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Digestion problems

L

Lavman breeder

New member
I recently purchased an adult female snake from someone on this site. When I opened up the fed-ex box it felt strong and healthy and I couldn't see any problems with it. I placed it into one of my bins that is hooked up to heated tape with a thermostat and kept the temperature at 82 degrees. 5 or so days later I gave it a normal sized f/t adult mouse which it downed quickly. I also fed several other adults which are in the same rack but in different bins. The other two "crapped" after 2 days however this particular snake did not, and has still not after 5 or 6 days!! The last 6/8ths of the snake is swollen and appears as if she were gravid. I'm assuming it is probably the rotted mouse? Last night I increased the temp to 85 degrees in hopes that would help digestion. Does anyone have any idea on what I should do to help her constipation? I'm afraid she will die if I don't do something soon.

Sincerely,

Mike
 
Mike, My first reaction is just be patient. I always get stopped up when I travel. I don't think it is anything to worry about. Messing with the snake will probably cause more stress and compound the problem. I would really suggest just being patient.

If you must, use a thermometer and fill the tub with 85* water. Give the snake a 30 minute swim. He will make your tub stink but will probably relieve your stress.
 
Leew said:
I always get stopped up when I travel.
Click to expand...


You have no idea how good that makes me feel! I travel A LOT for work and usually for about a 5 day stretch. At home.... I poop every day like clockwork.... but when I travel.... I swear I go 3 days before I poop... and even then it's minimal. When I get back home.... HELLO REGULAR POOPS!

LOL.. TMI?????????????


Anyhoooo.... back to the snakes.... I like to put my snake in the bathtub 3 days after she eats.... with 1 inch (she's a baby) of bathwater at 85 degrees F (yes I actually put a thermometer in there so I can be sure of the temp). 5 minutes in the warm bath swimming around and she poops it up good!

Nothing like a good poop!!! :D
 
Difficult to tell with a new arrival, but is the snake coming up to a shed (or due to?). I had one that would get visibly "backed up" for a couple of weeks before a shed. Mind you, as soon as he shed, he let loose with a vengeance. It was like a Shetland Pony had sneaked into the tank overnight... *phew*

Personally I'd hold off on the bathing for a few more days. As Leew says, you have a new arrival on your hands and the snake is still very much settling into its new surroundings. I'm not sure whether a bath would do more harm than good (stress-wise) at the mo.
 
That's what I was thinking- is she blue? But are you saying almost the entire snake is swollen? That doesn't sound right...
 
She is not blued over. Another day goes by and she is still swollen at just the last 5 inches up to her cloaca. The reason I am really worried is that I've had this happen once before when I had over 100 adult snakes. My male adult snow corn ended up dying from the back up after not having pooped for 3 or 4 weeks. I guess she still has time....

Mike
 
my 3 year old corn sometimes goes weeks without pooping, if i put her in water she will do it after a couple of mins or she will always do it after a shed, she has always been like this and i have had no problems.
 
Well it isn't going to hurt anything to have her swim in room temp water. Have you told the person you bought her from that there is a problem?
 
Hey guys, he bought her from me... this is Tupelo Honey we are talking about, for those of you that know her.

She shed on October 30th. I shipped her out on the 1st of November, he picked her up on Nov 2 at his local fedex store. I contacted him that night and said she looked good and was what he expected. :D That made me feel good... THEN

On Nov 8th I got this message from Mike:

Unfortunately she is currently NOT doing well. When I received her I put her into a bin which has a temperature of roughly 83 degrees on the warm side and 80 degrees on the cooler side. After several days of having her I fed her a dethawed mouse which she took right away. It has now been 4 days since she ate that mouse and for the last 2 days she has had a huge bulge in that furthest 5/8ths of her body basically making it look like she is gravid or eggbound. In other words she is not digesting her meal. Do you have any advice for me on this? I have had this happen once before with a male snow corn and he passed away eventually.

Do the math, 4 days prior to this message he said he fed her (would make feeding day the 4th) so she had been there 2 days when he fed her. (Not saying this is good or bad, just the apparent fact).

In my personal opinion I think she is just settling in after shipping/getting used to a new home.

I can't see any possible way for her to be gravid or egg-bound. She had been eating a mouse weekly for as far back as I care to count. Her last meal with me was October 19th, the same day I fed all the rest of my adults. EDIT: So I know she had an empty belly... she pooped a BIG one when she shed on the 30th.) Any stoppage has to have occurred over there in Arizona. :D

I am at a loss as to what could be going on with her, other than stress. I like the "let her swim" idea, I know this can work, but I have rarely used it myself... really only once on a stopped up boa. (I don't recommend this with large boas... he made a HUGE mess.)

Keep the suggestions coming guys!

EDIT: Mike, I really do think she will be fine.
 
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If you let her swim Mike, make SURE the water isn't too warm. If it feels warm to you it is too hot. Thermometer is your friend here.

PS: post pictures when you get home tonight Mike!

Edit: tagged for subscription.
 
No problem, I guess you misremembered the time frames in your PM...

OK, then if you fed her on the 6th, 2 days later on the 8th (when you PM'd me worried) she wouldn't have pooped yet from that mouse. It is now the 10th, 4 days since you fed her. I STILL wouldn't expect her to poop yet. You mentioned that the other snakes you fed on the same day have already pooped... that would be poops from the previous feeding I would think. Tupelo had not eaten since the 19th and had just pooped 2 days before I sent her out.... she was totally empty. She has to build up a new poop from this latest feeding... I wouldn't worry! :D
 
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