Ball Python Issue

CarissaREVV · 04-09-13, 06:58 AM

My Ball ( Jennifer) has been losing muscle mass our something I have had her since Aug 2012 and she since day one has always been more on the squishy side if that makes any sence. and i noticed about two day ago she was not one smooth size all the the way through if i handt known better i would have said she had just eaten several tiny mice she is about a foot long and i can up load pictures later but i am worried i have tried soaking her and everything she gets fed about every two weeks and she i usally feed her about 5 pinkies in a weeks time. we are live feeding because i cannot get her to eat the dead pinkies and since we are breeding the mice our selves there is only so often i can actually feed her we also have a male ball (kyle) and he when we got him was solid build and still is he looks just as healthy as we got him and we got him in Jan 2013. is there something i am doing wrong with her or is there some other underlying issu that i am not aware of. lighting heating water and substrate conditions are just fine. If any one can help that would be much apreciated I am concerned about Jennifer. I dont want anything to happen to her. oh and i am feeding her and kyle again tomorrow now that the pinkies are big enough to be eaten.

Lankyrob · 04-09-13, 10:58 AM

Why would you feed mice? Once the snake is an adult it will need LOTS of mi e to fill it up, and mice pinkies aswell?

I would guess from the description she is underfed but will happily change that opinion once a photo is provided.

Switch them both to rats as soon as you can and feed a size that is slightly bigger than their girth.

KORBIN5895 · 04-09-13, 12:27 PM

I would say underfed and maybe malnutrition. If she could eat five pinkies she could probably eat a weaned or hopper easily. These would be much better nutritionally. Also every two weeks is not enough for that young of a snake. It should be fed weekly until you get her up to size.

bcr229 · 04-09-13, 12:42 PM

How old is your snake? We just got a female BP last week that was born in September 2012, and the breeder said that she's eating a small rat (not a rat pup, a rat) each week. She's almost two feet long. If you bought yours last August she should have been 5-6 months old, minimum, at that time since most breeders keep them until they've eaten a few times and shed once. Mouse pinkies would have been way too small even when you first got her.

CarissaREVV · 04-09-13, 01:07 PM

The snake is to small to eat rats other wise thats were we would be at. she use to never eat at all i would have to force feed her. I got her in aug as for her age i dont know my snake is barely a foot long and is about as wide as my thumb. i got her from a pet store so this my be my issue. I have no place remotly close to were i live to feed her live every week she doesnt eat five in one sitting she will eat about two and leave the others and a day or two latter i can get her to eat more. but from what i am hearing the food should be a bit bigger, i fed her and him last time the mice changing from pinkies to fuzzies. i use to feed her twice a week at first but then she went into shed for a while after that she became almost impossible to even force feed the dead pinkies she would just sit there with it in her throat and not swallow sometimes she would even jsut spit it back up. i guess for the time being i will have to go back to making her eat in between live feedings

CarissaREVV · 04-09-13, 01:11 PM

actually now that i look at picture she is a little wider then i originaly thought. I dont know if this matters at all but she has alway felt squishy i guess is the best word i can use to describe it. she has never felt like she has had any muscle from day one.

CarissaREVV · 04-09-13, 01:15 PM

How do you upload pictures on to this thing?

bcr229 · 04-09-13, 01:23 PM

Upload the pic to a site like photobucket.com first, and then use the "Insert Image" icon to past the URL of the pic into your reply.

Chris72 · 04-09-13, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarissaREVV

How do you upload pictures on to this thing?

Under the "submit Reply" button you have Additional Options. Scroll down a little and hit "Manage Attachments"

I am new to Pythons but have had lots of reptiles in the past. It sounds like the snake was underfed and or fed the wrong food item even before you had her!

Expert to comment please:
From my reading you want to feed rats to a ball python rather than a mouse as the nutritional values are not the same and a rat is better for that snake. (eg: rats have higher fat, etc.)

My male ball python was born October 2012 and is currently eating a medium rat pup weekly on Tuesdays. By Sunday night he is, what some would call, hunting around looking for something to eat. (ie-can’t sit still when I have him out)

You really need to take serious action on getting this animal healthy, or the problem is going to sort itself out in a bad way. If I were you I would take it to a vet ASAP. If you can't you might need to look at force feeding with small rats and / or a nutrient rich formula. (Need a python expert to chime in on that)

Fingers crossed for Jennifer!!

DeadlyDesires · 04-09-13, 02:08 PM

it sounds like the snake is underfed to me as well... you would be surprised what sizes of prey they can eat. i got my snake in Sep 2012 and he was around a foot in length and the girth of my thumb like you are describing and we started him out on hoppers then switch to adult mice a month later... he grew soo fast! he is now just over 3 ft long. something is not right yours isn't growing.

bcr229 · 04-09-13, 02:15 PM

Look on facebook for MD and northern VA reptile groups. You should be able to find someone there who can supply you with live mice regularly if you can't breed enough of your own.

Was Jennifer from a big box store like a Petco or PetSmart, or did she come from a smaller pet store? Unfortunately the big box stores can be hit-or-miss for reptiles, especially if the manager doesn't have a clue about them.

Chris72 · 04-09-13, 02:59 PM

Carissa,
I noticed that the original post says this:

"......and I am feeding her and kyle again tomorrow now that the pinkies are big enough to be eaten..."

Jennifer has not been healthy since she came home, clearly but has the feeding sched been dependant (in any way) on when the mouse pinkies are "big enough to be eaten"??

Also thought a little more about this:
"...The snake is too small to eat rats otherwise that’s were we would be at. ..."

Rats are available in all sizes. Typically I see:
Rat pinkies at 3 to 9 grams.
Rat fuzzies at 10 to 19 grams.
Rat pups at 20 to 29 grams.
Rat weanlings at 30 to 49 grams

(In contrasts to)

Mouse pinkies for sale are normally 1 to 2 grams

Now for context: My B.P born Oct 2012 , currently just over 2 feet long) has 5 more rat pups in the freezer until I switch him to weanlings. (Already have 12 in the freezer at home)

Do you have some place to buy small rats?...if so switch to those.

If Jennifer is only capable of downing a 1g-2g mouse pinky I think we need to make sure you know have a very serious situation on your hands. I suspect Jenifer was digesting her own body mass for nutrition (see: squishy snake) even before you bought her.

Is there a reptile club or rescue facility near you? I suspect you are already at the stage that you need an experienced hand to take over. If a vet (and his bills) are not an option for you then please consider seeking out the help of someone who will help for free.

Fingers crossed for Jennifer!!

Lankyrob · 04-09-13, 04:17 PM

For the first year of my bp's life i was feeding rats twice his grith every seven days.

What temps and humidity are you keeping it at and why did you forcefeed? How long did you wait before doing this?

Chris72 · 04-09-13, 05:21 PM

Carissa,

Bethesda is in Montgomery country right?

I just did a Google search for: "Montgomery county Maryland reptile club"

Second hit down has a giant list of phone numbers for various herp rescues. Just start calling and ask for help. Chances are even if the person on the other end cannot help you they can point you to someone who can.

I fear that the path you are on is going to be a short one for Jennifer.

For her age she should be around double her length (roughly) and should be near the diameter of a US silver dollar at her middle. (Roughly..Inch and a quarter to inch and a half)

Please understand you have a snake that is in very, veeeery bad condition and if not addressed soon you will not have that snake much longer.

The right person can make a massive change in condition. A (bird) breeder friend I worked with when I did breed birds took in a sick macaw that the local University sent home to die when it couldn’t stand....he nursed it back to health in a week!! Help is out there if you can’t do this yourself.

Good Luck.
C.

**Aaron_S** · 04-09-13, 05:43 PM

Can we see a picture? I'll respond with more information when that's done.

For now, you're underfeeding your snake.