Hey! I was going to write a blog, but Maybe i'll just post what's been going on here. Since this last post, they have both had a third Consecutive shed! Unreal. Bitey is doing abslutely wonderful for all the things he's been through. We've actually thought of calling him "scout" because he's curious, and cute. Always drinking...loves fresh water, which he gets daily. That snake will stare at me until i get him fresh water, and then he goes right over and drinks...I loooove it!! lol

Okay, so Ribs...is doing marvelous! Much more energy, much tighter skin...on both snakes their ribs can still be felt...but they are both thickening out. Ribs himself finally has no spine showing, an actually looks like a SNAKE again, instead of some horrible roadkill!
I actually thought he was a pastel, he was so pale...but he's been darkening up!

A few weeks ago, I was feeling around on his belly. I had maybe suspected that he could be a she...and had a stuck slug. I felt a "ball" or moving "knot" near the belly...but more towards the vent. I kind of forgot about it in the ruckus of trying to get him to eat, and drink, and shed, but the other day i felt around again...and decided to move the "rock" out, since it was pliable. Turns out a huge clump of urates and orange kidney goo had hardened and was plugging him up a bit. Just came flying out. I felt sooo bad.
He was generally upset, but i noticed the next day...he was moving around, and lifted his head to see me when i came in! He had peed before this, and passed urates, but now it was really flowing. LoL
The past week has seen the largest Poo i have EVER seen from a snake...as big or bigger than the poo of my basset hound! I'm so proud of him! LMAO!!! But really!!!

He had still been eating slowly, as he had to build up his muscles. We fed a small gunea pig once, but i have been worried about the orange gel that comes out at the end of the urates so i moved back to rats, and injected them with water. I now have a good pooping, Healthy peeing (and lots of it) snake!
I expect another shed soon, actually, as his color has darkened again. Gah, i feel so bad for them. But, they are both hydrated now, and both of their kidney's seem to actually have recovered...Bitey especially...and finally now Ribs also. There was a whole pee yesterday with no orange! And that was after a LOT of water filled rat! so..yay!

I haven't seen any sign of worms, or RI, scale rot, etc. Just the basic malnutrition etc issues. Which, honestly, i'm glad it was only that for more than the snake's wellbeing. I keep reading and looking things up and I totally jumped into rescue not knowing how really unprepared for issues i was. Heck it's only been since late October this year..just a couple months!

So anyway. I had a paper that i wrote weights and lengths of the snakes on. Saphie (Sapphire) our juvenile girl normal ball, only one we bought, who was our starter, is about a year, year and a half years old. She's about a pound, and 32inches.
Jasper, our 10 year old adopted ball normal is 53inches long, and about 5lbs or so. He looks healthy, and not overweight or fat. (he wouldn't hold still, and has lost a little weight since we got him...he was FAT before...and they said they force fed him. He's been eating fine for US!)

Last I checked. Bitey was 3 feet and 700grams.

Ribs, was 2.2lbs, and four feet...48 inches.

Like I said, they've been doing really well though. I might weigh them again soon in a couple days to see the progress. I kinda wish I had weighed them in the beginning, but again, I wasn't even concerned with that as much as I was just checking them multiple times a day and trying to get them fed, watered, shed, and comfortable.

So, anyway, so far....it's made me *so* happy to help them. Gosh I figured even if Ribs or even Bitey didn't make at...at least coming here to my house they got their sheds off, and got something to eat. I wasn't too sure about Ribs for a while there...and any more time in the pound i'm positive he wouldn't have lasted. We had debated waiting until we got back from vacation to get them...he wouldn't have made it that long.
I kinda feel like having a good cry for them, and for their progress, but I'm also just really rewarded that I could have helped them at all...and to have them seeming to do so well! Any time they have left, I'm glad it's with me, and i'm glad i could make them comfortable. I do think they'll both last many more years though.

I also feel very greatful they were able to teach me about rescue in, frankly, probably the easiest way. No sicknesses...I've learned I got lucky.

I'll post some more progress here later. Right now Bitey is in a 20 gallon long tank (i'm going to try to go to a reptile show that's here in January and get some upgraded tanks) that he roams around occasionally, and I managed to get a good deal on a 40 gallon long, that i repaired, for Ribs. He's FINALLY been seen moving about in it. (He had been in the 20 and Bite in a 10...I know i know, but I had to wait a couple weeks to upgrade!!!)

Ribs just wants to sit on the UTH under a hide all day and night and metabolize...which is great, really. I'm glad to see him move around though. Finally getting that muscle back.

Anyway...I am kinda repeating myself now, but hey, it's my bloggy post and it's late! I've had way too much chocolate and that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!