little kinked guy!

[WingedWolfPsion]

Can you post a photo of him? It doesn't seem right that a snake could be a month old without having shed. Ball pythons normally shed about a week after they hatch, and they don't take their first meal for several days after that first shed.
It's easy to tell from a photo if the snake has had its first shed. Maybe you missed it, if it was stuck under a bowl. Very very rarely, some snakes will even eat them.

[dmaricle]

Can you post a photo of him? It doesn't seem right that a snake could be a month old without having shed. Ball pythons normally shed about a week after they hatch, and they don't take their first meal for several days after that first shed.
It's easy to tell from a photo if the snake has had its first shed. Maybe you missed it, if it was stuck under a bowl. Very very rarely, some snakes will even eat them.

i know he just shed do to the fact that i had to soak him several times to get the shed to loosen up. he seems fine it has been several hours now since the feeding. so keep your fingers crossed for the little guy.

this is him in the egg.

this is when he was out.

[dmaricle]

ok i fed him again last night and he is slowly regaining his strength. so i am just happy with the results of this method.

[dmaricle]

here is a video of the method i use. thanks

YouTube - how to force feed a ball python.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

A Badly kinked normal that you have to force feed with a tube?

Sorry, but especially after seeing that picture, I would have to disagree with not euthanizeing it. It's not like it is a insignificant little kink on the tail.... that is a major kink in the middle of the snakes back... In the middle of his digestive system.

How exactly will you measure if it can successfully live? If it finally at some points eats by itself? How do you know it is not uncomfortable or in pain all the time? Refusing to eat as a hatchling when its siblings are all eating just fine is a good indication of this I would think.

But, it is your snake and you can do as you want. Not trying to hijack your thread so I will no comment any more.

[dmaricle]

A Badly kinked normal that you have to force feed with a tube?

Sorry, but especially after seeing that picture, I would have to disagree with not euthanizeing it. It's not like it is a insignificant little kink on the tail.... that is a major kink in the middle of the snakes back... In the middle of his digestive system.

How exactly will you measure if it can successfully live? If it finally at some points eats by itself? How do you know it is not uncomfortable or in pain all the time? Refusing to eat as a hatchling when its siblings are all eating just fine is a good indication of this I would think.

But, it is your snake and you can do as you want. Not trying to hijack your thread so I will no comment any more.

thanks for your concern and the future of this little guy is still not for sure. but i have found a few cases of kinked snakes that as they grew the kink improved greatly. and if this guy does not start eating on his own soon i may still have to put him down. but he did shed and goes to the bathroom just fine, so his digestion is working. so i cant just put him down. everything seems to be working fine for him and he gets around great. so i cant just put him down, now if i start seeing problems other than visual ones i will do the rite thing. but again thanks for your concern.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

well my thoughts are with you and I wsh you AND him the best of luck.

[Simpson Balls]

Hope everthing goes well with him!~

Daniel

[Montessa Python]

I got two rescues in from a pet store, both were ch and had not shed their hatching skin in about 3 months.
Nor had they fed, it was bad.
I did some research and found if you can use chop sticks or other small forceps and get the snake to open its mouth, have another person hold the forceps or sticks for a moment, THIS is from the SIDE of the mouth.
I put a pinky in the mouth, up to the forceps and then had the person slide them out.
Leaving the pinky in the mouth, I pushed a little more to get the teeth into it. Then left it alone.
I had to do this once for one snake and twice for the other, and they ate on their own after that. I did not force it down the throat, and they both ate that way..
Just a thought, I hope it will help.

Carol

[mooingtricycle]

You guys.... Dont go jamming random objects into a snakes mouth. These tools CAN cause injury!

Use a speculum under the observation of a vet, so they can SHOW you how to use these tools properly, and make the entire process of force feeding/assist feeding easier on the animals. PLEASE.