Rescue ball python...

Okay, so I detest Ball Pythons due to their crappy eating habits, but today my vet asked me to take one to see if I could get it eating. Originally brought in by Petsmart, the animal was refusing to eat (no surprise.....imports and co-habitated). They brought it to Dr. Jones and he x-rayed it. Showed signs of gas, perhaps from a mouse that had been in there a while as he said it was very cold when he got it in. They rehydrated it and had been force feeding it Science Diet HD every 3 days. Had gained a little weight but still wasn't eating. They had it in a reptile tank with a hide and a heating pad under one side. Still not warm enough I don't think. He asked if I'd bring it home...so I did. Sweet little thing....I think it's a girl but haven't probed. Might have an RI as it was open mouth breathing while I held it. She is 81 grams so obviously she's eaten before to survive until now. I've put her in quarantine in a shoebox with a hide and some water. I've set the temps a little higher than normal in case she is getting an RI and we'll see. I'll wait a week or so and then offer a f/t african soft furred rat (small one the size of a weanling mouse) and see what happens. I named her Maybeso....as maybe she'll live...who knows. I guess if she gets an RI I'll treat her but hopefully the higher temps and no stress willl help.

Poor little one. I hope you can get her eating. Being in the right environment can do wonders to get them eating so hopefully that's all she needs!

AWW poor thing hope to hear she eats and does well. I was thinking about buying this full grown corn I saw the add for her she very pretty but the people who own her now still have her in a tiny ten gal with I think was one small hide and a water dish the same size of the ones we have for my two little babies just from the pics alone u can really tell she's much too big for that tank

I'd get her if the price was right. Corns generally thrive no matter what you do to them. Balls are not so nice about it. Not my favorite species at ALL but I'm willing to give it a go to at least see if we can bring her around. I checked on her this morning and she's in her hide. I'll probably get her out and soak her at some point to make sure she's staying hydrated but otherwise I'm leaving her strictly alone unless something else develops like an RI or something.

Hows the little one doing?

Still no luck getting her to eat f/t. I may have to break down and procure a live fuzzy. Hate these darn critters, but she's looking all right otherwise.

MegF. said:

Okay, so I detest Ball Pythons due to their crappy eating habits, but today my vet asked me to take one to see if I could get it eating. Originally brought in by Petsmart, the animal was refusing to eat (no surprise.....imports and co-habitated). They brought it to Dr. Jones and he x-rayed it. Showed signs of gas, perhaps from a mouse that had been in there a while as he said it was very cold when he got it in. They rehydrated it and had been force feeding it Science Diet HD every 3 days. Had gained a little weight but still wasn't eating. They had it in a reptile tank with a hide and a heating pad under one side. Still not warm enough I don't think. He asked if I'd bring it home...so I did. Sweet little thing....I think it's a girl but haven't probed. Might have an RI as it was open mouth breathing while I held it. She is 81 grams so obviously she's eaten before to survive until now. I've put her in quarantine in a shoebox with a hide and some water. I've set the temps a little higher than normal in case she is getting an RI and we'll see. I'll wait a week or so and then offer a f/t african soft furred rat (small one the size of a weanling mouse) and see what happens. I named her Maybeso....as maybe she'll live...who knows. I guess if she gets an RI I'll treat her but hopefully the higher temps and no stress willl help.

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Petco is the same way. I detest the fact that we get 5-7 BP's and put them all in the same little cage.

Yup....and they tolerate stress the least well of any snake species. At least at this point there's no sign of RI although she does like to hang out on the top of the hide under the heat mat where it's really warm. Pulled her out last night to weigh her and she's lost 10 grams. Not sure if that's necessarily bad though. She's not as bloated as when I got her and she's deficated twice now. I think this weight is more her true weight. I'l weigh her again in a week and see if she's continuing to drop. My guess would be no.

I have rescued a couple of ball pythons. When we got them we tried live rat pups. At first not interested but then they took it... We have them both on f/t now. Long process with lots of patients. My husband is the ball python lover!

glad you took her in,hopefully she starts eating well for you

We'll see. Dr. Jones called today asking how she was doing and said that Petsmart was wondering as well. I was there for the adoptions today so I told them while I was there. They said they got the two in and the one ate fine, this one didn't. They can only feed f/t. I told them that they sometimes won't take anything but live but Petsmart's policy is no live feeding. I told him I was going to try a live pinky and that I had someone to take her if she did finally eat.

That is my Petco's policy as well. We send so many BP's to their new homes without a meal taken at our store. It makes me sick, and glad that I am trying to get a SCEP with Fish and Wildlife.

They really should just not carry them. I would never recommend getting a ball python from anything but a reputable breeder who can show they've eaten f/t without issue for at least 10 feedings. They make a terrible first snake for many people due to the failure to eat issue. I can't imagine how stressed I would have been if my new pet refused to eat when I got it home. My cornsnakes rarely refuse food.

Any update on this little one? Hope she's eating, even if you had to resort to live.

She has not. I tried live rat pinkies and thought she had eaten but it was just in her hide in the aspen. So, she's still losing weight and I'm not sure where to go with her. She refuses f/t and live so unless someone is willing to force feed her for the rest of her life, I'm not sure it's not better to euthanize before she reaches complete emaciation.

Oh, no. Poor little girl. Permanent force feeding doesn't seem like a very good quality of life, either.

I agree. I don't forcefeed anything in general. She's lost another 6 grams in less than a week so I'm thinking there's more going on with her than that. She shouldn't be losing weight that quickly. I was really hoping that the live pinky would get her going.

Sadly, sometimes you try as hard as you can but there's just nothing you can do. I guess a plus is that you don't like Balls anyway, so hopefully you're not too attached in case euthing becomes the only option. Poor little snakey...sending good juju that she has a Come to Jesus moment and starts eating. Have you tried half a pinky or a brain?

I fed our snakes today at work, because I had no idea when the last time they ate was... Well, by the time everyone had food in their bellies the animal manager came by and told me that they had all been fed on thursday, luckily the BP's that ate were the ones that refused, all except one corn ate, and our "Florida" king also refused... The king was the reason that I was feeding everyone, he has noticeably lost weight since he came in, and I am starting to get worried about the little guy.

MegF. said:

I agree. I don't forcefeed anything in general. She's lost another 6 grams in less than a week so I'm thinking there's more going on with her than that. She shouldn't be losing weight that quickly. I was really hoping that the live pinky would get her going.

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Right now, most adult Balls aren't eating. I would leave her be for a few weeks, then offer a small rat. Live of course. Balls can be a pain in the ass, but you've got to have lots of patience.