Help!

[spitfireashlea]

I don't have a camera, I wish I did.

But i need help. My normal Ball python has something wrong with her.

She is 2-3 months old
Ate last friday (Eats every friday)
Hot side temp : 90
Cold side temp: 82
Belly is pink like she may shed soon, eyes not blue yet

I was just holding her for a bit, she wrapped around my neck and I noticed a few raised scales. I checked to see if there were mites, i dont see any. While checking her I noticed she has, for a lack of a better discription, a "sunken in" rectangular piece more than half way down her body near her belly, right on the edges of the white on her stomach. I havnt noticed it before. My wife mentioned, "It looks like one of her ribs is broken". Seems like a small piece of her side is suken into her body. It's weird. You can visually see this indent without feeling for it first. Her belly feels fine, just about a centimeter from the belly its dented.


Ideas? She does not seem stressed, and does not react when pressure is applied. Shes sitting calmly on my wifes wrist atm.

*edit*
Taking cell phone pics now

[spitfireashlea]

nvm computer's not recognizing phone.....grrrrr

[cinderbird]

if you think your animal may have broken a rib, take it to the vet.

We aren't medical professionals and can not diagnose anything over the internet. Its possible she may have fallen and hurt herself on something, its possible she may be fine, but I know that at the very least I am not in a position to make any of those claims.

[spitfireashlea]

She wasnt being serious when she suggested the broken rib, she was just trying to describe what the indentation looked like. I was more or less looking for ideas on what it could be, seeing as I cannot make it to the vet today, but can tomarrow.......

[stratus_020202]

I would suggest a vet too. Balls aren't very good at expressing if something hurts, or is bothering them.

[dr del]

Hi,

I can see the point of knowing for sure what is wrong with the snake.

But the problem is, even if it does turn out to be broken ribs, I'm not sure what the vet could do.

They can't give painkillers or splint the ribs etc.

I had one of my hatchlings last year that had some ribs go wierd - you can see pictures of him in the bottom of the first page of this thread.

The good news is he made a full recoveryand looks perfectly normal now.


dr del

[seeya205]

I would just keep a close eye on him! There is not much a vet can do except take xrays and know whats going on inside but there is no treatment for it. Just keep checking on it and if it gets worse then go to the vet! Just my own opinion!

[spitfireashlea]

A gentlemen was nice enough to allow me to text him my cell phone pictures, and he would post them.

When the pictures are posted, the indentation is on the right side of the black strip in between my fingers. My two fingers are on the hard spots on the outside of the indentation, the indentation is between those two hard spots.

I hope this explanation can some what help you see whats going on in the crappy pic :\

And wow dr del! I'm glad your snake is doing fine, this gives me hope. Thank you!