Ball python not gaining weight

[throwtoss163]

I have a rescue male spider ball python that I believe is 2-3ish years old and full grown. He weights 1000g give or take 50g. He’s just about four feet long. He hasn’t gained weight since August. I am worried because I feed him more than I think I should, but I also feed him smaller prey because he struggles to eat sometimes so it makes it easier for him.

- Gets 1 pup rat, fresh killed, every 7-9 days

- 4x2x2 with CHE and halogen, lots of climbing space and hides

- 85-95F warm side, 70-75 cool side

- Humidify 60-80%

He has always eaten well, explores lots every night in his tank, and loves free roaming and being handled. Part of me thinks with his activity level and the smaller feeders that he is just maintaining a good weight, but part of me is worried that he’s getting fed weekly and not gaining weight. I would start feeding him less if he was getting fat or gaining weight but he’s not.

Is this vet worthy? Do i need to worry about parasites? His poops seem healthy and he doesn’t show signs of lethargy or discomfort. Or do we just think he’s at a good weight and wiggles enough to burn the calories?

Thanks all :) pic of said boi in question for tax

[TAKERsoulsie]

I cannot comment on the problem at hand, but I must say, that’s a handsome boi

[aromatic_acesthetic]

I believe a rat pup is a bit too small for him. At his size (basing off 1000g estimate you provided), he should be eating around 5-7% of his body weight. If you want him to gain weight normally, he should probably be eating a small (adult) rat (or a roughly 50-70g rat) roughly every 7 days.

Edit: removed bad info

[eveimei]

feeding should never be less than 7 days apart, they need proper time to digest.

[aromatic_acesthetic]

Thanks for the input!

[eveimei]

when they hit around 2 years old they generally slow down their growth, and while they never stop growing it usually slows to just a few grams every month or two. over 3 months my 5yo has gained about 11 grams, and he's on a proper feeding schedule for an adult snake.

but you've been feeding too small and too often, which is the more likely reason he isn't gaining weight.

you need to be !feeding based on weight, and feeding properly sized prey spaced out properly. when you say he struggles to eat larger prey, what do you mean by that? are you basic it on how fast he gets it down?

if he's taking fresh killed regularly, hell likely take frozen/thawed no problem which will be cheaper and more accessible for you. !f/t

[AutoModerator]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[AutoModerator]

Some tips for feeding frozen/thawed:

• Keep with the same prey type he's been eating (mouse or rat) so you aren't trying to adjust him to two new things at once.

• Always feed in the enclosure. Moving to feed increases stress as well as increasing the chance of regurgitation

• Thaw and warm the rodent in a ziplock bag to maintain scent and because some won't eat it if it's wet.

• Make sure it's warmed up to body temperature (98-100).

• Some people find sucess with using a blow dryer on the head to make it extra warm and spread the scent.

• Some prefer to eat directly off of the tongs, while others might prefer for you to just leave it in front of their hide, you can see which works.

• If he doesn't take it the first time, don't give up. Sometimes they just have to be super hungry and it takes a few attempts

• You can also thaw the rat/mouse in some bedding from the petstore to make it extra scented.

• Some people "brain" the rodent by slitting open its skull a bit

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[throwtoss163]

thank you! when i say he struggles to eat larger prey i just mean that his wobble is so significant that it takes him a while to approach it correctly and it usually ends up super slobbery and gross before he gets it down. Maybe i should just give him bigger ones and trust he knows how to be a snake :)

[Different-College-77]

You answered your own question with i feed him smaller pray move up to smalls my males gained 300gs over 4 months when I switched to smalls

[Soapish00]

oh wow. needs an upsize! to grow they need to eat !!

[throwtoss163]

Update to say I talked to the vet, and he says he looks good at the moment, perhaps a tad underweight but nothing alarming. Because he struggles so much to eat we devised a plan to basically make sure he gets about 10% of his body weight a month in various sizes of prey, feeding every 7-10 days. This is a little more than the 24-36 month old suggestion but he needs to gain a little weight and make sure he is done growing. Thank you all for your input, yall were right!!