Very sick Olive Python hatchling :( any ideas?

[Sarita]

Hi Everyone

I have not posted much on here but was hoping if any of you have ever come across a similar or same problems we have had with our Olive python.

We got our little girl in April last year and she has never eaten for us ever. We send her back to the breeder once and they said she ate 5 times over a period of six weeks and that is was an environmentla problem that we had to fix, We changed the enclosure set up 4 times and still no luck with getting her feeding. She has just turned one yr old and has not eaten for 5 1/2 months now (since she came back from breeder) and only eated a total of 12 times in her whole life.

We took her to the vet a couple of times just to be checked out and they said as she was a hatchling we needed to get her feeding however her body condition was still looking good, so we took her home tried again for another two weeks with no reponse she crawls on the food and curls up around your wrist.

Then I checked her in the morning as I do everyday and she had a huge selling around 5cm long at her rear end so I took her to the vet staright away she ended up having a coacal infection and had surgery done that day. The vet kept her for 2 weeks and gave her meds, etc. We got her back and had to keep up on the injections every day for a week, we took her back for a check up once they had finished and she needed another clean out,

She than stopped drinking and now we are injecting her every second day with fluids and giving betadine baths everyday but she is still dehydrated. Our vet at lose of what was wrong after her blood tests and fecal test came back healthy refered us to Rob at penrith who was also at a lose and has only suggested it is either organ failure or possible a spinal defect from birth but she is an extremely od case and now we can only ride it out. She is so full of life and soooooo gentle after all the poking and proding she has had done she not once bit us.

Hs anyone got any ideas as at moment she is being tube fed with a mix of Hills dog food and something else so her is getting nutrients.

We know she will never grow to a large size, she will be a midget but we dont care as we love her so much as she has the most perfect personality. We just want her healthy and to live a happy life.

Any suggestions. Oh and I appologise that this is so long I have cut out most info but these are the main concerns.

Cheers

 

[shane14]

That is a sad story... I hope you can help her feed.

 

[andyscott]

So while you a force feeding her, is she pooping, shedding and growing fine?
If so, see if you can get some day old quail.

Its a long shot but more than worth a try.
As long as its just a food issue and not an internal problem.
She should smash a quail.

 

[Scleropages]

Even tho she hasen't eaten much in the first year she will still grow to a big size once she starts eating , deff try the day old quails or finchs etc , most birds should work

 

[disasterpiece7.0]

Perhaps some more information about the exact conditions she's being kept in?

 

[Sarita]

No, she is not going to the toilet at all on her own every alternate day to the fluid injections we have to force her to go to the toilet and clean her out other wise she swells again. She has not shed for nine montns and is still the size she was the day we got her which is around 80cm and is only 65grams in weight so she is tiny still due to these problems. The vet is pretty much 100% on it being organ failure and it hopeing it is the liver as aposed to the kidneys as the liver can regenerate itself.

ATM she is in a plastic systema contaner on a heat mat sitting at 30-35c in the hot end with paper towel as substrate but was originally in a glass enclosure 61cm x 61cm x 45cm running on a heat lamp with whole sett up with fake rocks, backgrounds, aspen as substrate, with vines, etc and loved it in there but she was to hard to monitor her health in there while she is like this and not going to toilet.

 

[tenacres1100]

did YOU ever see her eat on her own?

 

[Sarita]

No thats what my concern is she was purchased from snake ranch and came with her feed card and when we sent her back for help they kept her for 6 weeks and said she fed the first day or being back which annoyed me, Thats why originally we thought it was us however the vet has assured us these problmes can not be caused by her housing or husbandry. I assume Snake Ranch is very well respected for there breeding and I have never heard any negative thoughts about them, thats why we decided to purchase her from them

 

[tenacres1100]

ok, have you contacted them again, as you say, you now have the vets backing that its not your setup I would ring them asap before it's to late, they may be able to help you.

 

[Sarita]

I have attached the only image I have of her old enclosure but it is only one side as I am at work and dont have any others she is in the photo as well

 

[CodeRed]

No thats what my concern is she was purchased from snake ranch and came with her feed card and when we sent her back for help they kept her for 6 weeks and said she fed the first day or being back which annoyed me, Thats why originally we thought it was us however the vet has assured us these problmes can not be caused by her housing or husbandry. I assume Snake Ranch is very well respected for there breeding and I have never heard any negative thoughts about them, thats why we decided to purchase her from them

If it fed straight away for the snake ranch then I would suspect something wrong at your end. Can you describe your enclosure and your feeding method in detail. It's very easy to inadvertantly intimidate a small snake and cause it not to eat.

 

[Sarita]

I have emailed them just today to give the the heads up on whats going on but I very much dobt they will help as they didn't want to help anymore they said they were at a lose as to how they could help any more all they have offered it to either refund her or swap for another snake which is all well and good but we love this little one you dont go buy a dog and then swap it cause you dont like to colour she is our baby if you know what I mean, and all they will do is put her down.

 

[tenacres1100]

It could be either temps or the food, what temp have you keep her? What food and how was is prepared? was is the same food and size as the breeder feed her? It seems very strange to me that she ate the next day for the breeder and again 5 times but again never for you?

 

[Sarita]

The whole feeding the same day stet of an alarm at our end saying it was us but the vet has assured us its a health concern otherwise she would be going to the toilet, etc on her own and would not be so dehydrated, etc

When we would offer food to her we would offer with tongs in the dark and stay really low not to startle her, and she does not run away she comes up to it sniffs it and they curls up the tongs and they onto our hand or out of the enclosure. We have tried fussy mice (which is what snake ranch had her on) pinkies (mice and rats) and fuzzy rats. her brained they and offered normally always head first and we also tried scenting with a day old chick.

 

[Sarita]

Sorry I forgot to tell you we thaw the food forapprox 40mins in a freezer back in cold water and then in warm water for approx 5mins before offering so it is warm and not wet

 

[tenacres1100]

I have emailed them just today to give the the heads up on whats going on but I very much dobt they will help as they didn't want to help anymore they said they were at a lose as to how they could help any more all they have offered it to either refund her or swap for another snake which is all well and good but we love this little one you dont go buy a dog and then swap it cause you dont like to colour she is our baby if you know what I mean, and all they will do is put her down.

I'm glad to hear that, at least they are listerning to you and have offered to swap or refund your money, I do know how you feel you get very attached to them. Is there anyone close to you that keeps pythons that could come and look at what your doing it maybe something simple that is being missed, like the temp the mouse is when you feed it, how you feed it, ect

 

[Sarita]

Nope no one we know at all some of our friend and fam wont even come into the house as they are pertrified of her, they have this thing in there head she is going to escape while they are there and stragghle them to death. patetic I know but no one we know has ever had an interest in them. I did offer for snake ranch to come in the house and check it all out but they only wanted to pick her up in the city which is where I work as it was close to the air port for them, which I though was a bit slack as they were telling what to do and I would email pics of what I had done, changes, etc and they would say yep all looks great now so she will be fine but then when I gave them the invite to check it out in person they did not want to of it was too much of an inconveinience

 

[tenacres1100]

yes, but they are a business and I don't think many would come out to your home to see you, they wouldn't have time Has the vet tried assist feeding her, where they just open her mouth and carefully place a pinky just in so she'll bites it?

 

[Sarita]

Not yet I think thats the plan this week they didnt want to do anything other than tube feed while doing test for salmomella etc which all cam beck negative thank god. She is at vet today being check out while Im at work and Ill pick her up on my way home so will find out the plan this arvo around 5.30 so hopefully we can do that soon.

 

[burley180789]

Thats so sad...
We just had one of our turtles put down about 3 weeks ago, and he had a random mystery illness that the vets couldnt work otu at all.he would be good one day and then hed go all limp the next,wouldnt eat,couldnt do anything, so i understand how frustrating it is to be trying to fix your pet from an illness that nobody can work out....
Hang in there.... It'll be worth it in the long run i hope...