Need help. Think snake is sick

[Juggalette]

I jst got my python and he's been perfectly fine. Normal. He started to look like he was gunna shed, his eyes got grey, he stopped eating and his skin got wrinkley. But now he's crawling around real slow, trying to flip his head upside down, and it's been 2 weeks since his eyes went grey like tht. I thought he wud have shed by now. Someone plz help. Shud I take him to the vet or will it pass?

[Chu'Wuti]

Juggalette, I apologize that no one has responded to your post--I just saw it for the first time this morning myself.

Please let us know if your python is still alive and what your enclosure conditions are: all temps in cool, warm, & hot zones, and what humidity you have. The fact that he is turning his head upside down is extremely unusual and definitely a cause for concern. It could simply be that the humidity was too low for a proper shed, and he is trying to rub stuck eye-caps off, or it could be something worse.

Though I could be wrong, my concern is that your snake may have IBD:

Inclusion Body Disease (http://www.anapsid.org/ibd.html)

I hope that you have not put this snake with any other snakes/herps you may have, as IBD is highly contagious.

[mykee]

To add to Chu's post; what KIND of python are you talking about?

[Chu'Wuti]

Yeah, I should have asked. Glad you caught it, Mykee. I just got stuck on the weird behavior--I had a friend who bought a BP from a petstore that developed that kind of behavior & it died . . . :(

[mykee]

That's what happens when you buy bush babies from Africa at a pet store. They die.

[Chu'Wuti]

Apparently so.

I wonder if Juggalette is going to come back and update on what's happening? I really hope her snake doesn't have IBD or something seriously wrong . . .

[Juggalette]

He died. Thanx anyways

[hogislandbreeds]

sometimes it takes more then 2weeks ,just make sure
his or her home is moist in tem at around 80 or 82 for
a good shed process.

[Juggalette]

I kept it moist by spraying the inside of his cage 2-3 times a day. His temp was between 85 and 90. He looked fine until the last day or so. I thought he was gunna make it but it got so bad so fast there was nothing I could do. But thanx anyways. Oh and he was a ball python

[Chu'Wuti]

I'm so sorry, Juggalette. It does sound like he may have had IBD, which is always fatal. I don't think I would buy any more snakes from the same person/store if I were you.

[citysnakes]

well you cant really diagnose IBD based on this one instance of described possbile behaviour. we would really need more information including some history of the animal's behaviour to suggest any cause of death. really based on the above information we can diagnose anything from mites to neurological issues to just plain old bad husbandry and care, for example.

[hogislandbreeds]

if you got all the proper care for the snake it would not die
I learnd from the last snake I got from Reptile LLL.

[Juggalette]

I think he got sick cuz I moved and it is possible tht he got to cold on the way. But he seemed to recover from the trip, he was fine for about 3 weeks then he started to look like he was gunna shed like I said earilier. Then he went from bad to worse to dead in about 3 days. But I think tht was why happened

[hogislandbreeds]

your snake most had that IBD,that is really harmfull
if not treated right of way.but sorry your snake died;(

[Kmef07]

Though I could be wrong, my concern is that your snake may have IBD

Holy crap i think that is what my snake had that died. Because My snake would try and strike at prey but couldn't seem to get the accuracy down. and it would give up after a couple attempts. when it would try and accept fresh killed prey it would try and wrap it but didn't seem to know how to. it just looked weird. and shedding was a problem and it flipped its head over and stuff and stargazed. but the weirdest thing is it just didn't seem to have any instinct towards the end.

wow very helpful post chu.

[Chu'Wuti]

Well, as Julian has noted, we can't really get a sure diagnosis from a brief description of behavior. Only a certified herp vet could tell for sure unless you are an expert snake-keeper with a lot of experience, I'd bet.

However, if you've read through the info in the link, you have a better idea of what to watch for in the future when buying, I hope.

[hogislandbreeds]

my snake did the same. it ate! but spit it rite back up,everytime.
and it never wanted to move inside the cage,but moved when I took
it out,and it was a 2month old solmon boa I purchase,I wish I had the
care for it then,but now i have all the care in supplies that I need
to cure all my snakes now lol..........thanks for reading,remember first
aid meds comes first.