The past two feedings my ball python threw up his food. I give him 1 live mouse hopper a week. He is 3 months old. He has gotten very skinny but seems to be active. Any ideas?
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Help with my Ball Python
jeff6898
Oct 26, 2010 08:24 PM
Replies (3)
Sonya
Oct 27, 2010 09:55 AM
>>The past two feedings my ball python threw up his food. I give him 1 live mouse hopper a week. He is 3 months old. He has gotten very skinny but seems to be active. Any ideas?
If it were me I would hold off feeding him for two full weeks. No handling him either. Be sure he has water and hides. CHECK all his temps. Regurg out of the blue can often be a temperature change....especially in the fall with lower outside temps. ALSO, make sure his temps are TOO high. I think many people err on the side of too hot, which is deadly and can also lead to regurging.
Clean his cage while you are checking everything else. Then let him rest and rebuild his stomach acids. Then try something a bit smaller than what he has been taking.
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Sonya
I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny
po
Oct 27, 2010 11:47 AM
if this snake has lost wt in 2 weeks, it is time for a vet visit!
double check your husbandry, but a snake that has lost wt in 2 weeks time there is something BAD going on!
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Kelly_Haller
Oct 27, 2010 08:17 PM
Ball pythons have evolved in an environment that is fairly variable with regards to relatively large temperature and humidity changes over short time periods. They are therefore fairly hardy and resistant to environmental conditions that would more significantly stress other python species. It is therefore fairly rare to see regurgitations in Ball pythons caused by husbandry errors unless the variance in those parameters is fairly large. What is much more common is this condition caused by an enteric bacterial infection, especially in imported specimens. If this is the case, oral antibiotics such as Cipro are the best bet.
How many times has this python held a meal down and what is the cage setup you are using? I'm a little concerned that you say it is active, as it should be pretty inactive during the day. Re-check temps as Sonya mentioned and don't wait too long before a vet visit if necessary. As po stated, a large weight loss in a short period of time with a Ball python this young is fairly serious.
Kelly
