Hello all,

I adopted a 10 year old ball python about 3-4 weeks ago. Since then, I've taken him to the vet twice since he has a cellulitis in the jaw and some weird respiratory things going on. Since then, the cellulitis is still there (he's still on antibiotics for the next week, and the vet recommended I wait to finish those before coming back in) but the respiratory issues are gone (he was holding his head vertical for several hours and wheezing, he also vomited that same night). However, over the past week, it's almost like he's a different snake. I went to feed him a week ago and was holding him when something just clicked and he became very aggressive. He was striking (but with no mouth open), going after me, head raised about 6 inches above the ground, etc. I thought it was because I was holding him after I went to thaw the rat and he detected food and was hungry (my fault entirely). The behavior has continued since then- taking him out of the tank for his antibiotics is fine, but something clicks once he's out and about he strikes and literally flails himself around. I took some videos, but my friend is in them and isn't comfortable with me posting them to the internet when their face is consistently in the video. He'll strike (still no mouth open) and then roll onto his back and then upright again, so his symptoms aren't consistent with IBS but not sure what's going on?

His antibiotics are injections every 3 days, so my best guess is he's fed up with getting them (but I can't stop giving them halfway through either). Though he receives the shot fine, he starts acting weird 5-10 minute after receiving them.

*Sidenote: I handled him a week or so after getting him, and he was super calm, would explore, let me touch him and take him back to the tank when needed with no issues.