Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 659

0 members and 659 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,903
Threads: 249,097
Posts: 2,572,069
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, wkeith67
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 36
  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    New and seeking advice

    Hi everyone.
    I bought my daughter a 6 week old BP for her bday about 3 weeks ago. It looked healthy when we brought it home, but it hasn't eaten a thing yet. Despite having fresh water at all times, it has gotten dehydrated and had what I think was a prolapsed cloaca. I took it to the vet today, and he fixed that and said the snake is pretty skinny, at 48 grams. He also said he doesn't like the coloration on it's underside for some reason, and prescribed 2 weeks of antibiotics. I'm a little nervous about giving the snake shots every day, but I'm sure I'll manage that somehow.
    The thing that really bothers me is that the vet gave me a tube and syringe and said I need to tube feed this snake twice a week until it will eat. I've been reading a LOT on the net since getting the snake, and most people seem to be strongly against this.
    So my question is, what do you all think? Is the snake underweight enough to warrent tube feeding at this point, or should I keep trying mice? I've tried f/t fuzzies, live pinkies, live fuzzies, it doesn't want anything. It will kill the live ones but then won't eat them.
    Sorry for writing a book on this, haha! If you made it this far, please, I welcome all advice.

  2. #2
    Wally Bait tigerlily's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-14-2005
    Location
    on cloud 9
    Posts
    12,473
    Thanks
    87
    Thanked 448 Times in 162 Posts
    Images: 86

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Most often a non feeding bp's refusal for food can be traced back to insufficient heating or internal parasites. Did your vet perform a fecal float? (That would test for internal parasites) Can you describe your setup?
    Christie
    Reptile Geek

    Cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of
    You might bend, till you break cause its all you can take
    On your knees you look up decide you've had enough
    You get mad you get strong wipe your hands shake it off
    Then you Stand

  3. #3
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Yeah, he said no parasites.
    I'm pretty sure that insufficient heat was the main problem. Since I've been reading this forum, I've made some changes to the setup so that the temps are now good. But I just made those changes yesterday, so I figure it will take the snake a while to get settled in again enough to eat. Plus now I'm going to have to give it a shot every day for 2 weeks, so it may take longer than that!

  4. #4
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Oh sorry, forgot to describe the setup.
    It's a 10 gallon glass tank with a screen top. Has a heating pad on bottom and a heat lamp on top. 2 hides, one on warm side, one on cool, water bowl, newspaper on bottom of tank, and a climbing tree. I know now he doesn't need the tree, but he does seem to like it. May have been to get closer to the heat lamp tho, as before we had a reptile sand as substrate, so I don't think much heat was coming up from the pad.
    I also have not been misting the tank, I will start that today. I just need to go buy a misting bottle here in a bit. I really want to switch to a plastic tub, after reading all the good things about them, here. I may do that after all this business with the 2 weeks of shots. I think the poor little thing must be stressed out at this point, more changes may not be good!

  5. #5
    Wally Bait tigerlily's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-14-2005
    Location
    on cloud 9
    Posts
    12,473
    Thanks
    87
    Thanked 448 Times in 162 Posts
    Images: 86

    Re: New and seeking advice

    What size enclosure do you have? The larger the cage the more likely you'll encounter problems. You want small tight hides, at least two of them. You don't want any 'open' area.

    It sounds like the temps may have been your big problem, so hopefully you'll have a feeding bp soon.
    Christie
    Reptile Geek

    Cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of
    You might bend, till you break cause its all you can take
    On your knees you look up decide you've had enough
    You get mad you get strong wipe your hands shake it off
    Then you Stand

  6. #6
    Wally Bait tigerlily's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-14-2005
    Location
    on cloud 9
    Posts
    12,473
    Thanks
    87
    Thanked 448 Times in 162 Posts
    Images: 86

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Also make sure you are measuring your temps with a digital thermometer. Those dials and strips are notoriously inaccurate.

    Sorry, I'm a bit tired and frazzled so my thoughts aren't very organzied.
    Christie
    Reptile Geek

    Cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of
    You might bend, till you break cause its all you can take
    On your knees you look up decide you've had enough
    You get mad you get strong wipe your hands shake it off
    Then you Stand

  7. #7
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Yeah, I will pick up a good thermometer today as well, all I have is a plastic strip.
    His hides are small and tight, but they don't match. I'm thinking of getting 2 that do match as well.
    Here is a pic of the setup when we first got him. I'm sure you can see the problems! It looks nothing like that now, I'll get some new pics when I get the new hides:


    And here is a pic of the problem he had today. I think it was a prolapsed cloaca, but the vet didn't say for sure. Also, sorry it's blurry, this was done with my cell phone:


  8. #8
    BPnet Royalty JLC's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-28-2004
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    31,651
    Thanks
    3,195
    Thanked 7,203 Times in 3,028 Posts
    Blog Entries
    37
    Images: 304

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Ow...poor little guy! I'm glad you got that fixed. It's obvious you really care and are working hard to provide a good home for him.


    I don't think I would resort to a feeding tube, although I must say I am no vet or anything. If I were in your shoes, I would finish the medicine and then give him a full week of not being messed with at all...a chance to finally settle into his new home without the trauma of vet visits and treatments. Then offer a small, live prey...something too young to risk injury so you can "leave them alone together" for awhile and not worry about it.

    And I think, if I were going to make the switch to a plastic tub (SO much easier to maintain temps and humidity in!)...I would probably do it right near the end of his round of treatments...that way he doesn't associate the new tub with getting shots every day...and he will have that full week in it as his new acclimation period, which he would probably need whether he got a new home or not.
    -- Judy

  9. #9
    BPnet Veteran Adam_Wysocki's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-26-2004
    Location
    Bel Air, MD
    Posts
    9,027
    Thanks
    58
    Thanked 1,029 Times in 195 Posts
    Images: 1

    Re: New and seeking advice

    At 48 grams recovering from a probable prolapse and under going daily shots of anti-biotics for 2 weeks I would follow the vets instructions to the letter. If he/she advised you to tube feed the animal it is likely because your snake may be too weak to even eat on it's own at this time. Signs that can't be assessed over the internet such as a wobbling head, loose skin along he lower 1/3 of the body that is starting to separate from the muscle, etc. are things that a vet looks for in order to diagnose dangerously severe malnutrition which often requires tube feeding for extended periods of time.

    If your snake is severely malnourished, you will likely have to tube feed until the animal is healthy enough to be able to try feeding on it's own.

    Warnings on the internet to not tube feed should only be directed at animals that "should be" healthy enough to be able to eat on their own ... my fear is that your vet likely assessed that this animal is not.

    Keep in constant contact with your vet and good luck, you've got a bumpy road ahead.

    -adam
    Click Below to Fight The National Python & Boa Ban




    "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
    - Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty


  10. #10
    BPnet Royalty JLC's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-28-2004
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    31,651
    Thanks
    3,195
    Thanked 7,203 Times in 3,028 Posts
    Blog Entries
    37
    Images: 304

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Thank you, Adam. I was hoping you would see this one and chime in. Sarah, I would listen to Adam's advice on this way before my own.
    -- Judy

  11. #11
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Thanks, guys! That is exactly what I was wanting to know. The vet did spend a lot of time checking out the snake's skin, so I'm glad to know that I found a good vet.

  12. #12
    BPnet Royalty 4theSNAKElady's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-19-2006
    Location
    my cozy hide
    Posts
    4,889
    Thanks
    231
    Thanked 1,287 Times in 921 Posts
    Images: 92

    Re: New and seeking advice

    awww...that poor lil guy!.....here's to a speedy recovery and weight gain, and evntually eating on his own...best of luck to you and your lil guy.
    ALL THAT SLITHERS - Ball Python aficionado/keeper
    breeder of African soft fur Rats. Keeper of other small exotic mammals.
    10 sugar gliders

    2 tenrecs
    5 jumping spiders
    paludarium with fish
    Brisingr the albino
    Snowy the BEL
    Piglet the albino conda hognose


    FINALLY got my BEL,no longer breeding snakes. married to mechnut450..

  13. #13
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Thanks for the well wishes
    I definitely plan on taking good care of this little critter. I've always thought snakes are cute, but was never really interested in having one. Then the minute we got this one home, I just fell in love. I can't believe we've never had one before, now. Seems crazy not to!

  14. #14
    BPnet Veteran aaajohnson's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-04-2006
    Location
    Parker, Colorado
    Posts
    1,267
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Images: 5

    Re: New and seeking advice

    I hope he comes around, good luck.

    Neil
    Bunch of BP's
    0.1 3 Toed Box Turtles (Thunderball)
    2.1 Labradoodles (Duke, Vinnie, Sophie)
    0.1 Awsome Wife - 1.2 Awesome Kids

    www.sunsetpythons.com



  15. #15
    They call me Emilius LOL Emilio's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-22-2005
    Location
    305 baby
    Posts
    6,543
    Thanks
    1,280
    Thanked 1,407 Times in 1,004 Posts
    Images: 46

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Good luck hang in there , I'd listen to Adam the vet know's what he's doing.I also had a small girl that was real skinny then she started eating and went from 34grams to 75 in one month.Her skin was also a little loose , I got her on mouse fuzzy's and now she's on rat pink's.
    Absolutely obsessed with ball pythons!


    http://www.facebook.com/VillarinoReptiles?ref=hl

    Villarino reptiles Morph market

    Contacts

    Villarinoreptiles@gmail.com
    Or tex 7868774281

  16. #16
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    That gives me a lot of hope!
    I did tube feed him today, and that actually went really well. Giving the antibiotic shot was traumatic for us both, though.

  17. #17
    BPnet Lifer muddoc's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-23-2006
    Location
    Louisiana
    Posts
    5,340
    Thanks
    1,202
    Thanked 1,606 Times in 618 Posts
    Images: 49

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Congrats on the forward progress. Keep up the good work, and I'm sure your liitle buddy will turn around.
    Tim Bailey
    (A.K.A. MBM or Art Pimp)
    www.baileyreptiles.com
    The Blog

  18. #18
    BPnet Veteran SarahMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-11-2006
    Location
    Plano, Texas
    Posts
    3,119
    Thanks
    96
    Thanked 72 Times in 39 Posts

    Re: New and seeking advice

    I hope you're right, Tim!
    I feel like I caught some kind of fever or something. Can't get enough of reading the forums and looking at snakes now.

  19. #19
    Wally Bait tigerlily's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-14-2005
    Location
    on cloud 9
    Posts
    12,473
    Thanks
    87
    Thanked 448 Times in 162 Posts
    Images: 86

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Glad to hear you were able to get through your feeding and shot! Good job. Keep us updated.

    You're hooked. Didn't you read the warning label that comes on all bps? They are addictive!!
    Christie
    Reptile Geek

    Cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of
    You might bend, till you break cause its all you can take
    On your knees you look up decide you've had enough
    You get mad you get strong wipe your hands shake it off
    Then you Stand

  20. #20
    BPnet Veteran Ginevive's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-15-2004
    Location
    West Seneca, New York
    Posts
    11,728
    Thanks
    216
    Thanked 144 Times in 117 Posts
    Images: 40

    Re: New and seeking advice

    Congrats on the successful tube feeding; glad to see that went well
    I have a few suggestions on your setup, though you may just want to wait until treatment has stopped to change things too drastically. I would go with a substrate such as newspaper or blank paper towels, just so that you can be sure your snake doesn't have mites or ticks. I had one snake who seemed mite-free, then in a few months.. mites. These substrates will give the potential buggers no place to hide, so you acn't miss them. Also, sand can possibly get caught in the snake's heat pits in the face which is not a good thing; and I would dare to say it may contribute to his dehydration, as it is a drying agent.
    I am glad you're here to get knowledge Wecome to the forum, by the way; this is the most helpful place (in my humble opinion) on the Net.
    -Jen. Back in the hobby after a hiatus!
    Ball pythons:
    0.1 normal; 1.1 albino. 1.0 pied; 0.1 het pied; 1.0 banana.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1