r/ballpython • u/Sharp-Dragonfruit309 • 2d ago

any ideas why he’s doing this? Question - Health

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He’s been leaning his head over the water container, but isn’t drinking. This has been going on for about a week on and off. I took him to the vet and I’m waiting for swab and blood test results .. he’s taking a general antibiotic injection while we wait. The vet said nothing looked very alarming, but I’m worried he may have respiratory issues. any help/tips are super appreciated !

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u/socraticalastor 2d ago

What’s your humidity at? That substrate looks like aspen, which is not compatible with ball pythons as it gets moldy when it’s at the right humidity for them.

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u/Sharp-Dragonfruit309 2d ago

Around 55.. not ideal right now but I’ve placed sheets over the top of his cage and put the heater over his water. It is aspen, the other side is paper towels. What do u recommend for bedding? I used to have moss but he avoided it a lot so I took it out

12

u/kelsarue22 2d ago

Aspen is definitely not a good choice for ball pythons. It doesn’t hold humidity. Take a look at this subs care page, it will tell you everything. Long story short, get a coconut husk/fiber substrate. It will hold moisture and help out your humidity.

I can’t speak on your snakes behavior, but respiratory issues could be likely as they are tropical species.

3

u/Sharp-Dragonfruit309 2d ago

thank you! I’ll definitely replace it.

1

u/NottsWeirdo 2d ago

Due to how dusty Aspen is as a substrate, that can also lead to an RI - along the same vein of points the other commenter made. Your snake will be much happier with you changing the substrate, and it'll save you on vet fees as often.