Ball Python: Anemic, Anorexic, Severely Dehydrated, Pneumonia

[Tavers]

Hi everyone! Bear with me on this one... It is a mess.
I have some background in wildlife rehab, but I do not know near as much about snakes as I would like to. I absolutely love them though! I volunteer at two nature centers, and one of them is inundated with ball pythons that people drop off and basically say if the nature center doesn't take them they will release them outside... Puts the nature center in a sticky situation. They take as many as they can, but they really don't have the resources for them. One of the ladies had four of them in a forty gallon tank. Due to stress, one of them completely quit eating. Also, she has a house full of reptiles so she was not able to give them a heat source... This is where I come in.
I was given an eastern kingsnake with high levels of salmonella first and I have had him a few months. I gave him antibiotics and started to feed him regularly and he is doing great! However, about two weeks ago I was given the ball python that won't eat. I will admit that I do not know much about them. I have been reading like crazy though. He is now in a 40-gallon terrarium with a hot side of 90 degrees, and a cool side of 80 degrees. He has a cool hide and a warm hide with some branches to climb about on and aspen bedding. I was told that he was in fine health...
He did not seem "right" to me though. He seemed very dull in color and his eyes weren't bright. He is missing a spur (which isn't really a big deal I guess), but his vent was crusty and just plain nasty. He still hadn't eaten after having about a week to settle in, and he had not defecated. He started sticking his neck out and gaping so I thought he might have a respiratory infection. So I took him to the vet...
The vet told me he was underweight. I don't know how old he is exactly, but he is a full-grown adult. He weighed 2 pounds at the vet and he is about 3.5-4ft long. She took an x-ray and drew blood to look for blockages, respiratory issues, anemia, and blood parasites. The results came back that he had pneumonia with severely diseased lungs, he was slightly anemic, and severely dehydrated. She said when she went to take blood she could hardly get a drop out of him. So I of course feel awful because I was told he was fine and believed it!
The vet told me to tube feed him every six hours with water (15 cc) to rehydrate him and then twice a day give him oxbow carnivore care (about a tablespoon) She also suggested I soak him every 8 hours and twice a day put him in the bathroom with the shower running so he could benefit from the steam. She gave him an antibiotic, but my mother put his sheet away and I don't remember the name. It is a three day antibiotic though and she asked me to come back Monday. She is a reptile/exotic vet and was recommended by my cat and dog vet. She told me that it was good that he didn't eat because he was so dehydrated that it would've become stuck and impossible to digest.
He was great with his first three tube feedings, and soaking him in warm water resulted in him defecating for the first time though there was blood because his stool was so hard. He also shed. He has been going through so much! However, I told the people at the nature center and they said it was ridiculous to tube feed a snake more than once a week, and their vet agreed. They said I would be better soaking him or giving him subcutaneous fluids.
So I don't even know at this point... I just want HIM to feel better. He deserves it after being abandoned and sick. He honestly already seems more active and he looks better. So what do all of you think? Should I continue with the regular tube feedings? Will it hurt him? Does anyone else have any similar experience and/or advice?
Sorry for all that...

[4theSNAKElady]

Wow...idk even know what to say...

[Archimedes]

Tube feedings tend to be stressful, but if they're helping him along... I'm not sure what to say either. Hopefully an experienced rehabilitator can chime in. Best of luck, regardless. He sounds like a sick one.

[Dracoluna]

Honestly, sub-q might be better but tube feeding isn't overly stressful when done right. Soaking also allows him to get rehydrated. A question though... How long have you been doing the tube feeding? The water (though I'd recommend pedialyte) isn't an issue but twice a day on the carnivore care is a bit much. I would go every 3-5 days to slowly allow his system to get going. If he hasn't eaten in a long time, it's very possible that his gut bacteria have been compromised and digesting food can be stressful on the system no matter how gentle it sounds. I would talk to your vet about adding probiotics to the tube feeding food mix. I've had to do this a few times and all you need are the human probiotic capsules. Break one into the food mixture right before feeding to help. Another thing, I wouldn't try feeding a dehydrated animal. They need to be rehydrated first before eating.

[Centexsnakes]

Wow......best of luck!

[Tavers]

I started tube feeding him last night after getting back from the vet and letting him relax a bit. The first time was at 9:30pm with just water, the second time at 4:00am with just water, and the third time at 9:30am with the carnivore care that was extremely diluted. His next one is planned for 4pm with just water. I have soaked him twice and steamed the bathroom for him to sit in. He reacted very well to the tube feedings and he is already more active. He usually just sits in a ball in one place and won't move for hours (12+) and now he is exploring a little and doesn't constantly lay in the same spot. He is actually out right now on his branches. The pedialyte does sound like a good idea. It will probably help getting his digestion going without stressing it too much. I have just been told so many different things that I am just trying to sort everything out. I don't want to stress him or cause him any further illness or pain!

So you can use pedialyte as a subcutaneous injection? How many CCs?

After everything he has gone through he is still so calm and easy going! That may be because he is sick, but I like to think it is because he is so good natured. He has come out of his shell a lot, too. When I first got him he HATED being handled. He was jerky and all over the place if you were able to get him out of his ball at all, and now he moves around slowly and calmly checking everything out and doesn't flinch at every movement. He is a really great boy.

Thanks to everyone for the best wishes and for the advice! I love hearing what everyone has to say!

[Dracoluna]

I started tube feeding him last night after getting back from the vet and letting him relax a bit. The first time was at 9:30pm with just water, the second time at 4:00am with just water, and the third time at 9:30am with the carnivore care that was extremely diluted. His next one is planned for 4pm with just water. I have soaked him twice and steamed the bathroom for him to sit in. He reacted very well to the tube feedings and he is already more active. He usually just sits in a ball in one place and won't move for hours (12+) and now he is exploring a little and doesn't constantly lay in the same spot. He is actually out right now on his branches. The pedialyte does sound like a good idea. It will probably help getting his digestion going without stressing it too much. I have just been told so many different things that I am just trying to sort everything out. I don't want to stress him or cause him any further illness or pain!

So you can use pedialyte as a subcutaneous injection? How many CCs?

After everything he has gone through he is still so calm and easy going! That may be because he is sick, but I like to think it is because he is so good natured. He has come out of his shell a lot, too. When I first got him he HATED being handled. He was jerky and all over the place if you were able to get him out of his ball at all, and now he moves around slowly and calmly checking everything out and doesn't flinch at every movement. He is a really great boy.

Thanks to everyone for the best wishes and for the advice! I love hearing what everyone has to say!

No, pedialyte would be for tube feeding only. Only sterilized ringers solution for sub-q. And I understand it's hard when you're told a million different things and honestly, people out there will do things differently. For a cat with issues, I'd be tube feeding food 3-4 times a day. Because snakes have a much slower metabolism though, you need to scale that back. Just go to your basic rehab knowledge and you'll be fine. Warmth and water first. Once stable, calories come into play. I would also double check the antibiotics with your vet. Because of the slower metabolism, it takes it longer to take effect. Injections seem to work best on snakes but the antibiotics also need to be tailored to the type of infection. I would recommend a culture if your vet is able to do that so that you can on the right antibiotic for the job. Is he tongue flicking while exploring and seem alert? If so, he's doing better but I'd still let him rest as much as possible.

[satomi325]

Tube feeding should be the absolute last resort. You don't need to tube feed to rehydrate. Soaking in warm Pedialyte will be fine.

Tube feeding can actually counter and set back a natural feeding response.

And as mentioned before, get a culture done. It will save you time and money in the future to determine to correct form of meds and treatment.

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[Tavers]

Wow. I don't know why I said that about the pedialyte... I know better.

We have ringers so that is definitely an option. I just got my rehabber's license and have taken the class so this is really my first experience really putting it into action. I want to do everything right and I definitely still need a lot of guidance so again thank you all! I keep getting everything jumbled up.

The antibiotic was in the form of an injection. I found the sheet, it is Ceftazidime. I could still have the culture done Monday though.

He was flicking his tongue out while exploring! He was doing it quite a lot too, and normally he doesn't. His eyes are brighter too which is most noticeable. They were so dull before. I think just the little bit of fluids has really helped him.

Again, thank you all for the advice!

[Dracoluna]

Fluids and proper temps are always the first things in a rescue situation. Now that he's had both, he'll show you where he's at rehab-wise. If he's curious, tongue flicking, etc. that shows he is probably looking for food. Do you have pics? Though it sounds like he's rather skinny, I'd still offer him a small meal like a rat pup and see if he takes it. Honestly I'd offer it as soon as he seems rehydrated. Worst that happens is he doesn't take it so you give him 4-5 more days to settle in and offer again. Eating is always better than tube/force/assist feeding. Now that he's had a few calories from your feeding him, he can probably handle regular food though make sure it's on the small side. Small meals will digest more easily for him. After a few small meals, then bump him up slowly until he's at regular sized meals every 5-7 days.

You're doing great with him so just keep it up. As he gets stronger, keep re-evaluating him to see what he might need. Each one is different.