HEALTH & WELLNESS
An important aspect of ball python care is maintaining your snake's health and wellness. Some things to consider:
​
Some of the most common health issues are stuck shed, mites, and upper respiratory infections. Below you will find some home remedies to help deal with these issues. We are by no means medical professionals and we do not advise using only these remedies. Always contact your veterinarian and follow the vet's directions.
Stuck Shed
Snakes shed as they grow. When your snake is going to shed, it's eyes will appear blue and it may appear to have wrinkled skin and dull coloring. The goal is to have your snake shed in one complete piece. Sometimes due to a number of factors including humidity, your snake may get a stuck shed. Humidity is essential in aiding your snake's shed. Stuck shed can sometimes indicate illness in the snake.
​
To treat stuck shed, increase the humidity in the snake's enclosure slightly for a few days. You can also soak your snake in a warm bath. To soak your snake fill a container with warm, not hot water, about 88 degrees for a ball python. The water level should come up half the side of your snake. Place a heat mat or heating pad under one side of the container. Connect the heat source to a thermostat and place the probe in the water. Set the thermostat to maintain a water temperature of 88-89 degrees. Watch your snake to insure it is not getting stressed, panicking, thrashing or swimming quickly around in the container. When you remove your snake, the skin should be very wet, soft, and should come off by gently rubbing your snake. If the shed does not come off easily, simply return the snake to the bath for a longer time. Extra care should be taken around the eyes to ensure the skin over the eyes, called the eye caps, have come off. When the shed is removed you can take a paper towel or towel and dry the snake off.
Mites
Mites are very small black insects that can cause irritation, stress, and more serious illness if not treated appropriately and quickly. Mites are very small, they appear as black specs that move. They live under the snake's scales, mostly near the head and neck. They can also be found around the eyes and the vent. The mites live off the snake's blood, much like fleas on a dog. An indication that your snake might have mites is that your snake is constantly in the water bowl. You can see mite crawling around the bowl or floating in your snake's water. The mites make your snake very uncomfortable and itchy. They are extremely contagious to other snakes. If you house a snake with mites in a rack system, the mites can quickly infest the entire rack.
​
There are various treatment options to rid your snake of mites. You can use a small amount of water, just enough to cover half of the side of the snake. This will ensure that the water is not deep enough to drown the snake. Put a heat mat under half the container connected to a thermostat to maintain a water temperature of around 88 degree. Allow the snake to soak for 30 minutes. You then add a few drops of liquid dish soap. Swish the water around to make a few bubbles. Then gently swish the water over the snake. You can leave the snake to soak in the soap water for 2-3 days. You need to check on the snake daily to ensure the water solution is clean and sanitary.
​
A second treatment option is to use olive oil to get rid of the mites. You take a paper towel and wet it with olive oil. Then allow the snake to run through the paper towel making sure to get the head and eyes. Then inspect the paper towel to see if there are any mites. Repeat this step three times, using a new paper towel each time. This will not harm your snake in anyway. If you find mites, you will need to repeat this treatment daily for 14 days. This ensures that you have removed all of the living mites and also the mites that may hatched from any eggs that were laid.
​
A third treatment option is to take your snake to a veterinarian. The vet can advise you how to eradicate the mites.
​
A fourth treatment option is to use Frontline spray. First, remove your snakes water bowl. Put on some gloves and lightly spray your snake once while moving the bottle down the body so no part of your snake gets a large amount of Frontline. Taking care not to get any Frontline in the snakes eyes or mouth. There is no need to spray heavily or rub the medication on to the snake. The goal is a very light spray over the snake. Frontline is alcohol based so it will dry very quickly. You can place a water dish back in the snake's enclosure 24 hours after treatment. You need to repeat the Frontline treatment every 7 days for two or three treatments.
​
Finally, if you used any treatment option other than Frontline your snake's enclosure and surrounding area should be treated for mites. If you used the Frontline treatment there is no need to treat the enclosure. Some people use prevent a mite, or ridx for lice. You treat the area when your snake has been removed from the enclosure. Never uses these types of chemicals on your snake it can be fatal. Allow the enclosure to dry prior to returning your snake to it's enclosure.
Upper Respiratory Infection
Snakes are susceptible to upper respiratory infections. Your snake may show signs of an infection such as a wheezing or popping sound when the snake breathes, drainage from the mouth or nose, and a lack of appetite. The snake may appear to be the lethargic and stop eating.
​
You can attempt some home remedies to teat an upper respiratory infection also known as URI. You can try placing your snake in a tub with a small amount of diluted antiseptic solution, such as Hibiclens and water. Allow the snake to breath in the solution as it slowly evaporates. Place the tub over a heat source with a thermostat and a hot spot around 95 degrees.
​
Another option is to raise humidity in your snake's enclosure. Raise the room air humidity. Raise the hot spot to 95-98 degrees.
​
Veterinary care is many times required to cure a upper respiratory infection.
​Veterinary Care
It is very important to establish care with a vet that has experience treating snakes. It is better to have the vet selected before you run into an issue. Getting an appointment with a vet can sometimes take a bit. There may be numerous vets that say they treat reptiles, but we have found that only a vet with a history of treating reptiles, works best.
The vet we currently use and recommend, if in the Houston area is Dr. Larry White, Briarcrest Veterinary Clinic, 1492 Wilcrest Dr., Houston, TX 77042, 713/789-8320.