Knox Area Reptile Keepers
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Knox Area Reptile Keepers

Knoxville Area Reptile Keepers, or KARK, has been put in place to provide a safe haven for reptile keepers and breeders to connect with others who share their enthusiasm in herpetoculture.
 
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bowmansreptiles




Male Posts : 46
Points : 66
Join date : 2011-02-06
Age : 39

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PostSubject: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 18th 2011, 6:39 am

So I took in a baby ball python Friday and it is really really REALLY skinny, its about 14" long and it weights 46g. The guy said it hasn't eating in 2 weeks he couldn't get it to eat, and the reason he was getting rid of it was it was a mean snake (he's the sweetest little guy, hasn't tried to bite, strike, or anything and he's not head shy but that kinda worries me) he has an eye cap that hasn't shed so I soaked him when I got home Fri. He's still kinda active but he hasn't drank anything that I've seen, I tried to feed him last night with no success. His skin is very wrinkled and sunk in, I'm worried it might be to far gone but I was wanting to know what I can do to try to help/ save this little guy. Should I try to force hydrate/feed or should I just keep soaking him and hope he eats on his own? I'll put up pics when I get home this afternoon. Any and all advice is greatly apriceated.
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boggylizard




Posts : 81
Points : 109
Join date : 2010-07-07

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 19th 2011, 8:25 pm

Something we have tried in the past is a vitamin supplement designed specifically for spiking the feeding interest in wild caught or sluggish reptiles. I can't remember what it is called but I believe it is basically concentrated vitamin B-12. Should also get him a little more active. I would only try force feeding as a last resort. You could also try different types of rodents to see if he prefers one over another. I have had to assist feed rescues before but it is not something you want to have to do once he gets bigger. There is also a product called Stress Ease that you can add to the soaking water and it should also help. Hope all goes well and make sure to post some pics of the little guy when you get a chance. Good luck!
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bowmansreptiles




Male Posts : 46
Points : 66
Join date : 2011-02-06
Age : 39

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 19th 2011, 8:33 pm

<a href=http://s1179.Help!! IMAG0342
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QuietTempest
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QuietTempest


Female Posts : 1558
Points : 1847
Join date : 2009-07-13
Age : 43
Location : Knoxville, TN

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 20th 2011, 6:44 am

Can you describe his housing situation? What's the size of the enclosure and what type of substrate are you using? Where are the temps and humidity at? Does he have a hide box? How often are you trying to offer food?
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bowmansreptiles




Male Posts : 46
Points : 66
Join date : 2011-02-06
Age : 39

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 20th 2011, 6:55 am

I've got him in a 28qt bin with aspen substrate, the temp is 90 on the hot side and about 81-85 ambient, 70% humidity, a small hide box but he doesn't use it and I've only tried feeding once so far, I soaked him Sunday night again and he drank a quite a bit but now I'm letting him settle in for a day or 2 and then ill try feeding again.
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QuietTempest
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QuietTempest


Female Posts : 1558
Points : 1847
Join date : 2009-07-13
Age : 43
Location : Knoxville, TN

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 20th 2011, 7:40 am

If it were me, I would either switch the substrate to something more humidity-friendly or make a humid hide for him. It looks to me like his biggest problem is dehydration. With a humid hide, he'd have a place for security and re-hydration. Just use a plastic food storage tub, line it with moistened sphagnum moss or paper towels, cut a hole on the side just big enough for the snake to enter/exit and put it somewhere on the warmer end of the tub.

I'd also limit the soaks. Just provide him a large drinking bowl so that he can soak if he chooses to. Soaking too frequently can strip their skin of the oils that help during shed cycles and then they wind up with patches of skin that don't slough off easily.

Beyond that, I would say offer him small live weanling or hopper mice after he's had a chance to settle in and re-hydrate. Unless he's dropping weight, I'd give him a full week to adjust to the new enclosure before offering food again.
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PythonPassion

PythonPassion


Female Posts : 365
Points : 477
Join date : 2010-01-29
Age : 42
Location : Maryville, TN

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 20th 2011, 6:58 pm

If he is that small, a 28 qt bin might be a tad too large for him. Since I don't use tubs as much, I'm not as familiar with their sizes, but if I'm not mistaken, a 28 qt tub is a "sweater box"? If so, that may be stressing the little guy out as well. You might opt for a slightly smaller enclosure, at least until he begins feeding for you regularly.

However, he does appear to have a very pronounced backbone on him . . . did the person you got him from say if he had ever taken a meal? He looks a lot like a hatchling that has never fed, though I can't say that for certain without knowing. As others have already said, he most certainly looks dehydrated, so correcting that issue first should be the first priority. However, if he is indeed a hatchling that has never fed, with him in this state, food should most certainly be a second priority. I would offer weekly meals twice, and if he refuses those, assist feeding may be necessary for his survival. A snake that young that has never fed will not survive without food for more than 2-3 months (give or take a week or so). If you have any idea when he hatched, it might give you a better time frame on how quickly to progress to assist feeding. My personal rule of thumb: first week of age is pre-shed and pre-food-offering. I offer 6 weekly meals (varying in feeder type depending on picky eaters) after the first shed, and if all are refused, I attempt assist feeding.

Ideally, the snake shouldn't have been moved around quite so much before he was feeding (i.e. from the other person's house to yours) since moving them stresses them, but since he was and it can't be helped, you might not be able to wait until he completely settles in to his new home. Personally, I am not an advocate of assist-feeding or force-feeding a stressed animal, but in this case, I don't know that you have quite as much time to wait--his backbone is already pronounced, and his tail is very skinny. Is he acting lethargic (sluggish, lazier than typical for ball pythons, slower reaction times)? If I'm correct an this is a hatchling that's never fed, feeding will be quite important. However, if the guy told you he's offered two meals that's been refused, that may mean he's fed in the past, but refused more recently. It could also mean he had just hatched, attempted to have his first shed (but didn't quite get there), was offered two meals so far and has refused both. If that's the case, you have a bit more time before assist-feeding. Knowing the specifics helps, though it sounds as though the person you got him from was a bit vague. But his weight definitely isn't good for a snake that young.
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bowmansreptiles




Male Posts : 46
Points : 66
Join date : 2011-02-06
Age : 39

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PostSubject: Re: Help!!   Help!! Icon_minitimeSeptember 20th 2011, 10:05 pm

Well I put a humid hide box in and he's all curled up in it so hopefully it helps, the guy said that he had him for about a month and that he hasn't eating in 2 weeks but he tried to feed it but wouldnt eat
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