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Ball Python Feeding Issues -- Serious!!

The next time you see him going blue, mist the tank a bit. That should let you cut the baths out all together without worrying about shedding issues.

RaLaser said:
Would it be too dark to have the tank in a closet or him in a dark colored tub w a dark lid?
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If the tank can stay pretty warm in the closet, that may be the best idea for now. Hopefully, It won't have to stay there for very long.

While the tank is in the closet, cover the top with a towel. Leave an uncovered place on the cool side for ventilation.
 
Oh hey, this might make some things easier for me to explain, do you have a picture of the cage? Also, a good shot of Sammy will help, just so I can get an idea about his body condition.

Don't be embarrassed or anything. Not a single person is going to judge you, or make you feel stupid about this. Trust me, it's help-mode.
 
RaLaser, like Baroness said don't beat yourself up. It happens sometimes. I am sure Baroness can help you turn things around :) Stay positive and hopeful!
 
Trust me, Baroness knows what she is talking about. So does David and everyone else helping you out here. My ball was not eating for 6 months, however, he is an adult male.. not a baby. Get him out of that tank ASAP, put him in the 6 quart tub with a little under tank heater around 88-90 degrees and leave him be! I thought that my ball's set up was just fine with him being in a well covered viv, and he went downhill fast. Now that he is in a very, very, dark rack system he has not has a single shed issue and is eating consistently. Force feeding is also very easy with a little guy. You just need to be gentle, and patient. Pry the mouth open with the nose of a fuzzy mouse, and use a plastic paintbrush end (not the brush end) to gently push the pinky into the throat (at least this is how I did it when I had to force feed imports >.> based off of watching my ball get force fed when he was a non-feeding baby) You might be pleasantly surprised to find that he'll just start to swallow it on his own. If he doesn't, just gently help massage it down. Good luck!
 
BB knows what she's talking about! If you do the things listed, your snake should eat again. I've bounced back super skinny Balls fresh out of Africa before. It can be done, and I have no doubt we'll get Sammy back to his former glory!
 
I think that's going to be too stressful on the snake at this point. Get him feeling secure, then try feeding him. By continually trying to feed him, you'll be stressing him out even more
 
I'll take a pic of the tank. Mind you, I haven't covered it or moved it yet because it's a two person lift-job. Will be doing that later tonight. I have an appointment with a different vet at 1:45 to get him checked out, just to be safe. Probably won't accomplish much but I have another snake that needs a follow-up for some injuries to his neck, so figured I may as well take Sammy in while I'm going.
 
PAIN said:
Laser try this and see how it works.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121742
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I've never heard of that method. Very interesting.

A lot of people here are anti-live, but if it's the difference between your snake eating _something_, or dying, there is absolutely NO reason not to try, and very few people are going to fault you for it.

Everyone has a line they won't cross in regards to feeding, whether it be assist-feeding new hatchlings or trying live on a stubborn snake. I myself won't feed live reptiles or amphibians. But if you need to feed live to get the snake going, you can always switch him later, or rehome him with someone who doesn't mind feeding live, if you just can't tolerate doing so yourself.
 
RaLaser said:
I'll take a pic of the tank. Mind you, I haven't covered it or moved it yet because it's a two person lift-job. Will be doing that later tonight. I have an appointment with a different vet at 1:45 to get him checked out, just to be safe. Probably won't accomplish much but I have another snake that needs a follow-up for some injuries to his neck, so figured I may as well take Sammy in while I'm going.
Click to expand...

But what is there to check out? You're just going to stress him more...
 
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I have zero problems feeding live. I was just always told not to, which is why I had been hesitant. If he doesn't eat after moving the tank into the dark space, then of course I am going to try live. It doesn't gross me out or morally bother me, lol.
 
Sammy doesn't look too skinny! IMHO. Not sure tho how much moisture the carefresh substrate will hold. Might been a contributing factor to the rough sheds.
 
-just woke up, pardon my spaceyness-

He actually still looks good, body condition wise. That is very encouraging!! Right now, I would not bother with a vet follow up. Let's get him settled down and dark, then maybe head to the vet in a few weeks if nothing works.

It looks like he did have some shed issues in the past. I would mist the tank every other day for a while, instead of baths. For now anyway. You also might want to look into cypress bedding at some point in the future. It's perfect for BPs and holds the humidity nearly perfect. Worry about that later though. We are going for dark, hands off settling for a bit.

If you have to try feeding live, it's not so bad. Trust me. I have a few ball pythons that came to me eating live and have since converted to frozen/thawed.

We will cross that bridge when we get there though.

This is just a bump in the road. You are going to be back to enjoying Sammy as a pet soon. It will be okay.
 
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