Worms

[hardcorey007]

Can a vet check for worms if a snake hasn't eaten for 8 months and is still not eating, thus having no fecal output?

 

[cjpossum]

What sort of snake and what age?

 

[hardcorey007]

Darwin Carpet, 3yo.

 

[cjpossum]

What weight is it and what are the temps, room air, floor and basking temp.
If you have a photo of the enclosure would be good.

 

[tenacres1100]

has it always been like that? my darwin's a guts!

 

[eden roscoe]

dont stress my diamond python just ate the other day and he hadnt eaten for 7months, i just didnt attempt to feed him for 2 or 3 weeks and then i tried and he ate.

 

[hardcorey007]

dont stress my diamond python just ate the other day and he hadnt eaten for 7months, i just didnt attempt to feed him for 2 or 3 weeks and then i tried and he ate.

I'm not worried about the no eating. She still looks healthy. And is acting normal. She just hasn't eaten. This was more of a hypothetical post anyway. I was reading another post about a snake with worms and thought to nyself, 'I wonder if you could test for worms in a snake like my Darwin that isn't eating'. I am not concerned about her health. Just curious. So no need for ages, weights, etc.

 

[Helikaon]

Can a vet check for worms if a snake hasn't eaten for 8 months and is still not eating, thus having no fecal output?

yes they can

 

[hardcorey007]

yes they can

Helikaon,

Do you know how they do it?

Corey.

 

[Helikaon]

Helikaon,

Do you know how they do it?

Corey.

by manually evacuating the colon its a procedure that never looks great and is not the most comfortable on the snake but it works

 

[hardcorey007]

Can they still do that if there is absolutely no fecal matter inside it? I guess they would only extract worms if that were the case and they did have them..and I guess nothing would be extracted if they didn't have worms.

 

[Helikaon]

Can they still do that if there is absolutely no fecal matter inside it? I guess they would only extract worms if that were the case and they did have them..and I guess nothing would be extracted if they didn't have worms.

there will still be liquid. and in this liquid there may be worms or eggs. or they can perform an aenema to recover eggs if worst comes to worst


sorry but i think in this instance most what just opt to worm the snake instead of doing all of this. thats unless they specifically wanted to identify the parasites which i guess leads to protazoans which are unaffected by wormign drugs and could also be the problem. these can be seen in a feacal smear

 

[NCHERPS]

Can they still do that if there is absolutely no fecal matter inside it? I guess they would only extract worms if that were the case and they did have them..and I guess nothing would be extracted if they didn't have worms.

Yes, as others have already stated it is possible.
You would be surprised just what a vet can manipulate out of a snake that hasn't eaten for a long time.
The fecal sample might not contain visible parasites, but once examined under a microscope, alot can be seen.

Cheers Neil