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Question about my cali king

He's healthy. He just had a vet checkup a few weeks ago. He has never eaten anything but the mice I get at Repticon shows. He's looked this way (just not as long) for almost 3 years now.
 
His tank is at the foot of my bed, so I see him constantly. He is very active, always exploring. And I see him drinking normally. He always eats. Has never regurgitated. Has healthy poos, never anything super runny.
 
Oops! I didn't see this was a three page thread!

He is extremely thin. I don't know what kind of vet said he looks okay, but you need to find a new vet.
 
Ali, I posted photos on the second page next to a prescription bottle.

I think I need to just feed him MORE so he puts on some weight and girth, so I can move to larger prey.

He had a traumatic "neck" injury almost two years ago, and was kept on pinkies a bit longer than he should have been because if he ate larger food his stitches would pop out. I ended up slicing pinkies into wedges like mice sashimi for several months. That could have contributed to the delay in growth, as well.
 
Yah, I know he is super thin. But the guy at Repticon told me it was normal, so I didn't think anything of it. I am going to feed him much more. I feel bad because I try my best to take exceptional care of ALL my pets and I would go to the ends of the earth to make sure they are well. I guess I got some misinformation regarding what size he should be. BUT, he will be fed more and more often and we will go from there.
 
How often are you feeding him? And what's up with the lump in his stomach in all the pics? Had he just been fed??? I really don't like that sharp spine and stomach swelling, if he has not just been fed. Has he ever regurged?
 
He just ate like 20 minutes before the photo. I explained in the other pages that I just fed him, which is why I was hesitant about taking him out for pics. He has never regurgitated. He eats every 7-10 days.
 
I would feed every 5 days if it were me. I know a lot of people here feed every 5-7 days until the snake is on adult mice. Good luck figuring it out.
 
I think double hoppers is too much. I'd rather see you go more often, every 5-7 days, feeding after he has pooped. And I'd have the vet do a fecal. He shouldn't have his spine showing if you're feeding him every week- he'd just be proportionally smaller. He wouldn't grow as fast. The spine doesn't show unless he isn't getting proper nutrition- either from starvation, parasites or a disease.
 
Hmmmm. Okay. I do feed him every 7-10 days as is, but I'll do it every 5-7. Like I said, he's been this way since I got him. He had his spine showing when I got him, and despite me feeding him normally, it's just always been that way. He's seen three vets, and none have ever suggested I do anything differently. I have expressed my concerns about his weight to people/vets in person... just wasn't sure what to do about it.
 
I'm going to move up the feeding, give it a while, and if he doesn't improve I will take him to a different vet. I am starting a clinical parasitology course in January, so maybe we can do some fecal tests on him in class.
 
I really don't see how he would have parasites. He's been bony for almost 3 years now. And he DID have a fecal a few months after I got him and it was normal (and he was skinny then, too). He hasn't been exposed to any "new" animals. He eats the same thing, from the same vendor and the feed is frozen. Very weird.
 
They can get parasites from frozen mice. It's less likely, but not impossible. And- he could have had parasites before you got him.
 
RaLaser said:
He's healthy. He just had a vet checkup a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but, he isn't healthy. I'm not trying to be a jerk here or be disagreeable, but I know an unhealthy snake when I see one. Most of us offering advice have a whale of a lot more "snake hours" logged than your vet, who I'd suggest you change if they say he's fine. That snake is beyond "leggy," his spine is showing. That also doesn't happen overnight. Babies die from malnutrition before their spines show, unless severe dehydration is the problem rather than nutrition. I suspect a diet of undersized prey is the culprit if parasites can be ruled out. Also, I had a snake's fecal show parasites this year who had never been fed anything but f/t mice -I can be sure because I produced him. I just ventured the live lizard guess because it has come up before.

My suggestion would be rat pinks for a couple of months. They are very fatty, and you do not want your snake getting "addicted" to them, but they do tend to put on mass which this fella needs. I wish him the best.
 
Just gonna say I'm pretty impressed at your demeanor. It's never an easy thing to have anonymous people tell you you may have been doing something wrong or something may be wrong with an animal in your care; really nice to see your receptiveness to some good advice, some folks really take it the wrong way :)

If you bought it at 6 months old and it was similar in appearance to how it is now the seller did you wrong. Compound the existing issue with an injury that kept it on small food items longer than normal, and here we are. Just to repeat, 5-7 days on hoppers, and maybe get a good reading on his habitat; temps and all that. Keep us posted :*)

Agree with Chip, for your vet to say it looks healthy has me scratching my head
 
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I have to agree with Chip... this snake is not well. I'm willing to wager some form of internal parasite... these can occuer even under the best of care.... flagellate and amebas can come from food, water and so on...

The treatment is actually quite harmless and I know quite a few keepers who practice it as a preventative measure for any incoming animal- I suggest going to a different vet, who works and specializes in reptiles(they are hard to come by sadly) and run a stool sample.

Here's a 2+ year old Cal King:



She's well over a foot long, the picture can't really show that- but it does show the relative size of the head, and the head to body mass ratio... (she's eating weaned rats).

By Cal king standards, your wee guy is emaciated :(
 
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