Why won't my BP eat??

[Guod69]

I have a 4yr old BP that is approx 4.5' long. My heating pad overheated back in the beginning of May. The back 2/3 of the bottom of the snake scabbed up and looked really nasty. I have been periodically soaking him to help the healing process. He is now almost totally healed. I have been trying to feed him, probably every three weeks with a live small rat for the past 6 months. He still won't eat. It almost appears as if his spine has developed some kinks. I don't know what to do? He has to be reaching his limit on how long he can go without eating.
Will someone please help me with some suggestions or anything?

Thanks - Doug

[starmom]

I would take him to the vet

[RoyalGuardian]

I would take him to the vet

I concur please take your pet to the vet.

[STORMS]

I would take him to the vet

Time to schedule an appointment for the vet!

[JLC]

If the snake was healthy and had good weight before the burn incident...then it can go longer than six months without eating. While that is a concern, it's not an urgency yet, unless the snake is visibly losing weight.

However, if you are seeing some sort of issue with the spine (either "kinking" or maybe the spine is beginning to show due to unhealthy weight loss) then I agree that you really NEED to get the snake to a vet and have it evaluated to make sure it has healed properly from the burn and to find out if there are any other issues going on.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

A 4-year-old BP with a good body weight can go a long time without eating, I have a sub adult female that just came off a 9 months fast.

Between the health issue and the soaking I am not surprised that your animal does not eat.

Did you consult a vet for the thermal burn?

You need to find an herp vet and see what is going on, obviously if your BP has developed a kink there is something going on that should be addressed.

Also you might want to address your husbandry, your UTH would not have over-heat if it was controlled by a reliable thermostat.

What is your setup like (enclosure size, temps, humidity, hides etc)?

[Guod69]

Thanks for the reply's to visit the vet, but the reason I was going on here was to avoid the costly trip to the vet.
My snake lives in a 40 gal. tank with a large water bowl and hind box/rock. I keep it about 80 degrees with 65% humidity.
Snakey is still pretty mobile, but just doesn't seem interested in dinner?!?!

[JenH]

Thanks for the reply's to visit the vet, but the reason I was going on here was to avoid the costly trip to the vet.
My snake lives in a 40 gal. tank with a large water bowl and hind box/rock. I keep it about 80 degrees with 65% humidity.
Snakey is still pretty mobile, but just doesn't seem interested in dinner?!?!

Does it have a warm spot? they need a range of temps between 80 and 90 so they can thermoregulate their body temps.

I just had a male go 8 months without eating. He didn't really lose that much weight. I did offer him a rat every couple weeks trying to get him to eat....

[JLC]

Thanks for the reply's to visit the vet, but the reason I was going on here was to avoid the costly trip to the vet.
My snake lives in a 40 gal. tank with a large water bowl and hind box/rock. I keep it about 80 degrees with 65% humidity.
Snakey is still pretty mobile, but just doesn't seem interested in dinner?!?!

Well, none of us are doctors, and even if we were, we couldn't diagnose a problem over the Internet. Your remarks about the spine looking kinked are worrisome and that is why folks recommend a trip to the vet. As well as the fact that the snake is recovering from what sounds like a pretty significant injury and I know a vet check would be well worth my money to be assured the snake is healing properly and has not had secondary issues crop up such as infection or scar-tissue build-up.

Here is a quote from our Caresheet about why ball pythons commonly don't eat:

WHY WON'T MY SNAKE EAT?
In almost all cases, a ball python refuses to eat due to husbandry issues. Especially a young one. If your snake misses more than one meal (sometimes they won't want to eat while in shed) please check the following possible causes:

Lack of Security -- No hides, or hides that are too large or exposed (ie: half logs). They prefer dark, tight hides they barely fit into. Also, if the enclosure is too large, or too open (glass) or in a high traffic area with a lot of loud noise or movement. Another snake in the same enclosure can also cause serious security issues.

Over Handling -- Frequent intrusions into the enclosure, changes to the enclosure, and/or long frequent handling sessions can cause a shy snake to feel vulnerable and refuse to eat.

Improper Temps -- Temps that are too high or too low, or temps that fluctuate too much. Make sure you have an accurate and consistent read on your temps.

Improper Lighting -- Bright white lights shining directly into the enclosure, or 24 hour lighting can cause stress. Make sure there is some sort of day/night cycle.

Offering New Prey -- Changing prey species (ie: mice to rats) or methods (ie: live to f/t) can cause refusal. Such changes can be made, but may require patience and persistence.

Improper Offering of Prey -- Offering prey too frequently can do more harm than good. If a snake refuses, do not attempt to feed again for a week. Also, changing environments by moving to a feeding-box or removing hides and "furniture" can cause refusal in these shy snakes.

Prey Too Large -- Too large an item may intimidate a snake and cause refusal, or even a regurgitation if it is eaten. Also, if a ball python has eaten large meals in the past, it can cause a sudden an indefinite period of fasting.

Mites -- An external parasite common to snakes that must be treated and eradicated. A product called Provent-a-Mite (P.A.M.) is the safest and most effective method.

Seasonal -- Sexually mature ball pythons may fast for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months during their mating season (typically anywhere from late fall to early spring) especially if a sexually mature snake of the opposite sex is in close proximity.

Illness -- If all other possible reasons are eliminated, a vet check may be in order to look for internal parasites, as well as possible infections to the skin, scales, mouth or respiratory system.

Fortunately, ball pythons are extremely hardy snakes that can go for months (if necessary) of fasting without suffering any ill effects. This gives a responsible keeper plenty of time to figure out why the snake refuses to eat and get them on a regular, consistent feeding regimen.

Whether or not your snake is worth a little money to a vet is up to you. All I can say is that if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't hesitate.

((Link to our Caresheet as well: http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59 ))

[starmom]

Thanks for the reply's to visit the vet, but the reason I was going on here was to avoid the costly trip to the vet.
My snake lives in a 40 gal. tank with a large water bowl and hind box/rock. I keep it about 80 degrees with 65% humidity.
Snakey is still pretty mobile, but just doesn't seem interested in dinner?!?!

Bump up those temps and it will help the snake's appetite by raising the metabolism; barring any kinking or issues getting in the way