Seriously underweight baby BP won’t eat

[Bogertophis]

From your pics, this snake is horribly underweight- like skin & bones. I'm not sure that a vet visit will help as much as staying home IF he'll eat- so IF he eats, I'd postpone the vet & try to get more food into him. And it would also help to take a fresh stool sample to the vet for diagnostics, which won't be available unless you get food into him.

Normally, hatchling BPs eat hopper mice (bigger than a fuzzy, eyes just open) but this snake is in no shape to take on a hopper (live or dead) & his stomach probably couldn't handle it even if he got it down. He'll need frequent small meals IF you can get him to eat.

To be honest, I'd tube-feed* this one a liquid diet IF he didn't feed readily for me, but if you can get him to eat fuzzies on his own, that would be great. (*I have lots of experience with "tube-feeding" & for me that would be easy enough to do, plus the liquid would be easier for him to digest in his present condition.)

At some point, a vet visit is a good idea, but if it makes him regurgitate food or keep refusing due to stress (from the handling & changing locations yet again) then it's not going to help much.

I think you took on a lot when you bought this snake, & you said he was "pricey" , but I hope you can save him. Shame on whoever sold a snake in this condition, though you've had him a while too- a month+ so he's lost even more weight by now. Good luck with him.

[Bogertophis]

...If my baby does have something, then all the snakes at the store probably do too, right? All their BPS are lined up together, sometimes they even have two in a tank...

Bet on it.

[Armiyana]

Personally I think that looks like a spinner...? Pinstripe/Spider, just a higher expression on the pinstripe. So that can still explain a bit of the wobble...
However. Like everyone else has said, this baby is extremely underweight. That can cause them to 'wobble' from muscle exertion. He definitely needs some food in him.

If he was my rescue, If he doesn't eat a live fuzzy for you, I would do an assist feed and then not touch him or anything for a week. Just let him be. Try not to even look at him funny. No picking up hides. Just refill or clean his water as needed. Change the bedding only if absolutely necessary, spot clean if you can without touching him or the hides. The downside is the 15 gallon is giving him a lot of space so it may be harder to keep track of him or his fecals.


What people mean by poor husbandry causing wobbles is extremely poor husbandry. Temps over 100 can cause wobbling and neurological damage. the same with any toxic chemicals or cleaners. On some occasions, internal parasites have been known to cause wobbles as well, but that's in severe infestations (ruling out with that fecal can help figure that out). If it's IBD.... there's nothing you can do really. That's viral.

As a heads up as well... when working with ball pythons that have been this level of malnurished, you may see some VERY delicate skin from lack of nutrients. Like Paper thin, so be careful with handling too tightly (difficult when assist feeding) and be careful with any decor in the habitat. you'd be surprised what they can rub on the wrong way. Smooth and easy to clean plastic is your best friend right now. If you see any type of skin wound, I would go to the vet immediately. No waiting til Thursday because skin infections are even worse on top of all this.

[Bellybelly]

I really appreciate all your guys insight and advice, thank you! I’m at work so I can’t respond at length until tonight but just wanted to say that


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[Bellybelly]

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...antine-process

Yes if your new snake has it chances are others in your pet store have contracted whatever it is that has made yours sick (if your new one is in fact sick) is this a pet store like Petco or Petsmart? Or an actual reptile shop? IMO if any reptile shop or Pet store is housing ball pythons or any kind of reptiles who aren’t meant to be kept together in the first place isn’t worth buying from. It’s a bad practice and shouldn’t be done by any means


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Thank you for the link, I did not realize quarantine needed to e that intensive, I get why it is if you have a large collection or breed them, but it didn’t occur to me not to assume he was (weight aside) healthy. That’s no excuse, I should have done my research, but I’ve only had one snake up until now.

It was a petco, which I only go to for the rats, because that’s what my other guy seems to like the best, I don’t like to support those big box pet stores and I definitely wouldn’t buy an animal from one under normal circumstances but… this little guy was just so clearly struggling and it was breaking my heart


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[Bogertophis]

Thank you for the link, I did not realize quarantine needed to e that intensive, I get why it is if you have a large collection or breed them, but it didn’t occur to me not to assume he was (weight aside) healthy. That’s no excuse, I should have done my research, but I’ve only had one snake up until now.

It was a petco, which I only go to for the rats, because that’s what my other guy seems to like the best, I don’t like to support those big box pet stores and I definitely wouldn’t buy an animal from one under normal circumstances but… this little guy was just so clearly struggling and it was breaking my heart


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Quarantine is essential ANY time you have other herps at home & you come home with a new pet that might have either parasites or diseases (or both) that could affect your healthy one(s).

I (& most of us) know all about the heart-break of seeing animals struggling in pet stores, "big box" or otherwise.

I also can't say I've never brought any of them home, because I have, though not for a great many years. It was way back when I was new at this- I think a few dinosaurs were still roaming the earth as well?

But just understand that every pet you think you're rescuing this way WILL be replaced by another, because making that sale is what that store wants. You've just told them they're doing the right thing to stay in business...or rather, your money sent that message. Buying this snake, in poor condition, just told them that it doesn't matter what shape their animals are in, so why fix it.

[Bellybelly]

I moved Pepper’s whole setup into the spare room today, where it’s dark and quiet and he’s isolated, and found a place that sells live fuzzies and got him one over my lunch break, and I left the (sealed) box in the room with him all afternoon in hopes that the scent of live prey might get to him… no response when I put it in his tank in a little bowl, I made sure to sink it down into the substrate a little so that he can come at it from above, just waited a few minutes to make sure it couldn’t get out, and then I just shut off the lights and closed the door. Is it gonna be fine to leave him be until morning, or should I give it a quick peek in a couple hours before I go to bed? I know it can’t hurt him but it’s still another live animal in his tank… how long do I give him before I take the mouse out if he doesn’t go for it?

Everything in his tank is smooth plastic with one of his hides that’s porcelain (that’s the cool side one and he’s always in there,) I read about the skin issue in that previous post and made sure nothing he has in there has any rough or sharp bits. I am keeping a close eye on his condition, though, as much as I can given I hardly ever see him out of the hide


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[Bogertophis]

Wait until morning, if you can stand the suspense. If you sneak a peek before then, you might happen to be there RIGHT when he's about to take it, & that could scare him into not taking it & NOT eating...so tough it out.

[Bellybelly]

Wait until morning, if you can stand the suspense. If you sneak a peek before then, you might happen to be there RIGHT when he's about to take it, & that could scare him into not taking it & NOT eating...so tough it out.

I’ll try to bear it! I’m not risking interrupting and scaring him out of his dinner! I’m not gonna sleep all night worrying about him though.


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[bcr229]

Honestly I would have assist-fed already. If your BP doesn't eat the fuzzy by morning the I'd euth the fuzzy and assist feed it to your ball python.

I wrote up a long post on assist feeding at https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t-eating/page3 - post #23.