Brought home a severely underweight BP baby. Please help me get her back on track

[Bogertophis]

It's totally your call, but I'd probably give her another gentle soak...just to help ensure that she's hydrated enough to digest her upcoming meal. Poor baby!

You might want to offer food on Friday eve...just in case she chucks it up, it won't be stinking for the several days you're gone. Of course, she could do
that later, but it's more likely (if at all) to happen fairly fast. I sure hope she'll eat right off for you...

[Zincubus]

Left her alone today, except a brief check on that red spot on her side to make sure it isn't something more than a scuff, or getting worse. The spot is looking better, it took me a a bit to find it. Her condition broke me heart all over again. So wrinkly, even her head has wrinkles. Her belly is sunken in, forming a concave 'n' shape. Her skin feels so soft and delicate, like a geriatric person's skin. When she lays down, she's so flat, her skin kind of puddles underneath her. Her scales keep catching on my hand, I was unsure if that was due to being dry, or so thin that her skin isn't 'tight' so to speak. Ishould have taken a quick pic but I wanted to get her back in the tank ASAP.

Very sweet though. Crused around a bit for the 30 seconds I checked her spot, then settled back in under her hot hide. I'm wondering if I should soak her once more? Or let her be and drink of her own accord? Or maybe just mist and let the heightened humidity take care of it? I want it quiet and peaceful for her to acclimate, but I also want her to get better. I am leaving a few days this weekend so I thought I would try feeding Saturday. (The wait is going to be brutal, I want her to eat so badly!)

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After that description I myself would give her another 25 minute soak BUT try the way I was told .

You really just got her damp yesterday which is no bad thing in her condition but I'd suggest the sealed container with air holes in the lid , fill it 2/3 full and let her soak .. she will soon choose to be submerged and that's when they take the water in .

Nothing to lose and if you follow the method I described a few posts back properly I can virtually guarantee she will look much better and plumper straight afterwards..

You can cover the tub with a towel to give her some security.

She will wriggle and try every corner to get out at first which is expected but it only lasts a minute or so then they relax .

Remember to stay with the tub though, don't just walk away as they're great at escaping !


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[Bogertophis]

She's obviously pretty weak, I'd be careful about keeping the water shallow, unless you put a small towel in there too, something to give her traction.

No matter how badly you want her to eat & fill out, remember to only feed a small prey item...her system won't be able to handle it the way a normal
healthy snake would. Weekly small meals will do far more good than too much at once...a snake that is starving also does not have good digestive enzymes
ready to go.

[AbsoluteApril]

I'm curious to know the reason(s) they disapprove?

I've also seen that said quite a few times on this forum, something about soaking them removes the natural oils?
Maintaining proper humidity in the cage is of course ideal which would usually negate the need for a soak in the first place.

A dehydrated baby with possibly bad shed, I, personally, don't see it doing any harm but that is just my humble opinion.


OP, good luck with your little one, I hope they pull through!

[Bogertophis]

I've also seen that said quite a few times on this forum, something about soaking them removes the natural oils?
Maintaining proper humidity in the cage is of course ideal which would usually negate the need for a soak in the first place.

A dehydrated baby with possibly bad shed, I, personally, don't see it doing any harm but that is just my humble opinion.
.....

I disagree but the debate is for another time & place...I've no wish to detract from the topic at hand. (but "oil" doesn't dissolve in water...I'll need some very
compelling evidence to over-ride my years of experience-) As you implied, in a perfect world (or at least perfect husbandry) there'd be no need.

[Spoons]

Gave her a nice soak in Luke warm water several inches deep. I didn't trust her ability to hold her head above water so I wadded a rag into the corner, but she instead spent her time angrily slithering around looking for a way out. I watched her the entire time, I didn't see her drink, or put her head above water - but it had to have been good for her regardless. Looks like she won't be one of those pythons that likes enjoys swimming!

She gave me a good look at her scuff, which turns out to be scuffs plural. One on either side of what should be the fattest past of her. I'm pretty sure at some point she probably tried to fit somewhere too small for her to fit and got scraped. I'm not worried about it, they're looking good.

Back in her tank til Saturday! I have a mouse fuzzy to offer her. Small, but better than nothing and better than pinkies.

(The water is clean, she's on a dark surface with a dark towel!)

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[Zincubus]

How long was the soak ... if she took any water in she would have looked instantly better and plumper .. does she look any plumper or still as wrinkled ?
Did you cover the whole tub with a towel .?

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[Spoons]

30 minutes. It's hard to tell if she looks plumper, honestly, given the condition she's in. I couldn't for sure tell you. I covered the entire tub except one side so I could watch her and make sure she was ok, in as dark a room as I could get and still see.

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[Spoons]

Not sure how to edit on Tapatalk so I'll add on: she's still incredibly wrinkly, but she's got both lack of food and dehydration both, so the water is only going to go so far, no?

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[Bogertophis]

She needs water more than food, and first; severe dehydration reduces her ability to digest & she might regurgitate, a bigger setback that results in even
more loss of fluids & necessary enzymes, so it's something you want to avoid. By feeding only pinks or fuzzies, that will help (they're easier to digest).

But yes, of course she needs nutrition too. If she was my snake, I'd probably tube-feed her (chicken babyfood, thinned) but she is weak & not the best
snake for you to learn to do that with*...so best you hope she'll take small food & soon. (*done with skill, it's not a big stress on the snake, too bad we
aren't neighbors)