Hi I'm New. I have a quick question...

[mama_arty]

I darkened the tank with some strategically placed towels... we are in the process of packing and moving our belongings to sell our home... so things are a little crazy here. Waiting to hear back from local reptile guys on where there is a good vet in the area.

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[dr del]

Hi,

I've seen that eye problem before - it was caused by the spectacle getting scuffed on the unglazed insides of a terra-cotta hide I was using in a couple of my enclosures. Once I removed them they went away with the next shed never to return.

[mama_arty]

Best news I've heard all day dr del! Maybe it happened while she was shipping to petsmart from the breeder.

Now to get her to eat. *sigh*

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[mama_arty]

Found a doctor who works with snakes in my area. My BP will be going in for a check up on friday. This is a first for me lol

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[predatorkeeper87]

I CANNOT stress enough to make sure that vet knows specifically about BP's and isn't just a jack of all trades exotics vet...

[SLAYERab]

Hey I too got my bp from petsmart. She was the same way wouldn't eat for almost a month, probably had to do with the fact that they force feed her a dead mouse, but I had a visit to the vet planned when I tried a live mouse, she got it in less the 5 secs and I haven't had a problem with feeding ever since. Her eyes where the same too, and went away after the first shed, but to be safe still take to the your snake to the vet.

[Hypancistrus]

Leave the dead mouse in there and if the snake doesn't take it within 20 to 30 mins then take it out...I should also mention that ball pythons are jumpy by nature. Especially when you have a new snake and it is in a new environment, it can seem very uneasy.

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I have left mine in with snakes as long as overnight. Sometimes they will eat hours after the "big scary thing" AKA YOU has left. No worries about it. Also, this last sentence is totally correct. Ball pythons, in my opinion, can be terrible "first snakes" for new snake owners because they can be so very finicky about food, handling, humidity, shedding, etc. They really do not tolerate handling well, again, in my opinion and experience. I teach HS science and I keep a corn snake in my classroom for my kids to handle. He can be handled on and off all week and still slam a rat on Friday. My BP's do not adjust as well to handling stress and the busy environment of a classroom (or home) with kids. I am not saying it can't work... but you need to acknowledge the natural limits of the species and respect them.

Hey I too got my bp from petsmart. She was the same way wouldn't eat for almost a month, probably had to do with the fact that they force feed her a dead mouse, but I had a visit to the vet planned when I tried a live mouse, she got it in less the 5 secs and I haven't had a problem with feeding ever since. Her eyes where the same too, and went away after the first shed, but to be safe still take to the your snake to the vet.

For the record, BP's and most other snakes can easily be converted to f/t prey instead of live, and it really is safer for your snake. F/t prey do not fight back and cannot injure your snake. Some BP's are less inclined to take f/t prey at first and need live to start, but it's not hard to convert them, and feeding f/t "dead" prey should not be equated with "force feeding." All of my BP's take f/t quite readily. I've never had one I could not convert to f/t.

Now... OP, I do have one other question. You said you have a "glass lid" and by this, do you mean one of the glass aquarium lids for a fish tank? Or you have a screen lid and put glass over part of it?? Snakes are escape artists... so whichever lid you are using, make sure it is extremely secure. Don't just put books on it. They are very strong critters.

Good luck with the eye issue. It also looks to me like a scuffed eye cap, and should correct with the next shed.

[Atsirk15]

I also got my snake from Pet Smart and it had been assist fed f/t pinkies but he was really undernourished when I got him (but I didn't know any better at the time). After refusing to eat I finally ofered him a live mouse fuzzy and he took it immediately. After one more live feed, I switched him to fresh killed, which I am still feeding him and he eats great and has never refused. He has gone from less than 60 grams to over 260 grams in the last five months and looks so healthy now. Good luck!

[mama_arty]

Hey all. Busy days sorry for the absence. The vet apparently is a specialist in reptiles and amphibians... I figure I will at least get a weight and such on Mrs snake. I will have to ask the vet her qualifications and experience with snakes .

The lid is an aquarium lid. I do need to put some clips. I'm thinking of using the stick on safety clips we used to use when our home was child proofed. I have taken advice here, moved her to a quite location and covered her tank and she does seem much happier. Actually coming out of her hides for some time to sit in the dark quiet of her room. I will keep you all posted

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[predatorkeeper87]

Hey all. Busy days sorry for the absence. The vet apparently is a specialist in reptiles and amphibians... I figure I will at least get a weight and such on Mrs snake. I will have to ask the vet her qualifications and experience with snakes .

The lid is an aquarium lid. I do need to put some clips. I'm thinking of using the stick on safety clips we used to use when our home was child proofed. I have taken advice here, moved her to a quite location and covered her tank and she does seem much happier. Actually coming out of her hides for some time to sit in the dark quiet of her room. I will keep you all posted

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the only reason I brought up the vet thing was because I've had to go to an exotics vet recently with one of my young BPs for an eye infection. The man claimed to be very knowledgeable about reptiles, and to an extent he was. My issues arose when he told me my setup was wrong (at the time the bp in question was in a sterelite tub with a UTH, paper towels for a sterile environment, 2 hides and water bowl. He said the snake needed a UVB bulb and that my temps were incorrect (90 hot side, 78 cool side).

He then prescribed baytril injections without doing any type of culture, and eye drops (snakes have eye caps...drops are useless...they require ointments that sticks to the eyes...)

Needless to say I went and found a new vet immediately afterwords. Some will say they are an exotics vet...when they only have a very basic knowledge of exotics.