snake constipation

[ackie]

hi ppl....yesterday arvo i went to handle my diamond and she had a really big bulge close to her bum. Naturally i thought that she was gonna go to the toilet so i left her alone....but that night about 5 hours later she was still tryin to go but nuthn was happening. Anyway wen i got home from scool this arvo the situation had not changed and s i got her out and felt the bulge which was really hard. I tried soaking her bak end in luke-warm water to soften the skin around her vent but this only partially worked.
The bulge went down a little but nuthn major.
Any info would be appreciated.
8) Brendan 8)

 

[Tommo]

she might be blocked with something. have you fed it any birds or rabbits latly? it might be trying to get out a ball of feathers or hair

 

[Parko]

Hey ackie, I know much less about these things then you and others but ''read'' that the best way to solve gas build up(probably what the lump would be, is to give the snake a teaspoon of oil or dip it's next food item in oil, (Slateys method I believe), read this in john wiegals CARE OF AUST REP'S. Also works for people I believe.PFFFFFFFT! problem solved. But by all means here from others first.

 

[ackie]

nah tommo she isnt big enough for rabbits or birds or i havnt fed her any yet. Its definatley not gas.

 

[NCHERPS]

Ackie
Not wanting to panic you, as it could just be constipation as you thought, but I had a scrubbie once that had the same type of bulge and it turned out to be a tumour of the bowel.
I only found out this on post morterm!
Might be best to get your snake checked out by a vet if she still hasn't passed anything.

Hope it's not bad news, good luck.

Neil

 

[Tommo]

i saw in the new reptiles australia mag that some pythons eat gravel sometimes. there is a picture of a stone which had been in a small snack. do you use gravel as substrate?

 

[toxinologist]

I would tend to think the problem is faecal impaction, and while this may be helped by tubing the snake some cod liver oil (about 30-60mls), with large hard faecal bolus' such as this there is a risk of tearing or prolapse if you try to force the lump out.

If you don't have the experience, I recommend taking the animal to a veterinarian ASAP.

Out of curiosity, how big is this snake? Is it a juvenile/subadult?

The main reason for the prolapses seen in juvenile green pythons is feeding with furred mice at too young an age, before the snake has developed sufficiently to be able to digest rodent hair efficiently. Baby GTP's feed on frogs and geckoes in the wild for quite some time and probably don't feed on rodents at all until they are more than 6-12 months of age. Feeding captive snakes furries before they can handle them results in faecal impaction, hard stools and resultant prolapses ... the same may be the case in juvenile diamond pythons who also feed on frogs and lizards during their first few months of life.

If your snake is only young you might be better off feeding it pinky mice or rats, rather than furred ones and see if that makes a difference ... they may not be the same size, but you can always give it more than one...

Cheers


David

 

[Slateman]

Well answered David. I would have same opinion, and i would look for vet soon. Just make sure you are using experiance reptile specialist. Not all vets can handle this sucsesfully. Look at vets on our site, they are recommended by our members. I would recommend Teri Belamy.

 

[wattso]

If it turns out to be stubborn poo, post a nice pic for slatey! hope it turns out ok.