Rescue

[Sharlynn93]

Please don't judge me about picking up another snake, this was NOT a "choice" persay, but a young girl (17) that I had been trying to help with BP issues through facebook and text contacted me yesterday in desperation...she needed to rehome her baby BP ASAP...begged me to take him...she showed up less than an hour later with him, tank and all...I had to take the poor little one...she had issues with him not eating, stuck shed, underweight, aggression, etc...she realized she was not able to give him the care he needed...so...to properly quarantine, (since my GTP will be here hopefully soon) he will be going in my bedroom...he is 9 months old, and only weighs 118 grams :( he did try to bite the hubby, but I think it was a heat reaction due to the transport in the snowstorm we were having...I disinfected his tank (he was kept on sand! :o ) and put him on paper towels, gave him a hide (he never had one, and still isn't using it)...have his humidity at 85% due to the stuck shed on his head...he seemed so skinny I attempted a feed and he took an adult mouse within seconds...no signs of any respiratory issues, yet, seems to be in decent shape other than weight, and shed...I just couldn't turn him away...my question is, the stuck shed is just on his head...with his semi-aggression and obvious long-term stress, should I attempt to get it off? or see if the higher humidity and good husbandry will clear it? the eyes seem clear, its just on his head...he is VERY active and has gorgeous markings...he is a normal, but they are beautiful too :)

[Terranaut]

Yup . Just fix the husbandry and wait until next shed. No need to stress it out by trying to remove the remaining bits. Give it a week to get used to it's new home and then try to feed. Young balls tend to be more active like that. Good luck.

[Sharlynn93]

thank you :) he just seems so tiny compared to persephone who is supposed to be the same age...she weighed 126 when I got her back in november...she weighed 220 before her last feed, and is now on rats so I expect her to take off in growth...this little guy (nameless as of yet) will be moving to rats once my next litter is born and gets of decent size for him...I will post pics once he is settled in...he has a marking on his one side that looks like a flower...its really neat! :D

[Terranaut]

Well if you take great care of him name him Lucky.

[Sharlynn93]

hubby caught this about 5am this morning when he got up...little one came out of his ball and was out exploring...you can kinda see his "flower" pattern on his side...(crappy cell pic w no flash so he didn't spook him)...

[lady_bug87]

I'd take it out of the tank and put it in a bin. So long as your husbandry is correct that shed will work itself out. Don't bother trying to get it it off unless it's binding

[Sharlynn93]

planning on a bin over the weekend...thinking of putting persephone in one as well, even though we have been doing quite well with humidity on both of them, it will be less maintenance to bin them both..."flower" actually used his hide this morning for the 1st time...he was quite wary of it but is now holed up and comfy...I had to clean up a spill (put a different water bowl in because of that) and he was as docile as can be...I think he just needed fed and proper heat and humidity...my daughter may take him once we get him eating, shedding, and gaining weight...she misses the snakes now that she has moved out, and fell in love with him when she saw him :) she was a big help to me with them before she moved, so she has basic husbandry down...we will see...

[Sharlynn93]

just an update, "Flower" pounded down a rat pup last night with such force he flipped his hide halfway across his enclosure! I don't think he will have a problem switching to rats! He reportedly pooed the day before I got him, and hasn't gone for me yet...but the day we got him he "popped" himself as I was moving him to his tank...then again 2 nights ago...watching for a possible prolapse, but will stress make them do this? I gave him a warm soak on saturday night, and no results from it...no signs of the aggression she said he had either...

[Sharlynn93]

another update, "Flower" left me a nice gooey mess of urates this morning when I got home from work...as I was cleaning up, I lifted his hide and found him in full blue...was not defensive at all, when I moved him to clean and change paper towels, and actually went "active" and crawling on me instead of staying in his usual ball...still waiting for a poo, but he looks like he is filling out...can't really see his backbone as much as when he got here, he was in the same "hunt mode" that persephone gets yesterday, but was hesitant to feed him again until he poops for me...but if he left me urates, is it ok to feed? still concerned about the bulging issue I saw before, haven't handled him in a few days (still trying to let him settle) so not sure if that is still an issue...

[Terranaut]

Glad it's working out for you .

[Aaron_S]

another update, "Flower" left me a nice gooey mess of urates this morning when I got home from work...as I was cleaning up, I lifted his hide and found him in full blue...was not defensive at all, when I moved him to clean and change paper towels, and actually went "active" and crawling on me instead of staying in his usual ball...still waiting for a poo, but he looks like he is filling out...can't really see his backbone as much as when he got here, he was in the same "hunt mode" that persephone gets yesterday, but was hesitant to feed him again until he poops for me...but if he left me urates, is it ok to feed? still concerned about the bulging issue I saw before, haven't handled him in a few days (still trying to let him settle) so not sure if that is still an issue...

Short answer....yes.

[Sharlynn93]

Thank you.

[Sharlynn93]

A full clean shed, a nice poo wrapped up in it, and still eating like a champ with no aggression. Guess I must be doing something right...

[poomwah]

great rescue :]

[sharthun]

Way to go!:cool:

[Sharlynn93]

Thanks :) never really wanted a "normal" but he sure has personality! He is fitting right in...my daughter loves him and MAY take him once he is gaining weight accordingly. He is still super small...less than half the size of my female the same age...

[poomwah]

don't get too hung up on size, they all grow at different rates, right :] LOL

[Sharlynn93]

They do, but this one had a super bad start at a pet store and then a teenage girl keeping him in terrible conditions. I tried to help her but she was living with her "girlfriends" parents and they wouldn't fund her pet so she begged me to take him. drove him to my house in a snowstorm. How could I say no? :( he really is a doll...now that he has hides and proper heat and humidity there is no aggression at all...and only 1 refused feed while he was in full blue (understandable)...

[EL Ziggy]

Looks like he's coming around nicely Shar. Keep up the good work!

[poomwah]

I will admit I don't have much experience with balls, I thought he looked pretty good in the last pics you posted.

[Sharlynn93]

he will look much better with some weight on him, but he is on rats now, so that will happen real soon :D thanks! he is already showing great improvement! we are so LUCKY to have him!

[poomwah]

is he skinnier than he should be for his length? Or just smaller altogether?

[Sharlynn93]

both...my pastel and him were apparently purchased at the same time...and when I was there, they all seemed the same size...petco was feeding them 1 f/t mouse fuzzy a week, which is insufficient...the girl was feeding accordingly (or trying to)...he is shorter and weighs less the mine when i bought her and that was back in november...she is closing in on 300g and he was 118 when we got him...he hadn't pooed since then so no new weight for him and he just ate for me so will be a few days at least before I can get a good weight again...but he has pounded down the food except for when he was full blue, so I don't see the issues she had except for bad husbandry...I provide what he needs, so he apparently is doing well...

[poomwah]

yet when I had a snake that was at least 2.5 times smaller than average for its weight, you told me it didn't matter and that I was hung up on size. I'm confused how this is different

[Sharlynn93]

seriously? this one SHOWED obvious signs of not being healthy! that rat snake looks healthy, just on the small side! its spine is NOT showing, it does NOT have stuck shed all over it, and it is comparable to others of its age that are just slow growers! BP's should NOT look like this at this age! two TOTALLY different species, and two TOTALLY different cases!

[poomwah]

Jesus Shar, it was a simple question. You told me how it bothered you about people giving you crap on here for you opinion. Then you snap at me for asking a question.
I didn't know the snake you have showed so many outward signs of being unhealthy. That's why I asked you why this situation was different.
No need to get all worked up over it