What can I do...

[Outlaw]

I have an adult diamond python, for the last few weeks he has been extremely lethargic. I have come home several times to find him laying on the floor of his enclosure belly up.
He hasn't eaten in over a year but has always been a hard one to feed anyway. He doesn't seem to move too much anymore and appears slightly flatter than he should look.
He just recently shed and didn't even have the energy to crawl out of his old skin properly so I had to help him.

We don't have any reptile vets anywhere near where we live and would appreciate any advice on this.

 

[garycahill]

What temps are his enclosure kept at?
How often does he have access to UV?
Have you kept him with any other snakes in the last few months or so?

 

[Ramsayi]

No reptile vets in or around Penrith?

Robert Johnson
South Penrith Veterinary Clinic
126 Stafford Street
South Penrith, NSW 2750
Tel: 02 4721 4796
Web: South Penrith Veterinary Clinic - pet care and farm animal advice, products and answers to all your questions.

 

[toddy1964]

vet !

 

[Lonewolf]

theres a good one here at richmond if your interested in comeing this far

 

[Outlaw]

I'm at penrith anymore that's so much for posting up the vets details though, I will give them a call for advice tomorrow hopefully they can help over the phone.
Enclosures kept above 26, and he gets plenty of natural light during the day. Hasn't had contact with any other snakes or nearly 2 yrs.

 

[Outlaw]

I'm not at penrith anymore that's so much for posting up the vets details though, I will give them a call for advice tomorrow hopefully they can help over the phone.
Enclosures kept above 26, and he gets plenty of natural light during the day. Hasn't had contact with any other snakes or nearly 2 yrs.

 

[garycahill]

How long is the heat on for?

 

[Outlaw]

It hasn't been as it's been warm here the past few weeks. It comes on if the temp drops below 26 and turns off at 32. It's been around 26 the past week

 

[garycahill]

What sort of thermostat is it?
So in theory, the enclosure never drops below 26?

 

[JasonL]

Personally I don't think a vet will be much help, though if you really care about the animal a vet is certainly worth trying.. how old is the snake? how long have you had it? what size was it when you got it? how has it been heated and cooled?...

 

[Outlaw]

Sorry I'm not quite sure want you mean in regards to what kind if thermostat it is... It's attached to the heat lamp though. We've turned the lamp off in winter so then it would have dropped below the 26 to room temp (anywhere from 5 to 20 degrees)
Not quite sure how old he is as the bloke we got him from wasn't sure himself, pretty sure he's around 10-15yrs though. We've had him for 3 years. He hasn't changed size, he's definately fully grown, around 7ft if not 8ft. He has a large enclosure with a infered ceramic heat lamp which is at the top of his enclosure, as for cooling, we've never done anything, there's plently of vents in the enclosure however.

 

[Serpentes]

A year without food is OK if he's still in good condition. He is clearly not in good condition, and needs help from a reptile vet. I think this snake's condition is beyond the help available over the internet! I can't pick anything wrong with your setup other than you say "lots of natural sunlight". Is this sunlight available unfiltered, no glass in between the snake and the sunlight? How do you stop the cage getting hot if the sun shines into it? Diamond pythons need lots of unfiltered UV light to live long healthy lives.

 

[Outlaw]

It's through glass, but as of this mornig we've been able to get him out on the lawn (we normally get him out on the lawn about 2 times a month for a couple if hours it's just been horrible weather to get him out until today) and he is now trying to eat, half way through a medium sized rat as I write. Unforunately I wasn't able to get in contact with the vet this mornig but will try again on Monday. Do you all think I should try putting him in an outdoor enclosure so he can get unfiltered natural light?

 

[wranga]

if its eating and dosent bring the rat back up i wouldnt worry about it. a sick snake isnt going to eat