My ball python has worms from a frozen rat. What should I do?

Thanks for reaching out about your ball python. Seems like your husbandry is good. Intestinal parasites are common in snakes, more prominent in recent acquisitions. A fecal examination by a veterinarian is probably the first idea. Metabolic disorders or systemic infections are other possibilities. Good luck.

You may want to consider a follow up appointment with your veterinarian to make sure there are no signs of continued infection such as respiratory disease. Also verify that your temperature and humidity are appropriate. My favorite resource for this is www.anapsid.org Sometimes force feeding with a pinkie may stimulate him to start eating. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

If they were refrigerated, it may not cause any harm. The concern is them eating rotting prey. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, loose droppings or regurgitation. You may end up taking them to your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles for exams and supportive care if they develop any of the symptoms mentioned above.

Thank you for reaching out about your ball python - she is really cute! There are a few things you can try/check for the appetite. Often times, when we are seeing issues with appetite, the first thing we try to do is check the husbandry and ensure that it is as perfect as it can be. Sometimes in between seasons the temperatures can get off in the enclosure, and I would recommend checking that first. Also, the humidity can affect the shedding intervals, in addition to the temperature. I would recommend evaluating the temperatures in the enclosure with digital thermometers to ensure that they are appropriate. Also, based on how she looks in the photos, she appears to be in fair body condition, so she may also be regulating herself as far as her weight/appetite goes. This would be a bit of an exception for a ball python, as most of them will overeat and become overweight. But, there are exceptions to the rule and maybe she is one of them! For the prey items - I like that you are using a separate container, and that you are warming the prey items in warm water. Please ensure that the water gets them to body temperature for rodents, which is around 100-102F. Often snakes will eat prey items that are cooler than that, but if a snake is being picky I try to encourage owners to get them measure the temperature to ensure it is warm enough. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and if she doesn't eat despite all of these changes, I would recommend a veterinary visit for her!

I am sorry for the loss of your snakes. Ideally, Ivory should be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet, especially in light of your recent losses. The spots could indicate infection (bacterial, fungal or even a viral condition). It is difficult to make a detrmination by looking at an image. In the meantime, clean and sanitize all the enclosures, bowls, hides and tank furniture. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Wash your hands thoroughly between handling each snake. Confirm, again if necessary, proper environmental parameters. Low temps can lead to stress which may predispose a snake to infection or illness. High humidity can foster bacterial or fungal overgrowth. Consider using paper towels as substrate until the issue is resolved. Change them daily to maintain clean conditions.

Thanks for reaching out about Peanut. Intestinal parasites (including worms) are fairly common in aquatic turtles. The best thing to do would be to present him and some feces, to a veterinarian for examination and to run a fecal examination. Identification of the parasite will suggest a treatment plan. Some of the worms seen in the aquaria are not pathogenic and live/breed on detritus in the water, but is suggestive of non-ideal water quality. Good luck.

She is stunning. The best way to confirm good health is to have her examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. In the meantime, make sure she is active and alert. Look for missing scales or injury along the length of her body. Check in and around her mouth for discharge, redness or swelling. Offer appropriately sized prey. At her age, she is probably eating hopper or weanling mice depending on her weight. When feeding any reptile, it is important that the temperature is species appropriate. A cold snake will not eat. If you feed pre killed, be sure to completely thaw it and allow it to warm to at least room temp. Some owners choose to feed in a container other than the enclosure. A snake should not be handled after feeding to prevent regurgitation. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html