just rescued 10 year old BP in poor condition please advise

[lili]

hello, me and my teenage daughters rescued a 10 year old 4-5 foot ball python who was in a small tank in the dark in the outside laundry room with only one small heat mat and no light. she says he she fed him 3 weeks ago and he regurgitated the rat. she feeds him once a month 2 med. rats, i have already read enough to know that is not enough based on his gurth, right? he has a weezing sound when he exhales, she says he has always had it and nothing to worry about??? also once he opened his mouth really wide like he was yawning?? i know very little about snakes but i knew he couldn't stay there like that. we cleaned out his tank, in a warm room and he is now active and seems ok but i am not sure when i should feed him, she said wait another week for him to adjust to new place? i am going to the pet store first thing so anything i need to get or any advice you can give would be so greatly appreciated. thank you.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Sounds like he has a respiratory infection. He definitely needs to be seen by a veterinarian ASAP.
Feeding for an adult male that size could be 1 medium rat every 2 weeks, so he's not necessarily underfed, but the regurgitation indicates a real problem, unless he was handled a whole bunch immediately afterward.

Considering the overall level of neglect you're describing--ie, a dirty cage, with uncertain temperatures--and his regurgitation and wheezing, a vet visit has to be the first priority.

The dark room and small tank are no issue. So long as the tank was large enough for him to curl up away from the heat, it was big enough. Ball pythons prefer small enclosures, and tend to be somewhat agoraphobic, as a tendency. Many won't eat in a large enclosure. In the wild, they spend most of their time inside rodent burrows or termite mounds).
An uncontrolled heat mat can also lead to skin burns--it should always be controlled by a rheostat or thermostat. Lights are not necessary.
The most important thing is temperatures. The air temperature should be 80F, and the floor of the cage over the heat should be 90F. The humidity should be 60%.

[mattchibi]

First off, welcome to BPnet.

Take a full read of our care sheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet

It includes almost everything you need to know about husbandry.

To answer the questions you had:

hello, me and my teenage daughters rescued a 10 year old 4-5 foot ball python who was in a small tank in the dark in the outside laundry room with only one small heat mat and no light. she says he she fed him 3 weeks ago and he regurgitated the rat. she feeds him once a month 2 med. rats, i have already read enough to know that is not enough based on his gurth, right? The golden rule for ball pythons is to feed every 7-10 days for adults, and 10-15% of their body weight. Or if you have to estimate, the prey should be about as wide as the snake's girth, but no bigger than that. he has a weezing sound when he exhales, she says he has always had it and nothing to worry about??? Wheezing sounds are often associated with two things: 1) Respiratory Infection and 2) Stuck Shed in the Nose causing the whistling sound. A good sign of RI's is to check to see if there is mucous in the nostrils, and if there are bubbles in the lips and in the mouth. Here's a video on how to check the mouth of your ball python. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK0Uvln4lY0 also once he opened his mouth really wide like he was yawning?? i know very little about snakes but i knew he couldn't stay there like that. we cleaned out his tank, in a warm room and he is now active and seems ok but i am not sure when i should feed him, she said wait another week for him to adjust to new place?Definitely wait 7 days before feeding. For the next 7 days, other than making sure the temps and humidity are okay, you should leave him alone and don't even look at him. Definitely don't handle until he has eaten a few times for you. i am going to the pet store first thing so anything i need to get or any advice you can give would be so greatly appreciated. thank you.

All in all, I am happy that you rescued him and got him out of that place. It seems like you've got him in a glass tank, how are you heating the enclosure? To give you a quick idea, if you are using a bulb: temps should be 92 on the basking spot, 81-83 ambient warm side, 77-80 ambient cool side, and 50% humidity. You will need Two appropriately sized and identical hides and a water dish. Eventually, the best way to heat the enclosure you have will be to buy a thermostat and a UTH (Under-Tank-Heater) and put it under the warm hide to replace the bulb & basking spot. In the wild, ball pythons use the ground that has been heated by the sun to digest their food. They do not actually "bask" ever in the sunlight.

Here's a picture of how I had my 20 gallon glass tank setup:



The bulb I am using is a 50 W Infrared bulb, and the only reason I am using it is because it is the winter in Canada here, and without it, I wouldnt be able to achieve proper temps. I recommend aspen or cypress mulch bedding, you can find them at any petstore. You should also "black" out the three sides of the glass tank, so only the front glass is exposing. In my picture, I have a layer of magazine paper for the decorative aspect, then a layer of corrugated cardboard on top of it (you can use double sided tape to attach everything). This will help you keep the temps in the tank, as glass tends to lose heat very quickly. The majority of ball python breeders actually keep their snakes in tubs because it holds humidity and temps better. Lastly, I would recommend putting some tinfoil on top of the screen top, you can cover the entire top, except leaving a 1" gap along the back and a hole for your heat lamp.

Hope that was helpful, feel free to ask more questions if you have any!

[Annarose15]

The previous posts have pretty much said it all. I wouldn't rush to the vet just yet, though, until you see how he acts in your care. I have one or two BPs that make "whistling" sounds when they are stressed, so it isn't definitely a respiratory infection. If you notice excess mucous around his mouth ot repeated mouth-breathing (not the same as the occasional yawn), then take him to a vet.

Let him settle in for a week under proper conditions (see mattchibi's link to the site caresheet), then offer a small rat (50-70g). Since he regurgitated the last meal, I wouldn't go all the way up to a medium, and an adult male doesn't typically really need medium rats anyway. Of course, I'm guessing the gender isn't guaranteed (he could be a she).

One more thing - Get a digital kitchen scale to weigh him/her - this is the best way to track if a future feeding strike causes enough weight loss to be worried about.

[DooLittle]

The only thing I think that has been missed, is that he should have a smaller prey item for the next few meals, since he regurged. Also make sure you leave him be for 48 hours after he eats. So, check out the care sheet, and get tank set up right with uth and tstat, vet check up, and let him settle in for a week, no handling, before trying to feed. If you have trouble with humidity in glass tank, you can use Eco earth substrate, and a large water dish. Make sure he has two hides, one on warm side, one on cool. I also think he is eating plenty, my adult male only eats every 2 weeks. Have fun with your new bp!

[Homegrownscales]

Actually because he regurged he needs two weeks off of food. Then 1/2 normal size prey. Then 2 weeks to make sure he can handle it. Then slight bump in food size. If he handles that its safe to go back to normal feeding. He needs time to get his stomach back to normal. Regurges do some serious damage. Food too soon and he's just going to keep regurging it up. Give his stomach time to get the bacterial load working again. It sounds though as a vet trip is in order though.


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[Annarose15]

Actually because he regurged he needs two weeks off of food. Then 1/2 normal size prey. Then 2 weeks to make sure he can handle it. Then slight bump in food size. If he handles that its safe to go back to normal feeding. He needs time to get his stomach back to normal. Regurges do some serious damage. Food too soon and he's just going to keep regurging it up. Give his stomach time to get the bacterial load working again. It sounds though as a vet trip is in order though.

The OP said the last feeding/regurge was three weeks ago, so the standard one-week settling-in time should be fine.

[angllady2]

Hello and welcome. What a way to get introduced into the world of pet snakes.

Take a deep breath, and tackle one thing at a time. Getting him clean, warm and hydrated is first priority. For peace of mind, a vet check isn't a bad idea. If he regurged from being kept too cold or possibly an infection, you want to catch it sooner rather than later. If nothing is wrong, at least you have one less thing to worry about.

Give him a minimum of one week after the vet visit to settle in. Keep disturbance to a minimum, and try not to handle if possible. Start him off with something small, a weaned or small rat. If you overload his stomach too soon, it will do more harm than good. If he eats for you, give him a solid 10 days before feeding again, think of how you feel when you get over a stomach bug. You don't go to an all you can eat buffet, you start with some tea and a piece of toast to see how you can handle it.

If he eats twice for you with no trouble, then you can get him on a regular schedule of 7 to 10 days. Expect him to be nervous and jumpy at first, be patient and calm with him, and I think you will find him a very rewarding pet.

Gale

[lili]

Thank you all so much. went to pet store they knew nothing so your advice in invaluable. He seems to be doing well and tank is up to 80. i am curious why it is not advisable to handle him. trying to convince my 16 year old she cant hold her snake is not easy. we held him last night while getting his tank set up and instinctively trying to warm him and he seemed fine? also, will he continue to grow? thanks again
Lili

[mattchibi]

Thank you all so much. went to pet store they knew nothing so your advice in invaluable. He seems to be doing well and tank is up to 80. i am curious why it is not advisable to handle him. trying to convince my 16 year old she cant hold her snake is not easy. we held him last night while getting his tank set up and instinctively trying to warm him and he seemed fine? also, will he continue to grow? thanks again
Lili

Ball pythons stress out a lot while being handled. Imagine being picked up by a really warm giant/tree type looking thing and dangled around by your feet. They typically do not run into many other animals in the wild and they like to hide and keep to themselves for the majority of the day.

Your ball python will be around for quite a long time, you need to let your daughters know that it takes discipline at first not to handle him. But its well worth it. Once he's fed 2 or 3 times, then I'd say it would be okay to handle him for 5-15 minutes a day, for the days he isnt digesting food or shedding. Slowly work your way up to an absolute maximum of about 1 hour per day. By leaving him alone, you are making him feel more secure in his new home. The longer you leave him alone, the more secure he will feel. All ball pythons take different amounts of time to acclimate to their environments, and the BEST way to be SURE that your ball python feels secure is if he has eaten 2-3 times in a row for you. I know it was hard for me too when I got my first ball python, but looking back now, Im glad I listened to all the advice that was given to me.