Let's just start by saying that he is going the vet tomorrow morning. As a broke student I'm upset and nervous about the cost, but I can't imagine my ball python dying...

Long Post Ahead

Anyway: My 2 year old male has not eaten in 4 months. He took a rat just once during that time, and hasn't ever again. I know this is a normal occurrence, especially over the winter for a male ball. All along I chalked his non-eating up to the winter problem. His husbandry has not changed and he used to eat voraciously before he stopped eating, so I didn't/don't imagine it could have been because of husbandry.

Although, not too long ago I moved him into my bedroom which is a quite a bit cooler than the other room he was in. Temps still stayed the same in his cage, and everything was good. (He's in a rubbermaid container). About 4 days ago I cleaned his cage (he hasn't pooped or peed in a very long time) and held him and he appeared in perfect health- he was just as active and strong as ever. I then did not look at him for the next 4 days. He was watered, attempted to be fed (but was denied), his temps were right, all was well.

Well, yesterday the thermometer was dead when I checked it, and the cage not as warm as normal. I believe over the night the temps must have gone down quite a bit because it was cold in the room. I never even considered the temperature of the room and I feel like an idiot for it, thinking his heating pad would be enough. I went to pick him up to hold him, and he was not the pile of muscles he usually is. It felt as though all his muscles were relaxed. He did not grip me. I immediately knew something was wrong. I attached a second heating pad to the tub to heat him up and have been watching him constantly. He can/is still moving around his tub, but he's not moving when I bring him out. I attempted to feed him last night thinking maybe he's starving, and he seemed VERY close to eating, closer than in the last 4 months, but ultimately, he did not eat the rat. I left it in his tub over night and it was still there this morning. I was so upset because it seemed that he'd finally eat it last night. He was even yawning and fawning over the rat.

Today he curled under his log. He still moves when startled, but he seems lethargic. Still weak when held, not strong like he is usually. I'm going out after I post this to get a new thermometer and see what's going on in his tub, but it'll never be able to tell me what happened recently to make him this way.

He seems to have loose skin just behind his jaws, as he usually does after he feeds, but he has not fed. He is stargazing but he shows no signs of respiratory stress as far as I can see. No wheezing, bubbles, audible breathing, opening mouth, so on. Although I just feel like it's probably an RI because I can't imagine what else.

I'm going to attempt to feed him again tonight, but I don't think I should expect any response. My heart seriously hurts so bad because I feel like I can just tell that he's going to die. I don't know what's wrong and he still has some life in him, but it just seems so final and fatal. There's a herp vet nearby and I will be taking him in, but it just seems like a moot point if the snake is dying in front of me.

Has anyone experienced this? Is this an RI? Is this starvation? Is there any hope for him? I've honestly never felt this sorry and guilty in my life...

TL;DR: Temp dropped in BP's tub, now lethargic and weak, hasn't eaten in 4 months, almost ate last night but didn't, skin behind head is loose like after eating, hasn't pooped/peed in about 4 months as well, I thought it was winter breeding but it could be husbandry, despite temps and humidity always being proper.