MTAlJams
New member
Hi All. I have a 20yr old male corn - just about 6ft and normal/even girth around for his size. He is a healthy and active snake; strong when being held, no squishy spots or odd looking scales. He eats 2-3 (frozen) adult mice every 10-14 days, drinks plenty of water, goes to the bathroom normally (occasionally he needs a soak during colder months or if he hasn't gone for a few weeks). This is the issue I am dealing with today.
Nov 8th he had three rat pups (store was out of mice) and loved them. Hadn't gone to the bathroom since right before that date. I fed him his normal three mice on Nov 26th (wanted to give him some time to go to the bathroom). Fast forward to today, he still had not gone from either meal. I gave him a cool/lukewarm soak in his feeding tub and he went to the bathroom as expected after about ten minutes.
Upon putting him back I noticed that around his rectum/cloaca slit, it appears that there is a small bit of feces that is stuck. I let him continue to soak in some clean water to see if it would maybe dislodge, but it did not. I gently massaged the area as well, to no avail.
It does NOT look like any of the pictures online of a snake that prolapses/etc. He isn't acting strange or anything. It just worries me that there appears to be something in the slit and it is not "closed" now. Does anyone have an idea on what this could be?
I've included some pictures. He was still fresh from a soak when I took these, but when he is dry it looks like normal brown, dried piece of feces.
Any help or similar experiences will be greatly appreciated. I've had this dude since he was born in 2001 and have never dealt with a situation such as this.
Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/TbMKtO5
Nov 8th he had three rat pups (store was out of mice) and loved them. Hadn't gone to the bathroom since right before that date. I fed him his normal three mice on Nov 26th (wanted to give him some time to go to the bathroom). Fast forward to today, he still had not gone from either meal. I gave him a cool/lukewarm soak in his feeding tub and he went to the bathroom as expected after about ten minutes.
Upon putting him back I noticed that around his rectum/cloaca slit, it appears that there is a small bit of feces that is stuck. I let him continue to soak in some clean water to see if it would maybe dislodge, but it did not. I gently massaged the area as well, to no avail.
It does NOT look like any of the pictures online of a snake that prolapses/etc. He isn't acting strange or anything. It just worries me that there appears to be something in the slit and it is not "closed" now. Does anyone have an idea on what this could be?
I've included some pictures. He was still fresh from a soak when I took these, but when he is dry it looks like normal brown, dried piece of feces.
Any help or similar experiences will be greatly appreciated. I've had this dude since he was born in 2001 and have never dealt with a situation such as this.
Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/TbMKtO5