Ugh.. I think she's sick

[Manasha-Bogo]

Hello again, I finally fed my snakes today after 2+ weeks of being off food due to the mite infestation.

I think the mite situation is under control even tho I still catch a glimpse of one crawling around, they definitely are dying off. I have them on white paper towels in their tank.

The male ate a full grown mouse. His first of that size. And because she's still small, I gave the female my the last hopper which had actually grown a bit in two weeks. I had been keeping the mice alive all this time; well fed and watered.

But she regurgitated it at some point after she ate it. She was not disturbed the entire time; during or after eating it. As a rule I don't handle them for at least 2 days after they eat. This is the first time either one of them had done that. She keeps looking shaky to me. My gut tells me she's not well.

I will be going out of town Friday so I think unless I can manage to get out of work sometime tomorrow, I won't be able to take her to the vet until next week. This worries me.

She just doesn't look right.

And before anyone asks, the PAM had nothing to do with it. As paranoid as I was about it, I sprayed the tank in the yard and didn't bring it back indoors for 24 hours. And did not return the snakes to this tank until another 12 hours after that.

This does not bode well with me. I really do not want to lose my first snake so soon after getting it.


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[Inarikins]

They're... in the same tank? Why aren't the separate? That might be the reason for the regurge, if the snake's stressed. How sure are you that it was the female that regurged and not the male?

If they're in the same tank the very first thing to do is separate them into their own enclosures.

[satomi325]

Hello again, I finally fed my snakes today after 2+ weeks of being off food due to the mite infestation.

I think the mite situation is under control even tho I still catch a glimpse of one crawling around, they definitely are dying off. I have them on white paper towels in their tank.

The male ate a full grown mouse. His first of that size. And because she's still small, I gave the female my the last hopper which had actually grown a bit in two weeks. I had been keeping the mice alive all this time; well fed and watered.

But she regurgitated it at some point after she ate it. She was not disturbed the entire time; during or after eating it. As a rule I don't handle them for at least 2 days after they eat. This is the first time either one of them had done that. She keeps looking shaky to me. My gut tells me she's not well.

I will be going out of town Friday so I think unless I can manage to get out of work sometime tomorrow, I won't be able to take her to the vet until next week. This worries me.

She just doesn't look right.

And before anyone asks, the PAM had nothing to do with it. As paranoid as I was about it, I sprayed the tank in the yard and didn't bring it back indoors for 24 hours. And did not return the snakes to this tank until another 12 hours after that.

This does not bode well with me. I really do not want to lose my first snake so soon after getting it.


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It sounds like your two snakes share a tank. If so, the most important thing to do is separate them or get a divider. This prevents one snake from spreading any type of potential illness and/or mites to the other. And while it's rare, ball pythons can cannibalize each other and should not share an enclosure unless for breeding purposes.

Lots of things can lead to a regurge. Can you describe your husbandry? Temperature, humidity, hides, etc etc.
How much do your snakes weight?

Can you take a picture of the female?

[Manasha-Bogo]

They used to live together but they have been separated with a makeshift egg crate type divider for about a week or more.

The permanent solution is an acrylic divider in a different tank but that is not ready for them yet. There is no doubt in my mind that the regurgitated mouse was from her. It was brown and smaller than the white one the male ate. And I watched her eat it.


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[AK907]

They used to live together but they have been separated with a makeshift egg crate type divider for about a week or more.

The permanent solution is an acrylic divider in a different tank but that is not ready for them yet. There is no doubt in my mind that the regurgitated mouse was from her. It was brown and smaller than the white one the male ate. And I watched her eat it.

That still leaves an open door for airborne pathogens. Not good. They really should be in entirely different enclosures. I know we've gone over this before, though.

[Manasha-Bogo]

Yes, I have thought of this as well. And I've thought of just putting one of the snakes in the other tank instead of dividing it. (I have a 55 and a 75) but I have also bee told these tanks are too big. So the 3rd solution would be to toss out both tank altogether and get two smaller ones. But that seems like such a waste. I don't like throwing money away. But I really don't want to beat a dead horse by brain dumping my thoughts on tank sizes and housing.


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[Daybreaker]

^ Ditch the tank and get two 15-28qt tubs for each of them (~$6 a piece), get a UTH for both and get them regulated and there's your cheap setup for each of them.

[Manasha-Bogo]

Hrm. Which of these is a better choice to do?

#1). Leave her alone a few days and take her to a vet next week?

Or

#2). Take her to work with me, call the vet, and then take her to the vet from there?

I know they will see her tomorrow if I call and declare an emergency.

I'm also wondering if I'm just overreacting here. But she really doesn't look right and the fact she hasn't grown doesn't help things. Even knowing that it's normal for females to grow slower than males. It doesn't stop the worry.


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[Manasha-Bogo]

Thank you. I will definitely heed your advice an look into alternative housing.


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[Slim]

I sprayed the tank in the yard and didn't bring it back indoors for 24 hours. And did not return the snakes to this tank until another 12 hours after that.

Where were your snakes during this 36 hour period, and how were they heated during that time?