one year old ball, very dry skin, wont eat, very restless

[tracyk86]

Hi, i have checked everywhere for some answers, not finding any...maybe somebody here might have some solutions??

I have a 1 year old ball python (not sure on sex), i have had it since birth, has always been a great eater (live mice, and will not eat anything else) has decent sheds, is active at night, etc etc.

But in the last month or so it has not eaten (absolutely no interest in mice at all), has flaky dry skin, and is very restless, even during the day. I haven't changed ANYTHING!! I have been misting the cage a bit to try and reduce the dry skin issue. It is "overdue" for a shed, but it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

I know my snake very well, and it acts very much like it is hungry, especially when it is out during the day, it usually wants food NOW! LOL!! It has always been on a good schedule for food and shed.

Is there something possibly be wrong? (I dont have a typical ball python, it always eats!!)

[N1T24M]

leave it alone. it'll shed when it needs to and it will eat when it wants to. it can go the better part of a year without food and still be ok. keep trying to feed on a weekly schedule but dont stress out if it doesnt show interest.
also, as a side note, switch to an equivalent size in rats as soon as possible.
good luck!

[Snakefood]

is there a vet near you?

[tracyk86]

it wont eat rats, i tried when he was eating good. a herp vet is 2 hours away :(

i am just not understanding the constant restlessness, all day and night, maybe curls in the hide on the warm side for a couple hours...kinda strange!

[Snakefood]

I found this:

If a mature boa or python is subjected to decreasing amounts of light, as occurs in the fall, or if the ambient temperature is slightly lowered, it may cease feeding due to the call of the wild. A mature snake that is ready to breed may stop feeding and become restless, often pacing the cage. This will appear very different than a snake that is ill, as it will remain alert and active. Mature males may become aggressive during breeding season. Boas and pythons mature at different sizes and ages, so if in doubt, consult your herp veterinarian.

on this site: Snake Nutrition (http://www.exoticpetvet.net/reptile/snake.html)

Hope it helps some!!

[tracyk86]

thank you!!! that makes alot of sense and puts my mind at ease a bit! i will wait a bit, leave it alone and update later...

[SnakeyJay]

Still up the humidity for the skin problem... and if that doesnt clear up id still go to the vets. 2 hours isnt that far. I traveled 1.30 hours to take my bci for a jaw problem.

[Lankyrob]

Until it sheds keep the humidity up at around 70% - my BP recently went 3 months without eating for no apparent reason and then one week just started eating again, has eaten at every feed since.

I would give him as much solitude as possible and only attempt feeding every 14 days.

[ZARADOZIA]

Hi, i have checked everywhere for some answers, not finding any...maybe somebody here might have some solutions??

I have a 1 year old ball python (not sure on sex), i have had it since birth, has always been a great eater (live mice, and will not eat anything else) has decent sheds, is active at night, etc etc.

But in the last month or so it has not eaten (absolutely no interest in mice at all), has flaky dry skin, and is very restless, even during the day. I haven't changed ANYTHING!! I have been misting the cage a bit to try and reduce the dry skin issue. It is "overdue" for a shed, but it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

I know my snake very well, and it acts very much like it is hungry, especially when it is out during the day, it usually wants food NOW! LOL!! It has always been on a good schedule for food and shed.

Is there something possibly be wrong? (I dont have a typical ball python, it always eats!!)



What kind of substrate are you using? It might be part of the problem concerning his scales.

I adopted my BP, Sasha over a year ago and it took me about 6 months to find the best substrate for her. When I first got her I tried everything because the clear protective film on her scales would chips, peel, and flake off. It scared the H*ll out of me. Finally I started using Spanish moss and all her scale problems went away and she finally had her first unassisted shed and she is healthy as can be! I like it because it holds proper levels of moisture with a little misting, heat, is cheap, and easy to clean. (I do have liners at the bottom of her cage for quick and easy clean up. I also have 2 large porthos in her vivarium to assist with humidity control)

Sasha’s previous owner told me that she tends to slow down and stop eating in the winter months. This has proven to be true. Last year she went almost 7 months without eating but didn’t show any adverse effects to it. I kept a close eye on her body, alertness, physical activity, and mood. She retained her weight, was not lethargic, very alert, and curious when I handled her. She continued to enjoy the long soak in my garden tub and enjoyed being handled after. (Sasha is almost 5 feet long) Her normal eating habit was 2 extra large mice every week.

Last year it was in November, just after T-giving, when she stopped eating and started eating again in May. I have kept a calendar of when and how much she eats. For her, there is a definite trend. At first I thought her lack of appetite was because of the Prekilled and live mice I bought from the local pet store (and it still could be). So I switched to Prekilled extra large mice from RodentPro.com. She also likes baby chicks, although I don’t feed those to her very often.

She has slowed down her eating again and instead of eating once a week, she has gone to once every 2 weeks. By the end of November I expect her to stop again, but we will see.

I have a routine now before I feed her and so far it works well. She doesn’t like eating in her cage. I don’t know why but she won’t eat inside. I have to take her out and put her somewhere else. At first I tried a lot of different boxes/cages/ etc to find out what works best for her. I have learned that she is most relaxed after a soak in the garden tub (I have a special hide for her) and she eats the best after a soak. So I have started feeding her in the tub after her soak. She eats immediately (as long as no one comes running in my room, banging around, and cats are locked out). Sometimes she isn’t interested, so what she doesn’t eat, I feed to Hendrix our Savannah Monitor.

In summary, don’t worry yet. Check out the substrate and see if that might play a roll in the scale problem. If he isn’t physically comfortable, he won’t eat.


I’m not advertising, but this is the kind of Spanish moss I use and where I buy it from:
Staw Weavers Spanish Moss:
http://www.craftersgallery.com/Spanish-Moss-8-Ounces-Natural-SM8/default.aspx?PageID=20&CategoryID=958&ProductID=11282&ItemID=30163&RootCatCode=07000

[takagari]

Take an old towel. soak it in warm water and pop it in the cage on the warm side. and keep re wetting it every day.

This will drive up humidity and give the snake some damp to rub against.

My balls. most of them any way. Go off feed in the winter. or at least eat a lot less.