Impaction or Fecal Stones? - MD

[rodentrancher]

Does anybody know anything about these terms?? It seems to be raining Murray Darlings around here in the bush at the moment. There has been another one found, but it is not in very good condition and has been rescued. It is very light weight for a big snake, very loose skin(probabably dehydrated to boot), and seems to have some sort of intestinal blockage. The lumps feel very hard, the snake doesn't like the area being touched at all. How long does it take for such a blockage to develop? Could it have been caused last year by food not being digested properly? We did have a very late frost of -7c, in early spring last year. The local rescue lady is going to take it for an xray today hopefully. We think it might need surgical removal.

[rodentrancher]

Bump - bigguy maybe??

[Slugga!!]

dont know if this helps, but my jungle developed them when her humidity and temp was a little out when i first set up her cage. i fixed it and she has been fine since. they were like solid balls, and she was obviously sore when trying to pass them. kicking myself bout it still, coz it was my fault- but will never make the mistake again. i figured it was from bad conditions what impacted the digestion of the mice/rats. just my experience anyway.... gd luk with it

[rodentrancher]

Would some warm baths help this MD, I wonder?? Would that depend on how long the fecal stones had been in its intestinal track?? We are looking after it for our local rescue lady as we have click clacks, heat pads etc etc. And besides she doesn't really like snakes that much. Usually looks after roos, wombats, possums etc etc.

[Wrasse]

A tepid soak (not warm) will help to rehydrate the MD. Don't make it swim around, just put it in a tub of very shallow water and let it sit for an hour. You can put the tub on a heat cord to keep the chill off the water if you like, however, monitor the temps.

This can be done daily.

Rehydration will be required to help it move anything along, IF it is something that can be moved.

[rodentrancher]

We have also been advised to get a Folley's(?) Catheter, to enable us to get some raw beaten eggs down it's throat.(And yes we do know how to do this and keep away from its windpipe). This will give the poor skinny thing some protein without too much bulk. Also have been advised re giving Baytril for 2 wks prior and 2 wks after any surgical procedure that might be needed. We will wait on xray results before going down that road. Cheers Cheryl

[Wrasse]

Has any food been offered to the snake at all ? Is he refusing small food items ?

If the snake is large, you can use silicone aquarium airline tubing to deliver the beaten egg. It is softer on the throat than a catheter, and is easier to pass the liquids through.

Just get a 10 ml syringe, and fill that with egg/water mix (not straight egg yet, it will be too rich if the snake hasn't eaten for a while), attach the airline tubing and you know the rest. Keep a tight hold on the tube so it doesn't slip down too. :eek:

[rodentrancher]

With the hard poop in it, would it be wise to offer food just yet.? The snake hasn't had a poop in at least 10 days that we know of? Would a small rat help things to move a bit more do you think? OMG! I'm sure this snakie doesn't need anything else in its gut like a piece of tubing eh? I've got it sitting in some shallow tepid water this minute to help with rehydration.

[rodentrancher]

The snake is at least 5ft long, big boof head, so the tubing shouldn't pose a problem wrasse. Doesn't feel very heavy though. It would be lucky to weigh over a kilo.

[Wrasse]

The tubing needs to be no longer than a catheter, It is just softer to use and easier to get.

The hard lumps may not be anything unusual. The X-ray will show up more.

We don't know why this snake is in the condition it is in. I ask about the food as I am curious to know if it is refusing food, which could be an indication of internal blockage/injuries/disease, or if it is ravenous and jumps on the food, which would be an indication that the poor baby has possibly been trapped somewhere, or may have jaw/mouth injuries that prevented it hunting or holding a food item.

If you do offer it a food item, make sure it is a small fuzzie, so the size will not be significant enough to cause harm. If it refuses outright and shows no interest at all, then internal issues may be the problem.

I had a similar case a little while ago. A large coastal, in extremely skinny and dehydrated condition. It leapt on the food and soon put on weight. It wasn't until the snake was upgraded to a larger food item that the problem was discovered to be jaw damage, possibly from shovel or road trauma. It also felt like it had hard 'stones' in it, which were simply internal organs, easily able to be felt due to the very bad condition it was in.

[rodentrancher]

I think we should wait till after the xray? before offering food. I would hate to make the situation any worse. You can actually see these lumps in the snake. They don't appear to have moved in the last week or so.

[Wrasse]

Certainly, if the X-ray is being taken today, to tube or feed it beforehand would be silly.

Curiousity: How many lumps are you seeing and roughly in what position are they along the length of the snake ?

[rodentrancher]

He's just off to the vet at Berri now for the xray. Will give update when I know results. Cheryl

[rodentrancher]

The lumps(2) are about 4inches back from the vent.

[Wrasse]

Good luck to him, I shall cross my fingers for a happy outcome. Please keep us posted.