New owner and site member, BP Dehydrated from store.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Here is a thread I made a long time ago with a useful trick to keeping humidity inside your tank. It works very well!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-using-a-tank

[Reed12321]

Reed, If you're looking for cheap plants, don't go to WalMart, go to JoAnn Craft stores. They have a huge floral section with all kinds of fake plants. Seasonal ones too if you want to deck out the tank for holidays. Just be sure that the ones you buy, if they're the "chain link" kind of fake plant, you cut the loops so they don't wedge themselves in there. Also on their website and their app they have crazy good coupons all the time.

Side note, I really like the name Kaa. Is it from something or did you come up with it? My guy is still unnamed so I just call him snake. lol

I live in rural NH. The closest Joann Fabrics to me is over an hour away.

[Spoons]

Aah, that's too bad. You could do online but it's always nicer to be able to see the stuff in person.

[Reed12321]

Aah, that's too bad. You could do online but it's always nicer to be able to see the stuff in person.

Well I'm going to CT for thanksgiving break (I'm a teacher at a private boarding school) and I'll have my snakes and cat with me. There is a lot more at my disposal in CT where I live. Especially wal marts, michaels, joanne fabrics, multiple pet stores, etc.

[Karokash]

Well I went in today to get some belly shots of him but I seriously think I shouldn't handle him for awhile. His skin is still really wrinkly so I don't think the dehydration issue has been fixed, but the shedding thing is getting weird. I had thought he was through with a shed and just had some left over when I soaked him but now it looks like he needs to shed everywhere but his head. But the scales are coming off in little blotches and patches. I think he needs to be left alone for a few days to see how he does with this shed. I think i'm stressing him out by always checking on him.

I am going to try to feed him again tomorrow (in cage w/ newspaper; Thanks Spoons ) because i'm starting to worry he is losing weight. I'm supposed to be getting a scale in tonight while i'm at work. I have three little journals under his shelf for weight/shed/feeding records. I just haven't been able to start putting any info yet and of course I couldn't get any starting point from the store. I asked them again and they don't even remember the snake.

Question: I see him drinking occasionally; will snakes do what they can to keep from being dehydrated to a fatal level? Should seeing him drinking make me feel a little better that he isn't going to die from this in the immediate future until I can finish doing the rest of the things needed for the humidity problem?

[Karokash]

Here is a thread I made a long time ago with a useful trick to keeping humidity inside your tank. It works very well!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-using-a-tank

Thank you, I read the thread. I don't have a local plastic shop but I can see if someone at one of the local general hardware and home supply stores has any idea how to do that. My resources in this town are very limited.

[Spoons]

Every animal will do what they can to keep from becoming dehydrated enough to die. An animal has to be incredibly sick to die from dehydration, the thirst for water is a powerful drive. As long as he's drinking, he won't die (and I'm sure he drinks without you watching, too!) It'll take a bit for him to get back to a healthy condition. Look at a dog from a rescue, if they come with fur or skin problems it takes a long time for them to get into a good condition again. As long as you're doing the right things you should slowly see improvement each time he sheds especially. I do agree that, unless really necessary, you should give him a few days to chill out with minimal handling. Good idea to keep a journal- I've got an excel spreadsheet to document feeding too.

Today was feeding day for mine, too. I took a video of it. I'm not sure why, I just think it's neat to see. He stays right in front of the camera, it was pretty successful, though the first few minutes are boring! I thought it might be helpful to post here - the mouse is totally dry, I thawed in the fridge overnight and heated with my ceramic emitter, so no bedding stuck to it this time at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_wC...ature=youtu.be

[Karokash]

I'm about to watch your video. I am not handeling him any more and I will be attempting to feed him again tomorrow. I will definieely post the results. His overall condition concerns me as I don't know really what the true cause is (although I still suspect the low humidity to be the cause of all of it.) But basically he is wrinkly, he has flaky skin from his neck down as if a shed is trying to happen but he can't get it going, and i'm worried one of his eyes has a scratch. The problem is I don't want to handle him so I can't really get a ton of pictures. His belly is still a little pink so i'm hoping he just hasn't finished shedding yet but I don't like the patches, and tomorrow i'll be adding the coco husk to try to fix this humidity. because with a wet towel and cookie pan covering the lid, the UTH and bulb on one side, and no fan or airflow I cannot believe its still below 35%. so coco husks and a moss hide are being added tomorrow.

If I can see him eat, finish this shed properly, and fill out to where he is plump again I will feel worlds better. Then i'll take pictures. If I can't see changes soon i'm considering taking him to a vet. But I don't want to stress him out just because i'm overly paranoid. Thank you all for your help though. I'll post some updates tomorrow evening.

[Karokash]

I'll try to use my phone to get a video of the feeding attempt if you think it might help everyone suggest ways to help Kaa out.

[Reed12321]

The positive thing is that you see him drink occasionally. I never saw my snake drink until I put him into a bath 3 weeks after I got him. So if you see him drink on more than one occasion in one day, he's definitely hydrating himself. When he was at petco or whatever pet store you got him from, did he happen to be in a tank with other snakes? If so, he's already infinitely happier because you really shouldn't keep multiple snakes in the same enclosure. When you feed him, put the mouse in a plastic bag and thaw it out with warm water for like 10 ish minutes. Make sure the mouse is thawed all the way and is warm so that it mimics the temps of a live mouse. If dangling it by it's tail doesn't work, use tongs (I use plastic chop sticks that have the spring in between them) to dangle it by the scruff of it's neck. The snake can find the head easier sometimes that way and it makes it easier. Something else to try is to just put the mouse on a piece of newspaper and let it be over night. If the snake doesn't eat it by the morning, scrap it and wait 5 days. I had problems with my guy eating and he didn't eat from October 28th until November 13th.