New Rescue's in Horrible Condition!

[Homegrownscales]

Good god! She looks awful. I would do a fecal check on her to make sure there isn't some sort of parasitic thing going on. If there isn't she will gain weight quickly. I also take on rescues and our last case was bad bad bad and they are almost fat now. Even The worst can be brought back with the right care. I wish you guys the best of luck! Go slow and steady and shell be better in no time.


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[Slytherin]

Poor baby. I don't think I've seen a BP as skinny as that one... and you could tell by how sunken in she looks how she's extremely dehydrated and probably wasn't taken care of under the proper temperatures if the woman and her kids didn't know what they were doing.

I'm glad she's fallen into your hands though, knowing that at least she's in the hands of an expert who knows what they're doing. Please keep posting pics of her progress in the future!

[ClarkT]

I certainly wouldn't call myself an expert, but I at least understand husbandry pretty well -- thanks to this site.

I'll be continuing with small meals, as she couldn't really even wrap a pinky very well (she's too weak).

The humid tub she's in now has already gotten rid of almost all of the stuck shed. After she eats a few more times, I'll give her a couple good soaks and see if we can get her to get those eyecaps off. I wonder how many layers are there...

It really is appalling how the lady was so surprised that I thought this rescue was skinny! She couldn't believe that my snakes that are the same length are at least 4 times bigger around! She just thought everything was just hunky dory. Wow, really lady?

Slow and gentle is the way I'll go. Just another thing I'll have to have patience on and update when there's significant change. I sure hope that's only 2 months away...in any case, I'll update when she's doing really well, or--heaven forbid--if she doesn't make it.

Thanks guys for all your help and comments.

[Bellabob]

Poor thing, she's so thin! I can't believe how thin that snake is. That is just horrible. I hope she gets well soon and no further problems arise.

[Anya]

*goes away to find something to hit*

[angllady2]

They can endure a lot, believe me.

My hubby and I rescued a so-called cinnamon that upon first sight I assumed was a baby, it was just as skinny as your girl and I was worried.

When they informed me the snake was 8 months old and ate 1 pinky mouse a month, I became something I can't put it print.

When that pitiful thing came to us at 8 months old, he was a whopping 110 grams, the size of a hatchling. We fed him small meals more often, and he filled out amazingly quick.

Best wishes with your new baby.

Gale

[Melody]

That is truely a sin. The owner should have seriously been reported! ive never in my life seen a ball pyton THAT skinny before! ive seen a couple light weights but that is just abuse.
Thank god you came across that add and saved her... hope she improves for you

[iCandiBallPythons]

Mis-informed or uneducated owners are very prevalent in this industry and is so frustrating to me how little if any research people do on their "pets" and then they end up like this case and I'm sure theres many every year that do not survive and that is a shame. That is why it is so important as responsible keepers,hobbyists etc to educate people. I have refused sales in the past and never hesitate to do so if I felt the would be customer could not provide the proper care , because with me its not about the dollar in my pocket, its 100% the welfare of that animal, Im glad to see this one found a great home

[Redneck_Crow]

One thing I do want to mention about refeeding the skinny ones--

A woman I know of from a local site runs a reptile rescue. She received 3 emaciated ball pythons. They were 3-4 years old and each weighed a pound or less. They were so starved it was heartbreaking.

Two of the three did well with refeeding. One poor python died--it's intestines ruptured. That neglected starving snake had used up every scrap of spare flesh in it's body, and some that it couldn't spare trying to cling to life. It wasn't fed "too large" prey when it was rescued--it's intestines were wasted so thin that they could no longer contain or process food. The woman felt bad about the snake that died, but it's simply something that happens and is beyond anyone's control. The snake had already reached a point of no return before it came into her hands.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's good to try to save them, but don't blame yourself or take it that you've done something wrong if they can't be saved. Sometimes an animal's fate is sealed before it comes into our hands. Sometimes the neglect and mistreatment have already done damage that cannot be undone by human means.

It's still wonderful when a neglected animal is given a chance to live. That animal might be just a crappy sick starving snake that isn't worth ten bucks to anyone, but his little life is all that he has, and if someone tries to give it back to him then that particular someone has made our universe a little bit better of a place for living things to exist.

my $0.02

[Kingofspades]

Yeesh. This is as bad as the 11 year old female I got that was 900 grams.
More power to you for rescuing her. Good luck!