Weight loss-how much is too much

[jason4173]

Velvet, my BP when I got her on Dec. 14 was 103 grams. I got her from PetsMart and they gave me all her paperwork, feeding charts etc...they were feeding her F/T (which I have continued)fuzzy mice which were too small for her as they are less than half the diameter that she is. When I got her they gave me a container of the fuzzies to go with her and I used those to feed and she would eat 3 of them. She was feeding great on fuzzies every week up to about a week before she shed and she almost stopped eating but she did get up to 116 grams before shed on Dec. 30. After her shed she ate again, only 1 fuzzy and have not got her to eat again.

I tried to change her to the bigger medium mice after shed which look to be about the right size for her, she freaked out like they scared her. She pulled back away from it and quickly went in the opposite direction of where the mouse was being offered. I offer the mice from feeding tongs and dangle them in front of her. As soon as she smells the bigger mice she wants nothing to do with it. The last time I weighed her she was 119 grams on Dec 31, the day after shedding. I had her out to check her and her shed to make sure it was complete. I had her out lastnight and weighed her again and her skin is sort of loose looking, and weighted only 108 grams...

Any ideas what may be going on?? She will not eat even the fuzzies now, will have nothing to do with bigger mice. Not sure if it will help but she is now 18 inches long, and as I said is 108 grams, this seems real small to me....? Any ideas how to get her eating again? I dont want to put a live mouse in with her and risk her getting hurt...what else can be done????? How much weight can she lose and be ok? Will she let herself starve...I know they can go a long time without eating but she is dropping weight..



Thanks.

[Freakie_frog]

Sounds like stress to me.. Tell me about your set up and I'll see if I can help.

Temps (hot and cool side)
Humidity
What size tank/tub are you keeping it in.
How many hides and what size are they.

[joepythons]

Velvet, my BP when I got her on Dec. 14 was 103 grams. I got her from PetsMart and they gave me all her paperwork, feeding charts etc...they were feeding her F/T (which I have continued)fuzzy mice which were too small for her as they are less than half the diameter that she is. When I got her they gave me a container of the fuzzies to go with her and I used those to feed and she would eat 3 of them. She was feeding great on fuzzies every week up to about a week before she shed and she almost stopped eating but she did get up to 116 grams before shed on Dec. 30. After her shed she ate again, only 1 fuzzy and have not got her to eat again.

I tried to change her to the bigger medium mice after shed which look to be about the right size for her, she freaked out like they scared her. She pulled back away from it and quickly went in the opposite direction of where the mouse was being offered. I offer the mice from feeding tongs and dangle them in front of her. As soon as she smells the bigger mice she wants nothing to do with it. The last time I weighed her she was 119 grams on Dec 31, the day after shedding. I had her out to check her and her shed to make sure it was complete. I had her out lastnight and weighed her again and her skin is sort of loose looking, and weighted only 108 grams...

Any ideas what may be going on?? She will not eat even the fuzzies now, will have nothing to do with bigger mice. Not sure if it will help but she is now 18 inches long, and as I said is 108 grams, this seems real small to me....? Any ideas how to get her eating again? I dont want to put a live mouse in with her and risk her getting hurt...what else can be done????? How much weight can she lose and be ok? Will she let herself starve...I know they can go a long time without eating but she is dropping weight..



Thanks.

Was this an adoption snake from petsmart? I have never heard of them giving feeding charts and such.I suggest you cease handling her until she starts eating on a normal basis.I say this because every time she refuses to eat you handle her and it add more stress.Totaly leave her alone for a full week then try to feed her.If she refuses try after another week.In my experiance ball pythons can tend to be stuuborn whenever you change anything on them .Keep us posted

[joepythons]

Sounds like stress to me.. Tell me about your set up and I'll see if I can help.

Temps (hot and cool side)
Humidity
What size tank/tub are you keeping it in.
How many hides and what size are they.

I forgot this stuff also so check these also

[jason4173]

She is kept in a 10 gal glass tank, I have two sides and the back covered, front open. I have 2 hides, one on each end of the cage, they are about 4 inch in diameter (she can curl up inside them snugly) made from small clay flower pots, she is on cypress mulch substrate to help with my humidity. Screened top is covered with foil except about 5 inch section for light. Temp on warm side is consistantly between 92*F and 93.5*F cool side is 79.5*F to 82*F and humidity is from 48% to 55%. She has water, I have ovserved her drinking but not soaking. I have had another post on here too about suspected RI as her breating was "labored" but this seems to have subsided a couple days after her shed completed.

[jason4173]

Was this an adoption snake from petsmart? I have never heard of them giving feeding charts and such.

Was not an addoption. It was a pretty simple chart that they were using to keep track of her days she was eating, a care sheet, their pet health guarantee or "warranty" for their 14 day return for health reasons.

[Freakie_frog]

She is kept in a 10 gal glass tank, I have two sides and the back covered, front open.

check

I have 2 hides, one on each end of the cage, they are about 4 inch in diameter (she can curl up inside them snugly) made from small clay flower pots, she is on cypress mulch substrate to help with my humidity.

check

Screened top is covered with foil except about 5 inch section for light. Temp on warm side is consistantly between 92*F and 93.5*F cool side is 79.5*F to 82*F and humidity is from 48% to 55%.

Ok sounds good

She has water, I have observed her drinking but not soaking.

Ok

I have had another post on here too about suspected RI as her breating was "labored" but this seems to have subsided a couple days after her shed completed.

Ok your set up sounds good to me. Some times if they are in a new place and getting messed with(handled, feeding attempts, cage changes, ect) they will stress out and quit eating. If you suspect an RI get her/him to a vet as typically medication is need to clear those up and most will start eating soon after getting better.

My only other question is..Is the tank in a high traffic area or close to a TV/radio/guitar amp/ or any thing that would cause vibration of the tank or the air with in it.

[jason4173]

I have her housed in my living room. She is in an "out of the way" corner, but may be that the TV could be bothering her. She does get some foot traffic around her but not a lot.

Would it help to have her covered completly at night, totaly close all sides of her cage? Or maybe put her in my wifes and my room in the upstairs of our house? The only thing is the upstairs has one window and stays pretty dark all day long and especially at night. But there is NO foot traffic in there other than at bed time....

[Freakie_frog]

You might tyr moving her to a different part of the house and leave he be for 5-7 days and see how she does. The darker and quiter the better some balls are skidish and need that kind of security and some would eat while sitting on a drum set at a rock concert.

[k1ingdomKaa]

same problem with me, i got one from petsmart and it eats everytime i offer, the other one that i got doesnt eat at all yet. so im leaving it alone. i did find that it is 88grams only tho.
the other one is about 164 grams.