Buggsie's (Ongoing) Road to Recovery - A Rescue Story

[SmoothScales]

"Day 15 - Buggsie got a mite treatment today." It's been a while since we've found a dead mite in his tub, and even longer since we've found a live one on him, but we continue to treat him and his enclosure because those little pests can be very persistent. Not to mention, their little eggs can remain viable for quite some time.

His treatments will continue until the 2nd week of March, which will give him 6 weeks total. Thus far, we haven't found any on the rest of our collection and have been vigilant about making sure we're not carrying the little buggers from Buggsie to them. [Note: I've gotten far to comfortable with stripping down in the laundry room.]​

Little guy (or girl) is being lively as ever, wrapping himself around my hand and wrist while I was treating him. Afterwards a quick weigh has him at 120 grams. Slow and steady, but winning the race!

An idea occurred to me - I would like to do some comparison photos to his day one documentation pictures. That is, if I can get him to sit still long enough in a similar pose. I would then crop these photos together to show the changes he's undergone thus far. It's only been a short time, so I don't expect there to be a drastic drifference, but it might be informative in a more long term sense.


"Day 16 - Little guy ate again today! He's getting quicker about snapping up his little rat! It was only 15 gram one today, but that is still 12.5% of his body weight. He's gaining pretty well, and started to fill in a little, but still looking quite skinny and hasn't passed a fecal for us yet. Urates this morning, though!" I'd be more concerned about the lack of a solid poop, but it's only been a short while and Ball Pythons can utilize a lot of their food. If anyone needs to be economical about what is waste and what is not, it's this little guy. Plus, we've got some that will go three weeks without pooping. I'll be more concerned if he were up to a healthy weight and going longer than Blackout without passing something more than urates. This does make me think about advice new people get sometimes about feeding schedule. I know most of us don't do this, but I have seen the advice given on these very boards when the question was asked - How often? - and the answer was to feed, then wait for a poop, then feed, etc. I had commented at the time that poor Blackout would only get to eat once a month on that type of thought process, but Buggsie....Well, I just hope that there isn't a BP out there somewhere in a similar situation because its owner got that piece of advice.



"Day 16 - Little guy wrapped around my hand while his tub was being cleaned and tightened up. It was like wearing a fancy snake bracelet. You can still see the damaged spot in his neck stripe, but it's not as noticeable [as pre-shed]. I'm sure in a few more sheds, you'll hardly be able to tell!" Live and unharmed is the best kind of jewelry, imo. There's a few new scales in the damaged area, which is a good start! It may take 2, or 5, or 10 sheds, but I'm sure the area will fill in and probably not even be distinguishable.

Could it be that's just how he likes to curl up in his hide?

It's possible that he curls up that way because it's comfortable, but I really don't think so. I was using the hide as an example, because these days that's the place I can find him sitting still. When he's out and about, he does it as well once he stops moving for a moment. He'll be on the cleaning tray and then be on his side. Almost like a ship taking on water will start listing. I do understand, though, as Mr. Bubbles has scared the bejeezus out of me on multiple occasions - check his tub only to find him in a loose whirl on his side. My first thought is usually f#*@! Reach in and touch him, and his head pops up, like 'What?' I'm sure he does it on purpose to try to give me a heart attack. But Bubbles only pulls this stunt once a month or so, so I'm sure with him he's just being lazy, or comfortable, or a jerk (trying to scare me) and that it's not an issue with muscle weakness.

boy or girl, i think u gotta put a hat on it.

Careful, someone might think you're obsessed with snakes in hats! I need to make another visit to Toys R Us. Maybe the Barbie isle?

But in addition to lacking muscle tone, maybe it's also just that he needs a little more padding on him to fill him out to where his body rests in the normal position?

This is an excellent point! While I have no plans to start a 'snake exercise' program anytime soon - he needs his energy for other things right now - once he gets up to a healthy weight, the issue may resolve itself.

you can be chubby and still bonk

And Buggsie was far from chubby! Thank you for this explanation/insight. It's very likely that Buggsie had depleted his reserves by the time he arrived here. The little mouse pinks he had eaten at the rescue were probably just enough to keep him alive. The turn around has been fantastic! From barely moving to a slithering, wriggly worm that you'd be hard pressed to find sitting still. Well, he's sitting still right now because he's busy digesting his little rat. Even his feeding is the difference between night and day. His first meal with us, he had to be left alone with the pink for a while before we heard it squeal. Today, as soon as I popped the lid of his tub and he started smelling the rat, he was poking his head out of the hide and his tongue was flipping. I'm so proud of him.