Ball Python Issue - Page 2

LadyWraith · 04-09-13, 05:53 PM

Definitely sounds under nourished to me as well. My male BP, a June 2012 hatchling so not much older, started off eating mouse hoppers from the get go. Pinkies don't have the same nutritional content as the older rodents; they're lacking a more structured bone system which means your snake is not receiving appropriate calcium and other nutrients that bones provide. I'd switch them both up to hopper mice or fuzzy rats once every week. The can eat a lot larger prey than you'd think. Also, if she's refusing to eat, you might do a re-check on your husbandry. If they don't feel secure in their environment, they won't eat.

bcr229 · 04-09-13, 08:49 PM

Lisa Carr
VCA Veterinary Referral Associates
500 Perry Parkway
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877
Phone: 301-926-3300
Emerg: as above
Website
lisa.carr@vcahospitals.com

This is a 24 hour emergency vet near you who will treat reptiles. You are very lucky to have a herp vet so close - the nearest to me is a 90 minute drive away.

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 04:01 AM

I did get her from petsmart I fed her a fuzzie last night she took about twenty min to swallow it. I tried to get her a second one but she refused to eat it she sat there with it in her mouth for twenty or so min then just spit it out. When I say pinkies being bigg enough to eat I am talking about them being on the verge of fuzzies so a bigger pinkie. We bought rats last night and are going to start breeding them. I am going to find what I can to get her fed properly if that is the issue is. She has never seeker for food. Kyle does on occasion though.

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 04:02 AM

I don't usually feed the two of them together I just wanted Kyle there for size reference

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 04:06 AM

Oh and for the first up until the end January I fed her every week three pinkies and he went into she'd only once the entire time. After we got Kyle and he didn't want the dead food we switched to live and their feeding habits changed.

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 04:18 AM

This the first week I had her

Lankyrob · 04-10-13, 06:11 AM

The item that she is eating in the picture needs to be double the size imo if not bigger than double.

You also still havent told us the temps and humidity you keep them at.

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 06:17 AM

almost forgot she had gone into shed three times since january and kyle twice.

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 06:29 AM

She could barely swallow that fuzzie how is she going to eat something double that size. she spent twenty min working that thing into her throat.
But fair enough i have bigger mice i can get her to try and eat.
i will have to check the temps when i get home i can say it is atleast 80 on the cool side since that is the temp of my aprt. hot side we have 100 watt heat lamp and the ground is about 8-10 inches from the bulb

Lankyrob · 04-10-13, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarissaREVV

She could barely swallow that fuzzie how is she going to eat something double that size. she spent twenty min working that thing into her throat.
But fair enough i have bigger mice i can get her to try and eat.
i will have to check the temps when i get home i can say it is atleast 80 on the cool side since that is the temp of my aprt. hot side we have 100 watt heat lamp and the ground is about 8-10 inches from the bulb

So you dont know the temps? What is the thermostat set at? And what is the humidity?

I will see if i have a picture of my ball eating to show the size difference.

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 06:36 AM

not the exact temps i do have a temp probe we usually use for the frogs tanks. what ever the humidity level in the apartment is at is what the cage is going to be at so it isnt going to be high at all . i can move the water bowl under the heat lamp to increase the humididty though.

Lankyrob · 04-10-13, 06:47 AM

Not great pic but is the only one i can find

Lankyrob · 04-10-13, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarissaREVV

not the exact temps i do have a temp probe we usually use for the frogs tanks. what ever the humidity level in the apartment is at is what the cage is going to be at so it isnt going to be high at all . i can move the water bowl under the heat lamp to increase the humididty though.

The humidity NEEDS to be a minimum of 55% and really should be over 60% and 75% during sheds. The hot end temp should be 91-95f and cool end no lower than 78.

Without the proper conditions being met consistently, including feeding propeer sized prey the snake will suffer.

Are the two kept in the same enclosure?

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 07:22 AM

yes they are kept in the same enclousure. Jenhifer got more active once kyle got in there. they are almost inseperable. nothing i ever read before i got her said that they needed large amounts of humididty, well heat side and cool side should be at correct temperatures like i said we keep the aprt around 80 since we recieve everyone elses heat below us. and the heat lamp is intended for desert animals so the temp is about 120 i do believe two inches from the source then drops to about 95-100 six to seven inches away which should but gound level 90-95 the ground is actually pretty warm to the touch. we will mist the cage more and move the water bowl to the hot side so we can keep the humidity up.
curious why would kyle be just fine in the same conditions but jenifer having all of these issues

CarissaREVV · 04-10-13, 07:41 AM

do you have any of the snake straightend out so i can get a better judge of the size