Question from a worried BP Owner || Permanent stunting?

[JoshSloane]

Hey there, thanks for coming to the forum for help. Ball pythons are known for being very finicky eaters. Without having more information from the breeder, it is really hard to know the reasons why the snake is having such a hard time eating. He could have been very stressed at a young age, had inadequate care, or just could have been a poor feeder to begin with, and maybe shouldn't have even been sold in the first place. Either way, it is great that he is gaining weight. Assist feeding is tough on them, so you might try offering food in alternate ways to see if he can take it. Maybe one day his feeding response will become jump started, and you wont have to assist.

To answer your question, no this period of slow eating will not permanently stunt his growth. Reptiles have adapted physiologic mechanisms to be able to cope with long periods of no food sources. I truly doubt that this issue will result in long term consequences to the snake's growth. I personally had a baby boa years ago that was a problem feeder, and was completely healthy. One day around her first birthday, she suddenly became a ravenous feeder, and now is my biggest boa I have in my collection. Bob Clark (renowned Python breeder) tells a story about how he acquired a very malnourished Burmese python that was around 4 years old, and only about 1/4 the size of what it should have been. With regular feedings the snake ballooned in size and reached its full potential eventually.

With regards to veterinary care, unless the snake is showing any visible signs or symptoms of illness, there really isn't anything a vet can do for you with just a basic examination. Other than a lung wash, which can potentially indicate the presence of an upper respiratory disease, and is very stressful for the snake, and expensive for you, there aren't many other veterinary tools that can be used to discover why the snake isn't eating well.

If the snake is shedding, gaining weight and defecating I would say stay the course and in a few months from now it might be a whole different story.