Need help python may be sick! - Page 3

Kmef07 · 03-02-09, 11:12 AM

After you get everything under control you will need something better than cling wrap to put over the top of that screen. There are many ways to do it one is to get a piece of plexiglas and put that over most of the top right up to the heat lamp.

i would also suggest a ceramic heat emitter instead of a heat lamp. i need a ton of humidity in my tank and i found the ceramic HE was a lot better at keeping that up than the heat lamps were.

I also built a wooden box over my enclosure it took like 15 mins and it was easy then i put a towel over the top of that. and drilled some holes in the box so it would move air really well. the holes need to be towards the top on one end and towards the bottom on the other for it to cycle air into the tank. The box is a more attractive and better solution than just putting on a damp towel. also the box is tall enough for me to put the dome lights under it and it keeps the heat up a lot better. i tried the towel and i was having to mist the towel every day.

I don't think that anyone here has mentioned the actually ideal ambient air temp your cage should be at and unfortunately im not a bp expert but there are a ton of care sheets out there for them and it will tell you what you need the temps to be at.

Good luck!!!!

mykee · 03-02-09, 03:12 PM

Ok; I'm with Julian definitely. Stop feeeding your ball python. I would imagine (and this is only an educated guess because I've never seen anything like it before) but I think the snakes problem might be, and please other forum members correct me if I'm wrong here, but it looks to me like all of the food that was in the snakes belly over a few weeks at least has cooked itself because of the far too high temps. You'll definitely need to stop feeding, and soak your ball python in Pedialyte to stop dehydration. You can re-use the unabsorbed/drank liquid. Soak for 10-15 minutes a day in a seperate tub. Room temperature (clear) Pedialyte will relpenish the electrolytes that give it (despite it's extended abdomen) it's dehydrated look. Get your husbandry correct, and palpate the belly to feel if it feels hard or pliable. If it is hard, you may have any issue with the rotted food inside.
Not sure what other advice I can give you aside from pray.

butters5620 · 03-02-09, 05:07 PM

Wow I am so confused right now... I just don't know what to do! There isn't a single herpetologist in my city and the closest one's are many miles away in like boise and pocatello. Getting my snake to a herpetologist just doesn't seem like a possibility at this point. I have the snake in the bathtub right now. I put in just enough warm water to keep him submerged and able to poke his head out of the water without being too uncomfortable. I put an extra dish of water in his cage and placed the hot UTH under the bowl. that and the damp towel is changing the humidity greatly and I can feel that its warmer and damper when I put my hand inside the cage. I'm going to pick up some stuff at PetSmart today but I'm really not sure what to get now besides a hygrometer, moss, and another hide. If I can relieve the constipation I'm sure he would be a lot more comfortable. Last time I cleaned his cage there were a few green and white poops and a big brown one so he doesn't seem to have a lot of trouble pooping although i'm sure he's constipated at the moment. And I have the shed off now. Since I started raising the humidity, it came off just fine. I'm not sure what else to say right now except for that I'm doing my best and keep the comments coming! I'll try and keep you updated
OH and one more thing, and where do I find this pedialyte stuff?

butters5620 · 03-02-09, 05:18 PM

GOOD NEWS!!! I just took my snake out of the tub and I noticed a very small amount of poo near the end. I palpated his near his/her tail (I've never quite figured out if its male or femal btw haha) and he urinated. I continued to palpate and he pooped a little haha. It was a good sized ball of white and brown poo but I'm very sure it has relieved some of his discomfort. I will continue soaking for the next couple of days and get some of that Pedialyte to make sure he stays hydrated! But ya I will stop feeding him until he starts to look more healthy and I get the proper temperature and humidity in his cage. Thanks so much for the soaking suggestion!!!!

**Aaron_S** · 03-02-09, 06:08 PM

Get the thermometer. Who cares what you feel with your hand! Technically just because you 'feel' more humidity that could mean it's been raised by 5 - 10% and still not be where it's supposed to be! Please please check the temperatures and humidity properly as suggested.

Kmef07 · 03-02-09, 06:26 PM

hey by the way make sure the bath water is not too hot. we just had a long thread about our hot compared to a reptiles hot. make sure you are checking the water temp with a thermometer first. im sure chu and aaron will second this thought.

citysnakes · 03-02-09, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmef07

you will need something better than cling wrap to put over the top of that screen.

cling wrap actually works very well and is extremely convenient. simply wrapping up the screen widthwise, multiple times from one end to the other or up until the heat lamp, allowed my tanks to retain lots of moisture within the air. i never had issues with humidity and my snakes rarely experienced bad sheds.

butters5620, if you are to get anything get two thermometers and forget about the hygrometer for now. you first need to find out the exact temperature of that heat pad because you may be cooking your snake. i would even unplug the heat pad until you get the thermometer to measure its temperature. use the other thermometer to measure the air temperature within the tank. you may need a heat lamp if the air temperature is too cool.

also i dont know who suggested taking your snake to a herpetologist but a good reptile vet may help...

mykee · 03-02-09, 09:07 PM

Everyone in this forum is a herpetologist. I'm guessing no one is a vet.
Butters; you've gotten a LOT of info over the last two days. Here is a list of what you'll need to pick up when you out.
1. Paper towels to use as a substrate.
2. A hygrometer for measuring humidity
3. A proper thermometer for measuring temperature (many times, you can find a combo hygrometer/thermometer in one unit).
4. A dimmer or thermostat for your UTH (this is a MUST)
5. Pedialyte

butters5620 · 03-02-09, 10:22 PM

That's what I meant when I said herpetologist. I thought they were the same thing. But no unfortunately I can't find any reptile vets nearby and I have no way of getting to the ones that are over 200 miles away! The local vets are all farm, dog and cat vets so that one is out of the question. Besides, the snakes $80 and the vet could be well over that for meds and whatnot. So I think its safe to say there is no way I would be able to convince my dad to take him to a vet. At least that is the speech that he gave me. Trust me I would love to take him to a vet and if I did I probably wouldn't have ever visited this website! As for the supplies, I got a hygrometer and one digital thermometer. Also, I got him another hide and some moss to wet when he sheds (if he makes it that far

). I couldnt convince my dad to buy the dimmer or the pedialyte. He's owned snakes before and thought it would be rediculous to get them (shows what he knows!). Oh well if the snake dies he better know he's getting me a new one! Well enough of that, let's get to the temperatures and humdity of his cage. The humidity is currently a little over 80

. As for temps, the glass right over the UTH reads 102*F!!! But above the cloth and aspen it reads 90*F (where the snake sits). The overall temperature in the cage is only 76*F

which is too low isn't it? My dad and I are going to build a top for the cage out of wood hopefully this week but until that I have covered the screen top with a damp towel to keep in humidity and heat. It brought up the humidity and is slowly increasing temperature. Oh and I still don't know what this pedialyte stuff is or where to get it, maybe you could explain it a bit more. So keep posting!

Chu'Wuti · 03-03-09, 03:28 AM

Hi, Jordan! You're doing a great job of keeping us posted. You're correct that your ambient temp is too low. I'm wondering--is the enclosure located near a window or in a cold room? (Of course, you are in Idaho!) If you can move the enclosure to a warmer spot in the room, that might help with the ambient temp problem.

Get some newspaper or several layers of paper toweling (say 1/4" thick) and put over the UTH to ensure a layer of insulation between the snake and the UTH. You can put the aspen & cloth over that; the main thing is that if the snake moves the aspen shavings around enough that he gets close to the UTH, he won't cook with more insulation there to protect him. (or her).

Good work on bringing the humidity up.

Pedialyte is a clear liquid that helps improve electrolyte (minerals) balance in a creature that's ill. It's generally used when infants or children (or elderly people) have diarrhea, but if Mykee says it will help your snake, then you might as well try it. If an animal's electrolyte balance gets out of whack, its cells can't maintain the proper fluid levels, so by maintaining a good electrolyte balance, you'll help the snake stay hydrated throughout its body, which may help save its life.

Pedialyte comes in a transparent plastic bottle; you can get it at WalMart or Target or a drugstore. First go to the official pedialyte website (pedialyte.com) and you can get a coupon. I just googled pedialyte and a link for the website popped up; when I clicked on the website, they offered a $1.50 coupon that can be printed. When you go to the store, just ask a clerk where in the store you can find it (it'll probably be in the pharmacy section somewhere).

A herpetologist is a person who studies reptiles and amphibians. You are a herpetologist in the way Mykee is defining it, as he's allowing a broad definition that includes all us amateurs who keep snakes, though technically it is generally applied to someone who is studying these animals professionally.

I can't think of anything else at the moment. Hang in there--we're all praying that your snake gets better!

butters5620 · 03-03-09, 08:30 AM

Okay I'm going to go get some pedialyte today but a quick question first. How do I give it to the snake? Do I submerge him in it? Do I somehow make him drink it? Do I add it to a solution of water and soak him in it? Do I add water and make him drink it? Or will he absorb the electrolytes through his skin? And if I need to make him drink it, what is the best way? because I know even humans hate the taste of pedialyte haha. Oh wait forget about flavor they have an unflavored kind. But I still need those other questions answered!

**Aaron_S** · 03-03-09, 09:50 AM

Don't buy a flavoured version of pedialyte. If you go back and actually read Mykee's post you'll see that he has outlined how to use it.

The thing about aspen is that it's a loose substrate. Meaning that the snake will easily burrow or by simply moving around it will get itself down to the glass part of the enclosure. Meaning that the snake can EASILY get to that 102F glass.

mykee · 03-03-09, 10:47 AM

Quote:

"the snakes $80 and the vet could be well over that for meds and whatnot."

Dude, that was the wrong thing to say!

butters5620 · 03-03-09, 06:03 PM

Hey I have the snake soaking in Pedialyte right now. I dont like to stress him like this but, you know, whatever keeps him alive. He hasn't pooped since yesterday but after soaking him in Pedialyte for the next couple of days I am going to go back to soaking him in warm water to try and solve the constipation problem. I also have some good news/bad news. Good news: I searched the internet and found the number for the Twin Falls Animal Clinic. I called them and talked to the doctor and he says he should be able to diagnose the problem if I bring the snake in for a visit. Bad News: A visit is $36 dollars and my dad told me he wasn't paying for a doctor to tell me stuff I might already know. I'm going to see if my grandma can put some money into my debit account to pay for the visit if he doesn't look any better by next week. Regular News: I have spring break starting the 14th so after next week I will be able to give my snake full attention for that week of spring break. Oh and Mykee, I appreciate your help and advice and its helping a lot but don't be going all Snake-Hippee on me. I am doing all that I can right now and I'm not just gonna throw in the towel because I'm strapped for cash! I've just gotta work with what I've got and right now. So I'm going to try and get caught up with all the good suggestions by getting the new cage top built outta wood (gonna build a heat lamp into it!). Meanwhile you guys keep up with all the great advice and I will have more pictures to compare this weekend!

Wolfus_305 · 03-03-09, 09:23 PM

Looks like you've gotten great advice!
Glad to hear that it's getting better, slowly, but still!
Kenny