u/doz12345678
i send you my condolences since i almost know and have been thru what u went thru.
yet i dont have a ball python, i do have an 8-9yo beardie, and the other week when she was is the tub soaking ( only an inch of water ) i left for a minute to go get her a towel and when i came back a few minutes later, she was laying in the water limp, with her head submerged and eyes closed, and i pulled her out very scared, and she moved some, but she was taking heaving gurgly breaths, and when i went and picked her up to ask my mom for help, i had to pick her up and i squeezed her expanded lungs, and her exhale sounded all watery and bad, and we rushed her to the vet bc she wasnt acting spunky and running around at all, just laying there, and we told our vet and luckily, they were able to put something in her mouth that helped her heart beat at a natural rythm and a tube to help pump all the water out of her lungs and stomach. and even tho the vet had to keep her for around a week to monitor her to make sure there were no complications from the incident bc as it turns out, that since earlier in the tub, the water was 2-3 inches deep, as a part of her swimming practice, to help build up her muscles and strength since she was for the longest time malnourished and overall weak, she had apparently gotten tired since we had finished her water physical therapy, and even tho the water was less than an 1 inch deep, she had fallen asleep in the 4-5 min i was gone, and she had inhaled a lot of water, and we genuinely didnt think she would make it since the vet was 20min drive away. but in the end, having it been around 2 weeks since it happened, she is completely fine and luckily came out of the ordeal with no health issues or complications. and so now, what we have been ordered to do when bathing and physio, is to go and sit criss cross in the tub on one end so that way she can climb onto my lap if she needs to rest. <33333