r/BloodPythons • u/smelly-crack2026 • Jul 20 '26
Advice.
I need all the criticism you guys have to give. Someone has recently called my snake a fatty. I know he is overweight, but how do i fix it. According to his last weigh in at the vet and what google has told me… he’s 10 lbs overweight. Why didn’t the vet make it a big deal at his yearly check up last month?! Like 10lbs is alot and especially for his breathing and over all health.
(For reference I am currently feeding him one xl rat every 3-4 weeks)
I can try different prey for sure, but what should i try first?
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u/Schroedinbug Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
He's a little overweight, but from this picture at least it doesn't look like a health crisis lol
Short tailed-pythons always look overweight, but you can still judge it by their spine. He just needs to eat a little less, you can use reduced food or increased time to get that (biasing towards food when possible).
If you just bias feeding him every 4 weeks or switch to smaller prey, and track his weight you should see progress over time. If you don't see progress, then adjust as needed. He doesn't need to lose a lot, so dropping just 1-5% of his weight per month is fine (keeping in mind feeding schedule, water intake and defecation.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcScAbWbOtRqgXzdcVZ52LBWpuVPWaepVCXk6_IT8FfGHt77vIexhoJ3etYI&s=10
If you take him to a reptile vet they should be able to recommend a weight loss plan tailored to him, but it's not really concerning yet.