Someone please help me

[roguepanthalilly]

I have a 3 year old male carpet python that was sold to me from a pet store. Whne I got him he looked healthy and natually snappy as most young males 8 have had before.

However I have had him now near on 6 months and he has not once fed. Where my female (same breeder/pet shop) has fed excessantly.

Yesterday I pupled him out because I had not seen him as active as usual and notice that he has dropped weight terribly within days, and he is not flicking his tongue and seems very lathargic.

I have taken him to mcgregor vets (apparently a herp vet in bunbury) who assured me thaT he would call me back once he had done some research? I have not heard back from him and my male has yet again refused food and is still not flicking his tongue.

I feel let down by the vet and terrified for my boy. I don't know what to do or who to turn to. I am quite distressed as the pet shop owner will not help me either.

 

[thals]

Are there any other symptoms, apart from not eating and the weight loss, that you've noticed with him?

Is he wheezy?
Have you noticed any mites (they look like small black dots) on him or in the enclosure?
What are the enclosure temps like on both hot and cool sides?

I'd recommend ensuring his heat is up at around 34 degrees minimum, leaving handling to bare minimum to reduce any extra stress on him and to ring the vet you saw and ask what's going on.

Not sure exactly where in WA you're located, but I can recommend a good vet in Balcatta (think that's roughly 2 hours from Bunbury) if you'd prefer to see someone else. Here are his details:

Dr James Haberfield - Balcatta Veterinary Hospital,
59 Erindale Road,
Balcatta WA 6021
Phone 08 9345 4644

Hope this helps. Let us know how you go and all the best with your boy

Cheers,
Thals.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

First thoughts for me would be potential RI - often a slow-moving infection that initially causes a lack of appetite, odd uncomfortable-looking coiling, weight-loss and a reluctance to flick the tongue. It is often accompanied by infectious stomatitis (mothrot or canker). Expert veterinary advice would be called for in this instance I think, and probably a start on a suitable antibiotic even before path results are returned.

Jamie

 

[roguepanthalilly]

Hey guys, his ambient temperature is around the 32-33 mark, he doesn't seem to be wheezy or mucusy, and I cannot see any mites in the tank, he is with my female and she is perfectly healthy with no troubles eating. Do you recommend that I separate them? I keep them together because he seemed ro be stressed when I seperated them. I will call my vet back, if I dont get a good response I will call the vet in balcatta and go and see him on Monday.

 

[sd1981]

Hey guys, his ambient temperature is around the 32-33 mark, he doesn't seem to be wheezy or mucusy, and I cannot see any mites in the tank, he is with my female and she is perfectly healthy with no troubles eating. Do you recommend that I separate them? I keep them together because he seemed ro be stressed when I seperated them. I will call my vet back, if I dont get a good response I will call the vet in balcatta and go and see him on Monday.

I would personally separate the two, placing the male into a smaller tub with plenty of hides and a good heat gradient, and give it a week and then try feeding it and leaving it in privacy to eat... What was it feeding on before you got it?

 

[roguepanthalilly]

Apparently baby chickens but I tried that many times, along with different sized rats, mice, quails you name it I have tried it.... apparently the pet shop owber had fed him a whole rat before but I doubt it seeing he was small for his age and brees in the first place and seems intimidated by anything bigger then my palm. I will try and seperate them and I will retry the vet when I can.

 

[Von.Bombe]

I can't help but I hope he is okay!!

 

[shamat]

Have you tried assist feeding?
Has he shed at all in the time you've had him?

Hopefully you get a good result from the vet.
Personally I'd separate him to a smaller enclosure away from any "traffic", as mentioned earlier and crank the heat to at leat 34 deg.

We has a similar issue that turned out to be RI. A course of antibiotics and regular vaporization fixed that.