium moss to keep the humidity slightly up...

any solutions or advice would be greatly appreciated...i have another bp (happy & healthy/voracious eater/slightly younger) and am nervous about any kind of crazy disease being passed on to him.. i have some experience with snakes, but am looking for solid advice

[JLC]

From our Caresheet:

WHY WON'T MY SNAKE EAT?
In almost all cases, a ball python refuses to eat due to husbandry issues. Especially a young one. If your snake misses more than 2-3 meals (sometimes they will not want to eat while in shed) please check the following possible causes:

Lack of Security -- No hides, or hides that are too large or exposed (ie: half logs). They prefer dark, tight hides they barely fit into. Also, if the enclosure is too large, or too open (glass) or in a high traffic area with a lot of loud noise or movement. Another snake in the same enclosure can also cause serious security issues.

Over Handling -- Frequent intrusions into the enclosure, changes to the enclosure, and/or long frequent handling sessions can cause a shy snake to feel vulnerable and refuse to eat.

Improper Temps -- Temps that are too high or too low, or temps that fluctuate too much. Make sure you have an accurate and consistent read on your temps.

Improper Lighting -- Bright white lights shining directly into the enclosure, or 24 hour lighting can cause stress. Make sure there is some sort of day/night cycle.

Offering New Prey -- Changing prey species (ie: mice to rats) or methods (ie: live to f/t) can cause refusal. Such changes can be made, but may require patience and persistence.

Improper Offering of Prey -- Offering prey too frequently can do more harm than good. If a snake refuses, do not attempt to feed again for a week. Also, changing environments by moving to a feeding-box or removing hides and "furniture" can cause refusal in these shy snakes.

Prey Too Large -- Too large an item may intimidate a snake and cause refusal, or even a regurgitation if it is eaten. Also, if a ball python has eaten large meals in the past, it can cause a sudden an indefinite period of fasting.

Mites -- An external parasite common to snakes that must be treated and eradicated. A product called Provent-a-Mite (P.A.M.) is the safest and most effective method.

Seasonal -- Sexually mature ball pythons may fast for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months during their mating season (typically anywhere from late fall to early spring) especially if a sexually mature snake of the opposite sex is in close proximity.

Illness -- If all other possible reasons are eliminated, a vet check may be in order to look for internal parasites, as well as possible infections to the skin, scales, mouth or respiratory system.

Fortunately, ball pythons are extremely hardy snakes that can go for months (if necessary) of fasting without suffering any ill effects. This gives a responsible keeper plenty of time to figure out why the snake refuses to eat and get them on a regular, consistent feeding regimen.

About the wheezing.... I'm surprised the vet didn't insist that you finish the meds he gave you. It's never a good idea to stop a course of antibiotics just because the initial symptoms go away. Doing so can help the infection to get stronger. You may need to make another trip to the vet. And he may not eat for awhile yet...until the infection is cured and he's finally had a chance to really settle in and feel secure.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

The full course of medication needs to be done for a respiratory infection. Even if they stop showing signs or it will come back full force.

Secondly, a small timid BP should be in a small enclosure with 2 tight fitting hides that only have one way in. Temps need to be spot on. Hot and cold sides measured with a digital probe thermometer. Under tank heat needs to be set and controlled by a thermostat or dimmer and monitored. Humidity needs to be at least 65% to help the infection.

Read through the care sheet here and make sure the husbandry is correct. Get him and keep him on the meds. He won't eat until he feels comfortable, secure, and no longer sick.

[dr del]

Hi,

For the record it is important to finish the course of treatment. The symptoms can go away before the disease and stopping the tratment just lets it come back.

You say he has stuck shed around his nostrils so I would try and get that off first to see if it fixes the wheezing ( shedding and stuck shed can cause the sounds - that's why we look inside the mouth for excess mucus and try and listen to the snakes lungs if possible before deciding it is an RI ).

We have a sticky which should help with the stuck shed.

Double check the temps and things against our caresheet but a sick BP might not eat.

Pictures of your enclosure might help people make more specific suggestions as well.

** edit **

Heh heh - I took so long typing this the dynamic duo got all the info in first

** end edit **



dr del

[mommanessy247]

the thing is with medications, especially antibiotics...you really need to stick with it and finish whatever the prescribed amount is cuz stopping it before it's all gone will only result in the infection coming back AND being resistant to the medication that was being used to treat it.
basically the infection will come back and another medication will have to be prescribed to get rid of it.
oh and a good picture of the set up and/or a list of everything your using in/with it would help people here have a better idea of how to help you with advice.
i can tell you right off that offering food every few days is probably stressing your little guy out. i've learned here that if the snake refuses a meal wait a week before offering it again.
usually some tweaking to the husbandry will solve some issues so again a pic of your set up or a list of everything your using in and with it would help.
bp.net peeps are a visual crowd. they LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE them pics.

[mommanessy247]

aw dagnammit! dr. del beat me to it...he just said everything i was typing up haha. thx man, thx.

[aoxomoxoa]

About the wheezing.... I'm surprised the vet didn't insist that you finish the meds he gave you. It's never a good idea to stop a course of antibiotics just because the initial symptoms go away. Doing so can help the infection to get stronger. You may need to make another trip to the vet. And he may not eat for awhile yet...until the infection is cured and he's finally had a chance to really settle in and feel secure.

thanks!! it's was prescribed as a precautionary thing, besides the wheezing he had no other symptoms. i was told to stop them if there was improvement; both of us had the feeling it was stress related...it was a bit of a ride back home...it's the not eating and the timidness that gets me. stark comparison to my other guy who wolfs down 3 fuzzies every week. that check list is great though

[aoxomoxoa]

Hi,

For the record it is important to finish the course of treatment. The symptoms can go away before the disease and stopping the tratment just lets it come back.

You say he has stuck shed around his nostrils so I would try and get that off first to see if it fixes the wheezing ( shedding and stuck shed can cause the sounds - that's why we look inside the mouth for excess mucus and try and listen to the snakes lungs if possible before deciding it is an RI ).

We have a sticky which should help with the stuck shed.

Double check the temps and things against our caresheet but a sick BP might not eat.

Pictures of your enclosure might help people make more specific suggestions as well.

** edit **

Heh heh - I took so long typing this the dynamic duo got all the info in first

** end edit **



dr del

thank you!!! i'll use some tape to peel off the nose scales (?) and if that doesn't do it i'll have him started back up on the baytril.. the vet did check inside his mouth--nothing out of the ordinary, he doesn't open and close his mouth frequently, or stargaze...really he just hangs out all curled up in his hide (half of a cork log, it's small & covered all around except for the opening). i'm very new to (and confused with) the forum thing..unfortunately i don't have access to a camera...i have the feeling my vet doesn't see too many bps and it seems like this is the best place to come for herp advice thanks so much to everyone!!!!!

[FatBoy]

Not a big fan of the half log...just don't offer as much security as enclosed hides. Just an observation. Handle him as least as possible and consider doing a complete round of baytril. Also make an effort to find a "herp vet". You average dog and cat vet know very little about reptiles.

[Jeo123]

For what it's worth, my girl just shed last night, and after finally getting through the shed process, she would wheeze when she was moving around. Typically I've found my girl gets stressed after the shed and the only thing I can think of is that she's gotten so used to not being able to see that she's forgotten that things around her move.

Today though, she's back to her normal self and even ate for the first time in weeks. But yeah, a combination of stuck shed and stress could definitely contribute to wheezing and not eating. Soaking may help if you can't get the stuck shed off.