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Fostering and Caring For Sick Ball (Stupid pet owners!!!!)

Sirengarg

Sirengarg

Keeper of Iffy Creatures
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The other day the local animal control officer, a friend of mine, called me and asked me to foster a sick ball python for her. She explained the owner surrendered 2 ball pythons. They are near adult size, living in a 10 gallon tank together. Besides the cramped quarters, he complained neither were eating the extra large rats he gave them....so like any pet owner without any common sense, he left the rats in the 10 gallon tank with two ball pythons, for 2 MONTHS!!!!!!! Rats get hungry too...they began to attack and eat the snakes alive. One of them was in such bad shape, he was euthanized. The other, though in bad shape, the vet feels he can come through it. His face and tail are covered in wounds, his eyes are ok oddly enough. He has slight mouth rot. There are chunks of flesh out of his body that are healing nicely. The vet sent Baytril injections, as well as some critical care canned food. We force fed him and he did pretty well, but its a long road to recovery. When he is eating on his own again, he will be up for adoption at the local Humane Society.

His owner infuriates me to no end. :angry: I hate stupid people.

This is the only pic I took of him so far. I don't want to hassle him too much to take more detailed pics of his injuries just yet. We got him in our "quiet room", away from all the activity of the home and other pets. I don't see any mites on him, but that would be shocking if he didn't have those too.
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Thank you. We are doing the best we can. I've done rescue and rehab before, for domestic, exotic and wild animals. I know in dramatic cases like this, odds are stacked high against us and I remind myself there is a high possibility he won't make it. I alwas try and always fail not to get attached. It's tough not to, but when they do come through it, it makes it worth it. When they don't I know we gave them the best chance and at least when they do pass on, it's in a loving, caring, healthy environment.
 
i totally understand your situation. i live in a smaller town and when people get tired of their animals..they just stop taking care of them. i have rescued multiple balls out of cardboard boxes, from people trying to feed them hamburger and carrots, and even a 4 foot iguana in a 10 gallon aquarium being fed table scraps. people just make me sick sometimes.
 
UGH! I wish I could stick his owner in a cramped space with a butt load of rats and watch em eat him alive. Poor snake, thank god you are there to care for him. I know he will pull through, I've seen a lot worse. A friend found a plastic bag full of baby normal ball pythons last year almost behind the dumpster at her apt complex. Half were dead, the rest she cared for and they made a full recovery. The only reason she found em is cause she was walkin her dog and the dog started flippin out, so she checked out what he wanted to go see. We both spent a lot of sleepless nights with those snakes. Her calling me in the middle of the night for advice and questions etc. The remaining four are doing great though now!

I wish you the best of luck! Please keep us updated!
 
UPDATE!!!!!

Graphic images ahead:

Here he is a few weeks after we got him. You can see the scabs clearly on his head. His eyes appeared scratched. I wondered if he may have been blinded by rats bites. But two sheds later they have cleared up.
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Due to his breathing problems, he was unable to close his mouth.
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One of his many war wounds on his back
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Top of head, scabs peeling
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His tail
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More back scabs/wounds, most healing
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Jump to now...Its 1:43AM, I have pregnancy insomnia. I went to bed feeling all dead tired at 11PM. By 12 I decided, I wasn't going to be able to sleep cause I was damn near ready to trade my first born for some waffles. So I got up and made some instead (first born is safe and sound). After that I still couldn't sleep so I figured I'd check on the snakes. Looking for eggs (we currently have one clutch), and saw Scarface was acting pretty perky (for a snake), so I figured he was hungry. Its been over a week since we force fed him last and I thought for the hell of it, put him in the feeding bin and give him a hopper rat (young rat). Something that is non-aggressive and won't really fight back. At first he coiled back, afraid of it and stayed away. I was ready to give up when he suddenly became interested and inspected it before striking. I got excited but then put myself back in reality. Its not unheard of for a snake to strike and release, so I waited. He coiled and killed it and then began to eat it. NOW I was jumping up and down...and then I remembered I was pregnant and that didn't make my uterus feel too good so instead I took pictures.

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I then proceeded to inform my boyfriend of the success. I had to wake him up for that. Now he is sharing in my insomnia. Oops.
 
Ha he will be back to good health soon with the way u r taking care of him!!
MAD PROPS!!!

and My Girl woke me up all the time when she was prego and i couldnt go to sleep.... especially when it was close to her due date!
 
Haha that's so awesome!! I'm surprised he ate on his own so quickly!! Great story. His battle wounds put tears in my eyes...
 
WOW that poor guy looks to be in pretty bad shape.......it honestly churns my stomach to see people treat there pets like that and makes me want to go out on and old fashion bounty hunt to find them........WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE!
thank you for helping this poor guy and it is good to see that he is on his way to recovery in a loving home :)
 
Wow those pics are horrible! How people can be so dumb is beyond me! Looks like he is doing great now though! Congrats on getting him to eat on his own :thumbsup:
 
Well, he shed again and looks even more amazing. Hard to see most of his scars now. He has eaten several times, with gusto. This week we return him to the Humane Society to be placed up for adoption. :)
 
It's a wonderful thing you're doing. And you're absolutely right: even if they pass on, at least it's in a comfortable, healthy, loving environment. Can't ask for much more than that. :-]
 
Wow Luke, are you serious?? Poor burm.... I'd try to find a 50 gal tank for the snake. Its better than a guinea pig cage for now!!! I know that's her responsibility, but its better for the snake... Why don't you call game and fish on her?
 
Wow.... Just call animal control. Meet them there maybe they will turn the snake over to you after a vet check. That poor burm doesn't deserve that!
 
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