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WELL I did it...I guess my snake rescue is officially on a roll! Now up to 11 (although a few of those were purchased...hey, i'm allowed!
I actually went and got these two from the pound. Ten bucks each. One is "nice" while the other is supposedly "agressive". Yeah, agressive ball python?? THe thing is STARVED, and had been trying to shed for two weeks. His eyes are totally caped and whited out. As soon as I got there they were actually in the process of feeding each one a live mouse. The smaller "good & healthy" ball gobbled his down. The "agressive & Sick" ball grabbed his, by the butt, and was sitting there getting scratched by the mouse while he was trying to constrict it, which he never did do. The guy asked me to leave, and then killed the mouse, and then fed the snake again with it. I spent two hours there today, and most of that time was waiting for this snake to finish his meal. The guy kept saying he wasn't done yet. So, I finally go back in there and the poor snake is pushing the mouse into his mouth against one of his coils, and then getting his top teeth stuck on his own lose skin. It didn't look like he could get the mouse past his head and into his esophagus. And this guy looks big enough (though skinny) to get at least a large rat down. So I told the guy to take the mouse out of his mouth (since he wouldn't let me do it).
I've got them both home now. I think they are both boys. THe smaller one is just about to shed...a little bit coming off the back of the neck, while the larger emaciated one is just flaked all over. I got them both right away into a bath.
I was listening to them both, and no sign of RI or inclusion disease, but you never know. They're far away from my other babies in another room bathing.
At the pound the big guy looked like he had a bit of an overbite, though his mouth seems to fit together normally now. It wasn't too dramatic at first, I think maybe he's just so thin and dry that it was kind of messing him up.
I'm all paranoid that he may be sick. *lol* I've seen a ball with python inclusion body disease before, and his mouth was all crooked, he was breathing through it, and he kind of looked....derpy, you know? It is after all a neurological disease. He seems fine now.
Just worried! We're going on a long planned vacation from Oct 31st -Nov 5th, and the nearest vet that does small animals or reps doesn't have an appointment available before then, so it's just us and him right now doing our best. Any advice? I just wish i knew how soon the signs for that disease show up. Like is it only the later stages where they actually LOOK like they have it..?
Oh well, either way even if he does have it he's quarantined, and at least the poor thing can shed and get a meal so you can't feel his ribs anymore!!!!
OH i know, i know...LOL there's supposedly no new adoptees in the near future...until Christmas maybe...muahaha!
Okay, so we've got Ribs (the bigger, sicky one whom you can feel ribs) to eat a rat tail...and a fuzzy mouse. I suspect he has an esophagus tear. He's acting great now. Gonna keep him on fuzzies for couple feedings...gonna give him more tomorrow if he'll take it since he's so skinny. But, gave him some energy tonight at least! He's basking, and already starting to rub his head on his moist hide to get the shed off.
Bitey...the smaller, nice and healthy brat, ate a whole rat. He was fiesty. Attacked the rat right away, then got mad at both of us for being near him, and chased my hubby across the kitchen floor *lmao* i had to get the tongs out of the danger zone and then distract him with the rat again until he took it and ate it. Fun times! And that was supposed to be the NICE one!!!
So, there's been some tank rearranging, and some new set ups. They seem to be doing well and are nice and full (well mostly, for ribs). Oh, ribs did bite me on accident though.
It was kind of weird...i KNOW he couldn't get that mouse down but for some reason i let my husband try to feed him a rat. He was so tired it took him forever, and he finally got to the butt so i just cut off the tail and let him swallow it....which also took forever. He's been sluggish and sad all day, but once he ate the tail, he squeezed down the fuzzy and now has been fairly active. I'm really really hoping he's not sick, and we can just get his weight up and he'll be fine. Her's hoping!!
Oh and i'm out of spare cages, hides, and heaters...so i really need to stop for now *lmao*
Yikes! Do you have a vet that is willing to work with you and give you a break on fees for your rescued? Is there any way to treat the esophagus tear? Hopefully it will heal itself given time. I hope Ribs heals up quickly!
I don't have a vet. The closest one is about 40 minutes away and since no appointment was available until after we're back from vacation, I didn't ask them about any kind of discounts or anything yet.
Today I gave ribs a warm bath, and took a washcloth and rubbed his head to get the shed off of his eyes and head/mouth. He was actually SO sweet..a little fussy at first and then just sat really still and let me rub and peel, rub and peel. He seemed to "get" what I was doing and let me do it until i got a nice big peice off of his head, including one of they eye caps. The eyes are still a little bit wrinkled...and one cap I think it still on...couldn't get it off and didn't want to be too rough. He did let me rub at it though.
Just now we took him out and he gobbled down three fuzzy mice in a row! Was very interested, and seemed to do much better and faster swallowing tonight, than yesterday!
I'm really happy about that. I actually wonder if having a tear or something in his esophagus was the reason he got so skinny. At first animal control said he just wasn't eating for them, but he seems to be on the mend now! Just sitting under the heat lamp. We have one of those laser thermomitors, and his temp is high 80's. I'd like him to be a little warmer but we are out of under-tank heaters right now so i'm going to go gather a couple branches, bake them, and then put them in there to give him a perch a little higher than just on top of his hide like he is now.
I also tried to sex them both today. (Biter got a bath too, but was not pleased, and wanted no part of any kind of rubbing *lol*) They're too big to pop, i think. I looked anyway and gently tried. Biter has pretty large spurs, so I think he's a boy...couldn't feel any hemipenes though.
Tried Ribs too...it was all soft and squishy from above the vent to the end of the tail and the spurs were pretty small, so i'm wondering if it's a girl!
They thought they were both boys at the pound, but clearly they really aren't that reliable!
I did feel a little small "ball" or pea sized -something- a little ways above the vent on Ribs though. I wondered if it might be a slug.
Really wish I had a vet that could take a look! I also need a probe, and need to learn how to use it!
Anyway they are doing well and happy tonight. My other adoptee, Citrine the corn snake ate a mouse as well tonight. I think she'd eat non-stop if i let her! She ate each day for the first five days i had her and then i cut her off. *lol* I thought she might be ready to shed, since her eye was a little cloudy, but she ate the small mouse I offered no prob, so there ya go!
OH and today was a good day for our big ball as well! We've had him since late June. We adopted him from a pet store...supposedly the story is he was owned by a teacher, and she had him in a classroom. Then one of the employees there took him. In other posts I mentioned that he hadn't eaten since we had him. No big worry there, but i like my animals well fed so I always tried him once a week. He's very fussy, and always afraid (he's got scars all over him from some sort of past abuse.) So, today I notice he's moving around...but this time he's watching me...flicking his tongue, and turning his head sideways to see me. So, we get a rat out and thaw it...i don't usually feed in cage, but he's alway so scared we just dangled it a bit and WHAM he struck, pushed it against a couple coils and swallowed it down! I was so happy!!! Afterwards, we were still thawing and doing our feeds, and i sat by his cage, messing with some other things. He totally BEGGED me. I'm telling you, if a snake can beg, that was the begging-ist look i've ever seen. So, we took him out this time, put a rat on the snake plat, and set it by him...wham he struck and ate again!
Totally thrilled. He is a little over 4 feet, and supposedly about 10 years old. He really could eat mall rabbits or something (probably what someone already fed him...except live, to get the huge scar he has all down his belly, and some of the other scars). So, there's a reptile show in Pasadena on Nov 5th & 6th. We're going to have to go stock up on food and supplies! Totally worth it though It was a great snake day!
I know what you mean I love when my animals are well fed
side note: my little GTP ate her second double pink meal this week and was still hunting for more my little piglet is going to be moved on to fuzzy mice for her next meal next week I'm also fairly certain she had a growth spurt
I know what you mean I love when my animals are well fed
side note: my little GTP ate her second double pink meal this week and was still hunting for more my little piglet is going to be moved on to fuzzy mice for her next meal next week I'm also fairly certain she had a growth spurt
I would try to switch her to rats now - use rat pups - they are bigger than pinkies but still no fur and hopefully an easy change, my GTP never ate mice at all.
__________________
May you have more good days than bad
You never know how strong you are - until being strong is your only choice
There are no dark clouds - just well hidden silver linings!!
I got mine a around 6 months old and he was already eating rat fuzzies, they CAN take prey upto 4 times their girth tho there is some concern with prolapse when the poo comes out other end. I tend to stick with 2-2.5 times his girth now tho he has eaten much bigger with no problems.
__________________
May you have more good days than bad
You never know how strong you are - until being strong is your only choice
There are no dark clouds - just well hidden silver linings!!
I'm going to get her on mouse fuzzies for a while and then we will see I think she had a growth spurt so I am expecting her to go into blue soon the top of her head is getting darker which usually means its coming
Well, here'd some pictures, finally! the first is Biter or bitey in his tank. He smells rat so he came out to look around. I'd like to see some more meat on his bones as well, since i can see his spine a bit but mostly it's that i feel the ribs. I do manage to keep my other snakes pretty well fed though, so I'm all about not feeling ribs *lol*
Second two pics are of Ribs trying to down a rat. He/she was doing pretty good for a while there, but has since spit out a leg and is trying to wiggle the head down. Has managed a tottaly of one rat tail, and 7 fuzzy mice since coming to stay with us. We're leaving for five days, in a day, so actually I wanted to see if Ribs could get a rat down before then. It seems to still be a struggle.
You can plainly see how skinny this poor thing is. The skin is all baggy, and the ribs and spine are pretty prominent.
so, the main problem is i am still worried about it having neurological problems/having python inclusion disease. It seems like getting a rat down shouldn't be this difficult. I've flipped the snake over on it's back and it can right itself...or i guess slither it's head upright and stare at me indignantly. WHen we feed it mice i have to keep taking it away and then giving it to her/him head first, otherwise it just sort of mouth's it around and tries sideways...which shouldn't be a problem, except then it just gets stuck and can't be eaten. It also keeps getting it's own teeth caught on it's excess skin, when it tries to use it's coils to push the food into the mouth. So sometimes it will pull until the teeth come undone, and sometimes i have to help it undo itself. It doesnt' seem to mind...just keeps trying to eat, but it's sad to watch : ( it also still has one eye cap on. It hasn't seemed interested in rubbing to shed, very much. Just sitting under the heat lamp.
I was going to try tomorrow with my trusty moist cloth to rub off the other eye cap. It seemed to enjoy that the last time!
Okay well, that's the update. Whenever ribs gets done with this meal...if...then we're going to rat up Bitey..i know there won't be a problem there!
hey! We just got back from a vacation yesterday. Today we warmed up the old bowl of mice and rats, and went to town feeding everyone. I have to say, Ribs and Bitey did great! They are both blue-eyed and ready to shed again, actually, but both wanted and did eat a rat! You can really tell the difference in ribs...she's a tiny bit healthier looking, and has a LOT more energy! She was able to gulp down the rat and didn't have to stop once to look tired and half-dead *lol* she did miss on her first strike, but hey when your eyes are that cloudy i suppose that's expected!
They both took to it and we had a race to see who got it down faster. They had a tie at the end to "slurp the spaghetti" as we call it when the tail finally hangs out the mouth and then gets slurped down at last.
So, my thus far conclusion is that Ribs probably had an esophogus tear, and couldn't eat...making her become so weak and thin. She seems to be doing great now, and is a really really sweet snake. I'm still worried about her shed, but that's just because I like to keep everyone fat, happy, etc. Still a lot of ribs to be felt, and a lot of lose skin, but she ate without getting her teeth caught on herself this time!
Bitey went for the kill, ate, and then charged at my foot when I walked by to pick him up *lol* little jerk.
He's not as thick as i'd like him either, because i can still kind of feel bones, and the skin is still a little lose. But, one rat at a time : )
So, out of 11 snakes, everyone seems to be doing great! I'm pretty pleased and I love them so much already!
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