I've had to stay up late getting everything cleaned and sanitized and away from my other snakes, so now I can't sleep. After Becky suggested Giardia I started thinking about all the different parasites he could have, each one progressively worse than the next. I got out my Pythons of the World Vol II to read up on parasites, but it offered very little that I didn't already know (and of course Google was even less help). So, in order to keep my mind occupied I made up a fact sheet to bring with me to the vet. I know that once I get there I'll forget everything I need to say and just start worrying, so hopefully this will help me keep my thoughts organized and help the vet to understand what is going on. I also looked up some herp vets in my area and settled on one that seems to be very highly recommended. I'm going to call them tomorrow, but in the mean time I would really appreciate it if you guys could look over my fact sheet and tell me if I'm missing anything.

It's just so frustrating because the person who kept this snake in the beginning did so badly. They really did wrong by him, but they definitely did not think so. Now I'm stuck trying to help him and it just seems to be one problem after another. This is neither fair to him nor me, and I get so angry thinking about how all of this could have been prevented with a little research on their part. Factor into that the horrid treatment we received at the last vet, and the product of this equation is a very stressed me.

Anyway, here's my fact sheet. Please tell me what you think.

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Raven – 0.0.1 Normal Ball Python


Date Acquired: 07.13.08

The animal was a rescue; it was housed in an 18 x 12 x 20 mesh terrarium with overhead heating, no hides, no décor – only a large water bowl. The bedding (Eco Earth) was soiled in several areas, and there were bits of stuck shed on the sides of the terrarium. No thermometers or hygrometers.

Prior Medical History: Tip of the animal’s tail was amputated at a young age due to several consecutive bad sheds. This was the only time it had ever seen a vet.

Other Information: The animal was estimated at 5.5 years of age at the time of acquisition. It was axanthic in coloration – probably caused by malnutrition, and severely underweight. Feeding routine consisted of 1 FT rat pup every 2 weeks – 1 month. Snake was handled frequently, and often taken out into public.

Current Housing: 32q Sterilite sweater box in rack-like system. Heating is a 12” strip of Flexwatt, hooked up to a Ranco thermostat. Temperatures range from 92F on the hot side, to 78-80F on the cool side. Humidity ranges from 52-60%. Two hides are provided, as well as a large water bowl, shedding rock, and various aesthetic décor. Bedding is white paper.

Feeding Routine: When first acquired, the animal was given one FT rat pup every seven days. After acclimation, prey size was increased, and the animal was offered one FT rat crawler every seven days. More recently, the feeding frequency has been increased to one FT rat crawler every five days. The snake has never refused a meal, and has a very good feeding response.

Most Recent Medical History: A fecal examination on 09.08.08 revealed Pinworms and Tapeworms. The snake was treated with .15cc of Panacur once a week for three consecutive weeks. A follow-up fecal examination turned up no parasites, and the snake was diagnosed as healthy. The snake weighed in at 267g on 09.22.08.

Medical Concerns: Obviously, the animal is underweight. It is far too small for its age, and no matter how much it eats, it neither gains weight nor length. The snake does not defecate normally. I frequently find urates, but no feces. It is not unusual for this animal to go three weeks to a month without defecation. When it does expel feces, it is often discolored (light), watery, or practically nonexistent. The last defecation was nothing short of diarrhea, which was smeared across the entirety of the tub. A close inspection of it seemed to show worms. The feces also had a very foul odor to it – much worse than normal. I do not understand how this is possible when the animal was just treated for parasites, and follow-up exams seemingly proved the animal to be in good health. I also suspect the animal to be slightly dehydrated, though no mention was made of this at the previous veterinary office. The animal only drinks when fresh water is provided. That is to say that it does not seem to drink if the water has been stagnant for a day, but as soon as the water is replaced the snake immediately comes out to drink. Because of this, I change it frequently but I am afraid that the snake’s picky habit may have some ill effects.