Best way to bulk up an under-fed snake?

[Mindibun]

So, hypothetically... () say you were getting a ball python that was already 5 years old and only the size of a baby. How would you go about bulking it up and bringing it up to size? (Though at 5 years I'm afraid the damage may already be done. )

Would you feed more prey items on the same feeding days, feed larger prey on the same feeding days, feed the prey size its used to but more often, or any combination of those?

I'll give details on this snake after its actually IN my hands. I don't want anything to go wrong with me getting it, so I don't want to talk about it. But I'm trying to get things ready for the poor girl...

[Argentra]

Poor baby!! Some people... sigh.

Well, my HypoBlood corn is a year old and still the size of a hatchling...but that's due to maintenance diet and being a slow grower. I just feed her the largest meal she can safely handle every 5 days and hope she gets bigger.

I've never heard of something like what you have before, though. Geez... they must have practically starved her! Please let us know more once you get her.

[JoshJP7]

small meals more frequent to me is the best starter feeding every 5 days... see how she handles the first couple meals then think about increasing prey size... Id stick to every 5 days for a couple months no matter what to put some size back on her.

[tigerlily]

I adopted/rescued a bp that was WAY underweight for it's age. My best suggestion is just to feed a normal prey item. Don't worry so much about catching up, and just let feed the poor thing what it can eat realistically. No need to stuff food down it, it'll grow just fine on regular diet.

[Mindibun]

tigerlily - I definitely don't want to start cramming food down its throat. But trust me when I say it needs bigger or more prey than what it's getting now...

So I just wondered how everyone else would handle this situation.

Is there such a thing as a snake's growth being permanently stunted? Because 5 years is a long time to go with inadequate food.

[frankykeno]

I would stick with the type of prey this snake is used to receiving at first (mice or rats) and just feed an appropriate amount for that snake's current size. Get a few feeds in to make sure the snake is settling and eating then just gradually up the total prey volume and adjust as the snake responds. Personally I wouldn't up the volume of prey and also shorten the time between feeds simply because I tend to be cautious. I want the snake to have time to digest and rest and get used to the greater stresses on it's body digesting more prey each week.

5 years of substandard feeding and poor care isn't going to be fixed overnight but these are pretty hardy animals so you may be quite surprised how well the snake responds.

I would strongly suggest a full vet check though including a fecal float. You need to rule out right away any physical/parasitic reason that might also be contributing to a very poor growth pattern. All the best food in the world isn't going to do what it should if your new snake is carrying a heavy internal parasite load.

[Mindibun]

That's a really good point, Jo. I am getting the snake from a friend who can no longer care for it. I wonder if they've ever taken it to the vet... Doubtful, considering the living conditions. And I doubt I could talk her into paying for it, either.

Any ideas on how much something like that would cost? I've spent close to $400 in vet bills just this month on various animals (check-ups and whatnot). I hate vet bills.

On a side note, that brings up another question: I don't want to put her in with my other snakes until I know she's healthy. But I only have one thermostat. So can I heat her tub with the heat lamp that her owner has? Also, is it safe to put her directly into a tub if she's used to the tank? I'm going to go ahead and say yes. I switched a 4 year old ball into a tub and she was much happier. ...I feel like I'm running a snake rehab facility.

[Somed00d]

quarantine it for sure.. tub tank whatever you like but it must have 0 contact with your other snakes. a 5 year old ball that looks like a baby can have many problems you don't want spreading. I would have a fecal sample checked by a vet.. who knows the slow growth may be from a tapeworm.. if you dont have a thermostat available use a dimmer..

[frankykeno]

That's a really good point, Jo. I am getting the snake from a friend who can no longer care for it. I wonder if they've ever taken it to the vet... Doubtful, considering the living conditions. And I doubt I could talk her into paying for it, either.

Any ideas on how much something like that would cost? I've spent close to $400 in vet bills just this month on various animals (check-ups and whatnot). I hate vet bills.

On a side note, that brings up another question: I don't want to put her in with my other snakes until I know she's healthy. But I only have one thermostat. So can I heat her tub with the heat lamp that her owner has? Also, is it safe to put her directly into a tub if she's used to the tank? I'm going to go ahead and say yes. I switched a 4 year old ball into a tub and she was much happier. ...I feel like I'm running a snake rehab facility.

Phone the herp vet you use and ask for a quote but normally a fecal float (which some clinics can do while you wait) is under $30.00 and doesn't require you take the snake in - just the poop. I'd start with that and if it comes up nasty, then it's worth the snake going in and you paying a bigger vet bill. Of course, that's based on their being no other obvious illness issues like an RI, belly burn, scale rot and so forth.

Quarantine is a must, whatever it takes keep that snake away from the others until you have a clear fecal on it and it's eaten a number of times, shed, defecated, etc. I normally go a minimum of 90 days QT on any rescue even if they look good. Mike and I figure better safe than sorry when it comes to quarantine. Set up the snake with whatever you've got that works to provide it with a stable, ball python friendly enclosure.

Take pictures if you can. It's great to be able to look back and see how far some of these rescues can go.