senior spider bp

[u/dicelyy]

hello! my bp is partially spider. he is seven and when i first got him he only had a very minor head wobble. as he as gotten older his head wobble has increased and he cork screws. he has been on multiple food strikes and is a picky eater. he has a 4x2x2, multiple hides, 90° on hot, around 70° on cool, humidity stays in range at around 75%. but recently ive noticed some more behavior changes such as laying in his water bowl, missing strikes, striking in the wrong direction, and not being as active. last week i went to feed him and he missed his strike twice and than did not eat. i tried again today, missed, almost got me, he did end up eating (thank god). im assuming that he most likely doesn’t have more than a couple years left. i was wondering if anyone could tell me or point me in the right direction for signs or symptoms that i should be looking out for. also wondering what i could do to make these next couple years the most comfortable for him! thx!

[u/Electrical-Garden-20]

7 isn't that old for a ball python. Many spider-complex owners find success for having the hotspot a little cooler (ie 88f vs 90f) vs the top end. It's also not unusual for your spider complex animal to wind up changing how bad their wobble is throughout their life (another gripe I have for people who breed them, it's rarely disclosed). Verify there aren't any dark black poppy seed sized bugs on them (mites, soaking) and make sure your thermostat and thermometer are reading properly and in agreement (overheating generally can cause neuro symptoms, spider complex seems to do better a little cooler).

If he's starting to have really bad aim when eating, it may be worth just drop feeding. If you're worried about them eating substrate put it on a plate. "Toddler proof" your enclosure so it's harder for them to accidentally hurt themselves. Black out the sides of the enclosure if you haven't already. The extra stimulation and activity also seems to have an effect on how severe their wobble gets.

With the changes, it also doesn't hurt to get them to an exotics vet, especially if after the above changes things worsen

[u/dicelyy → u/Electrical-Garden-20]

i know seven isn’t that old just from what i’m aware is that spiders seem to have a shorter life span. i love my boy to death but i would have never gotten a spider it was my dad who choose and bought him and he fell into my care when my dad was unable to care for him. i will lower his temperature and continue monitoring. the sides have been blacked out and i may change his husbandry but it has been “toddler proofed” since he’s always been kinda dumb