Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everybody, I'm Josh from Jacksonville Florida. Have a few snakes, Ball Python (King), Dark brown red tail (Dusa), and a new burmese baby, unnamed at this point. He is the main reason I am posting instead of just lurking. I purchased him on Friday the 24th, from a Pet Supermarket here in Orange Park. He was/is dehydrated bad, all of his skin was loose. I soaked him a few times, and he has drank each time.

The pet store that I purchase my rodents from has a guy that is pretty knowledgeable. While I was in there purchasing him his first meal, he noticed that the snake wasn't moving at all. He asked if it was sick acting in the pet store I got him from. He also stated the snake is smaller than even a newborn burm, and the pet supermarket claims to have had him for 2 months, feeding him pinkies every week. When I hold the snake over 1 finger, he doesn't try to move his back end to get comfortable. When he is out of the cage he rarely moves. Inside the cage he doesn't move. He finds a comfortable spot, and stays there until I move him again. I put him into his water dish this morning and he hasn't moved in 12 hours.

The people at Pet Supermarket, where I purchased him, said that he was an aggressive feeder, and that they never had problems with him eating. Going along with what I've heard about burms, I bought him. I purchased a small mouse, and offered it to him 3 diff times. Twice during the day, and once late in the night after all the lights were out. He kept refusing, so thinking it might be the mouse, I bought a pinkie. After refusing that twice, I finally took him to Adam at Pet World (knowledgeable herper) to have him force fed. He spit it out twice, and after getting it all the way down, he has accepted it.

Now when I purchased him, he was skinny as could be, and flappy skin. It has been a week since I got him, he's looking a little more plump, but still skinny. I just saw a picture of a burm baby on someones hand, and I have big hands, but he is no where near the size of a new born. I am a little worried about him. Adam said I should attempt to get my money back, but Pet Supermarket isn't wanting to do it. I've thought about getting the store credit and getting them to order me a new one, but I just can't give up on this little guy.

My questions, if you have made it this far.. Does anyone have any experience with a malnourished and dehydrated burm baby? Has he come through? Will he ever accept food without being force fed? Should I give him back and try a better quality snake? How should he be acting? When will I be in the clear with him if I decide to keep him, which I will probably end up doing?

I have been down this road with my red tail, and an afrock. My red tail has come through, and is striving. The afrock made it through the sickness til he was around 8-9 months old. He then began refusing meals, after 3 of them, he regurged his final meal. A week later he passed on. I thought he was doing good, which is why I am curious if the burm will make it through. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Josh

Hi Josh, welcome to the forum.

I can understand you getting attached to the little fella, I've got too big of heart myself. But let's face it, we can't rescue/save 'em all. You wanted a healthy burm, it doesn't sound like that burm is healthy. Far from it.

Spare yourself the agony and return it, even if you have to take store credit and spend that credit on dog food for the rest of the year.

I would review that store's animal return policy like a seasoned lawyer and fight 'em tooth & nail. I'll stop short of saying they're lying about it having eaten 3 pinkies on it's own, but I surely don't see how it's possible given the condition you described.

I wish I had some experience with long term problem feeders so I could help you make an informed decision, but I don't. I've always started with healthy animals. Life's hard enough as it is.

I've got 5 baby burms that hatched on Father's Day (June), they're my first clutch, ever. 3 have always eaten without a problem, 1 (labyrinth) was smaller and sickly looking and wouldn't eat. I force-fed her after about 1 1/2 months of not eating on her own because I felt her condition was getting borderline. She ate a pinkie on her own 3 weeks later and she seems to be doing good. She was always active, though, just not quite as active as the others.

My favorite of the clutch is an albino that was healthy but has refused to eat & now she's thin, with loose skin. I just force-fed her tonight. That's the extent of my problem feeder experience. Sorry it's not much help to ya as far as long term.

I'll say this, though; I could've sold the labyrinth one a few times already if I wanted to, but my concious wouldn't let me, even if I decided I wanted to get rid of her & not keep her for myself. The Ma & Pa pet shop I deal with would've pulled that burm you've got & kept it in a backroom while nursing it back to good health before selling it. Do you see what I'm getting at?

Wipe your hands with the place you got that burm from as quickly & cleanly as possible. That's what I suggest.

Yeah, the lil' guy could fine from this point on, but then again, you could baby it for a year or more and it never reach a healthy status and/or die. Once emotions come into play like they have already with you, it's a tough decision and one that you ultimately have to make on your own. See, I'm not emotionally tied to to the lil' rascal so it's easy for me to just sit here & say get your money back for it.

I wish you the best with whatever you decide.

Hang in there!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

I agree with happy hillbilly. Try to get your money back on him. You really don't want a bad experience with your first burm.

If you do decide to keep him, the first thing you need to do is get more food down him. I would feed a pinky rat every 3 days to get some weight on him, even if you have to force feed him. One pinky a week is not enough, especially if he is smaller than a hatchling.

We had a clutch of burms this year and some refused to eat. We had to force feed them until they figured out eating was good for them. Now they all eat frozen/thawed weanlings no problem.

Good luck and keep us posted.
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

He is starting to come around. I have noticed him urinate twice. We have also moved up to small mice in the feedings. He still won't take them on his own, he prefers cuddling over eating unfortunately. He has been a lot more active, moving to 4-6 diff spots in his cage each day. Not as active as our ball or rtb, but still getting there. He has small folds on his skin still from being dehydrated I am assuming. I'm just praying for him to surprise me with some aggression or something to get him to start eating on his own. It's been 4 force feedings so far, 3-4 days apart. He is getting stronger, fighting more during the feedings.

His cage temp stays at 90 under the light, on the end with his water dish, and 86 on the end with his hide box. Should I move this around, hide on the warm end? I am using this way since the cage is only 10 gals and my humidity in my bedroom stays low, I like a refrigerator I've been handling him the day before his feedings, letting him roam for a few hours.

Here are some pictures of them.

He's not real big.. Only 22 inches at 3 months old, a lil stunted?

See the skin folds? Is this normal for burms or is he still dehydrated?

Dusa, my rtb... ready to strike something. Nasty lil temperament.

Dusa's profile Smile

My fiances ball King. Laid back

My fiance and I