I inherited a Ball Python with lumps on her spine

[laughingtree369]

Through the years, I've rescued various types of snakes, but I have never seen this before and I have never owned a Ball Python...

I have a 2-3 yo ball, who does not seem to have any paralysis, with two lumps on her spine. The previous owners claim they were feeding her small mice in case eating larger mice or rats were difficult for her to swallow and digest due to the spinal lumps. She is small for her age, and although thinish for a Ball, appears healthy.

Is it possible her "lumps" are from anything other than an injury? The previous owner claims they took it away from someone who was mistreating it and that it may have been stepped on. They said they did not know. My major concern is that it may be a byproduct of being fed conservatively or improperly.

Does anyone know of any reasons a Ball might develop spinal lumps? If she does not seem to be paralysed, can I feed her larger mice or small rats? Or should I stick to what she was being fed and accept she may just be a "small" Ball Python?

Because I've never owned or rescued a Ball, I don't know if their breed has any special problems of their own. She does appear to be some kind of hybrid. She has as white a belly as I have ever seen and my son's friend claims she is a granite ball, but I have no idea. She is pretty though.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

[jbean7916]

Pics would help.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[thedarkwolf25]

Pics are worth a thousand words, but I think I know what it might be. I saw a Woma python at a local reptile shop a year or so ago and the poor thing had a massive lump on it's back. I asked one of the guys working there and was told it was the result from a rodent bite when a previous owner had the animal.

Just guessing but since you state that a previous owner mistreated it my guess would be rodent bites that healed up badly.

[laughingtree369]

Pics would help.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

Gotcha. Photos...Got 'em, can't figure out how to upload them.

Help? Please? When I click on add image, it wants an http address and I have them on my desktop.

[The Serpent Merchant]

What you need to do is create a photobucket account (it's free) and upload them to it. then once the pictures are up, you will have the option it copy the "IMG" code for the picture on photobucket. Simply paste that code into a post here on BP.net

[laughingtree369]

[angllady2]

That definitely looks like something caused by an injury. One or two might have been there since birth.

As to it affecting her eating, your best bet would be to get an x-ray or ultrasound to see the extent of the damage. My instinct tells me it wouldn't affect her eating, but if it involves her entire spine and not just the top, it will definitely make eating the proper size prey difficult.

Poor darling. It wonderful you are trying to help her.

Gale

[laughingtree369]

Are the images viewable? There should be 5.

[mykaija]

yes they are, click on the little image, and they are there, you have to click on the arrow to view the next picture.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Here: