Will my python ever recover?

[bcr229]

As previously suggested, she needs things with traction and to climb on to improve her body condition- as it is, she's got nothing.

This, and it's a common problem for snakes kept only on paper or other smooth, level surfaces. Your python, like retics and carpet pythons, is actually semi-arboreal in the wild. They're active, they perch, they climb, and they're good at it.

Decor doesn't have to be expensive. I have a small PVC jungle gym in my carpet python enclosure. I can disassemble it for cleaning/disinfecting and he likes to perch on it. Yes PVC is smooth but he has to grab it firmly to perch and balance on it, which helps keep his muscles exercised.

I don't think increasing the enclosure temperatures is a good idea. Higher temperatures = faster metabolism in snakes, which means yours would be using more calories even while resting and that's not what you want.

Chicks are good for a varied diet but remember their bones are very thin, just like other birds, so the snake will digest them fast. A feeder like a rabbit has thicker bones than a chick, and those bones take longer to break down which means the snake gets nourishment over a longer period of time.

A 300 gram feeder for a 7.3 kg snake is only 4% of the snake's body weight, and for a 9 kg snake it's only 3% of the snake's body weight. You said you saw a lump with the chick but again, chicks are not a "compact" feeder like an older rat or young rabbit would be.