Regurgitation - now wont eat

[macka34]

I have a water python who won't eat.
I suspect when the thermostat failed, the temp keep climbing and he regurgertated his food - He has not eaten in 3 months.
He will strike his food, wrap around it, hold it then just let it go after a few minutes.

I have offered rats an mice of various sizes - He won't eat them.

He seems to be dehydarted an has sloughed 5 times in 3 months. I have increased humidity in his tank and checked for mites.

I soaked him one night and after this I noticed he had a clear stringy mucus which cleared up in 5 days after a course of antibiotics. (This was 2 weeks ago)

He is still active, he just won't eat.

He still won't eat - any ideas?
Prior to this he was a great eater.

 

[souldoubt]

To combat the dehydration I would give him a water bath twice daily, probably for 15-20 mins each time. That helped a lot with my jungle who had become dehydrated once. Some others on the site highly recommend powerade but I haven't tried that yet.

As for the feeding it sounds like a difficult one because he has still got a feeding response. It might be worthwhile braining, dipping the rat in egg yolk or scenting with a lizard.
the first question generally asked with non-feeders is what the temps in your enclosure are? the prey item hasnt been too hot when you've offered it has it? that could potentially turn him off of the food.

 

[macka34]

the food is never to hot i make sure of that
the tank temps are 28 set to drop to 26 over night
basking end is 31 during day

To combat the dehydration I would give him a water bath twice daily, probably for 15-20 mins each time. That helped a lot with my jungle who had become dehydrated once. Some others on the site highly recommend powerade but I haven't tried that yet.

I gave him a water bath once in "Recharge" it's used for greyhounds. That rehydrated him, but I have only done it the once. I will do it twice daily now.


I brained the food once but to be honest my stomach was not so good with that! :shock:

 

[souldoubt]

I'm aware that water pythons apparently do like a lower temp than most species, I dont keep water pythons myself but after doing a little more reading it seems to be common for people to have the temp at 33 degrees at the basking spot so I guess you could try up-ing the temp by a degree or 2 and see if that gets any results.
The other thing is that although you aren't cooling him, some adult snakes can off food over winter even when they arent cooled so it may just be his senses telling him not too feed at the moment and the timing of the regurgitation could just be a coincidence given that winter wouldn't have hit at that time. He isn't dropping much weight is he?


Braining does take a strong stomach, but you wont think anything of it after doing it a few times. The art of braining rats grows on you, kind of like your hair

Also the rapid shedding is interesting, reading through a reptile medicine book says that it can be related to nutritional imbalances, ecotparasites (but you've already checked for mites) and if he's kept in dirty conditions (that's by no means an insult) secondary infection can cause it. How old is he? is the enclosure cleaned regularly and water changed often?

 

[Crystal..Discus]

How often are you offering him food?

 

[macka34]

He isn't dropping much weight is he?
How old is he?
is the enclosure cleaned regularly
and water changed often?

He appeared to have dropped weight and looked dehydrated - lose skin. But once soaked in recharged he looked normal again.
He is nearly 2.
Twice a week water and enclosure is changed.
He is offered food every 2-3 weeks.

 

[serpenttongue]

I have a water python who won't eat.
I suspect when the thermostat failed, the temp keep climbing and he regurgertated his food - He has not eaten in 3 months.
He will strike his food, wrap around it, hold it then just let it go after a few minutes.

I have offered rats an mice of various sizes - He won't eat them.

He seems to be dehydarted an has sloughed 5 times in 3 months. I have increased humidity in his tank and checked for mites.

I soaked him one night and after this I noticed he had a clear stringy mucus which cleared up in 5 days after a course of antibiotics. (This was 2 weeks ago)

He is still active, he just won't eat.

He still won't eat - any ideas?
Prior to this he was a great eater.

Regurgitating once doesn't put a snake off from feeding. I would say that the time of year has a lot to do with your snakes behaviour. Even when kept at summer temps throughout winter, some snakes still seem to know it's winter and stop feeding. Sounds to me like the snake is in two minds - it's warm enough to elicit a grab in constrict the prey, yet it's not so sure about eating because of the time of year. I wouldn't bother feeding it until summer is here.

How does the snake seem dehydrated? For snakes, dehydration usually comes about from being kept too warm and dry. If your temps are correct and fresh water is supplied, then I doubt it is dehydrated.

Clear clingy mucus came from where, his mouth? This is common when a snake has been soaked, especially if it drank some of the water. They tend to dribble it back out mixed with their saliva (which can look like clear mucus at times) when handled after a soak.

If it were my snake, I wouldn't worry.

 

[souldoubt]

The non-feeding and mucous/saliva etc may not be cause for concern and it may not even be related to the excessive shedding (once every 2.5 weeks seems like a hell of a lot especially for a non feeding snake) and weight loss. Antibiotic treatment can also suppress the animals appetite but I doubt that would be the cause in this case, given the timing of both the start of its fasting period and when the antibiotics were given.

If it were my snake I'd be heading to the vet mainly due to the dropping weight and excessive shedding. I personally think its better to go on the side of caution as reptiles can become very ill shortly after clinical signs of illness appear, and snakes can usually maintain their weight for a long time - I would expect the weight difference to be insignificant after 3 months of fasting. Do you happen to have been weighing him lately? it would be good to see the actual weight loss if you've recorded it.

 

[macka34]

Thanks for the advice.
I don't know if he has lost weight or not, but looked like it - Then when soaked appeared to go back to normal size.
His skin looked like an 80yr old woman, after being soaked it sprung back to a 20yr olds.
I will be weighing him after this post.

 

[Tegstep]

Dehydrating in otherwise normal husbandry conditions could be a sign of metabolic or organ dysfunction, particually the kidneys.
Striking and coiling without consuming the food also would indicate to me nausea or pain.
This snake really needs to be checked out at a competant reptile vet. Send me a pm if you want some recommendations in your area.