Strange feces

[jtclark13]

I have noticed that the feces of one of my corns has been much thinner and almost a neon green color the past couple of weeks. I was going to try to get a picture tonight of what it looked like in the aspen, but he was nice enough to let loose in the feeding bin this evening. Can anyone tell me what might be the problem? He hasn't eaten in a few weeks, but with the weather change it didn't really bother me until now. I will say our freezer stopped working, so the rodents I had in there barely started to thaw, but I didn't think they thawed enough to compromise them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/jtclark13/Feces.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/jtclark13/Feces.jpg

To answer a few of the standard questions:

He is in a 32 qt tub in a Jason's Jungle rack
No new snakes in past 6 months
Back heat with a thermostat
Temp gun shows 83 in the back and 72 in the front
Aspen for the bedding
Hide in the front and rear of tub
Feed frozen/thawed from RodentPro

Any advice or ideas would be appreciated!

Jeremy Clark

[dave partington]

Looks like someone has had plenty of water... They can only metabolize so much calcium.

[jtclark13]

Interesting. So should I just cut back on the water provided, or do I need to look at using filtered or distilled water?

I appreciate the info!

Jeremy

[dave partington]

leave the water. Don't change a thing. you're doing it right already.

Usually, the aspen absorbs the liquid and the calcium dries white-ish, so the overall . "product". is low-contrast/ less noticeable.

[jtclark13]

OK, I appreciate that. The color change over the past couple of weeks is really what has thrown me off. It usually dried white-ish like all of my others (10 total), but suddenly is started drying neon green. It's even become difficult cleaning it off of the tub where it has soaked through the aspen. He has always had thin "product", and goes much more often than any of the others (6-10 times a week), so maybe he is just an oddball. Wish they were all like my snow who thinks she is a python and only drops a huge pile every couple of weeks. Nasty when it happens, but much easier to care for.

Jeremy

[dave partington]

Jeremy,
you might do a search for
green poop
here's a sample:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97648&highlight=green+poop
( or green feces )
dave

[Nanci]

That might make me nervous/curious enough to run a sample by the vet.

[epicdoom]

That might make me nervous/curious enough to run a sample by the vet.

Same here never seen that color before what color is the water dish is it possible the coloring is leaching into the water but not noticeable to the eye. I was using Dyed Sphagnum moss and found that stuff leaches color bad stained every thing it came in contact with. I only use natural now Hope you get it figured out

[Nanci]

It's not really the color that gets me so much as the consistency and the lack of fecal material. That _looks like_ all urates, but why is it so liquid? Maybe, probably just the excitement of being in the feeding bin. If I saw clear liquid with yellow chunks in it, that wouldn't worry me at all. So- I'm probably just being weird about it. If it was me, and it happened again, though, I'd just ask a REPTILE vet to comment on it.

[beautifullywild77]

My honest opinion would be to have a fecal test done on it just to be on the safe side. I would also be worried that he goes that much in a week. Are they all really loose?

[dave partington]

More green poop threads:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29654
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116148
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22619
post 7 & 9 http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4644
archive: http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-29654.html
not green, but poop. http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79266
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79104

While finding these, and a lot of "Well I've never seen that, take it to the vet" responses, I cannot find any threads about what the green poop actually tested out for. Some of the links mention possibilities of pH. Wondering if pH of the city water may be an issue, as I bet it varies across the planet. Others mention an association with Nutribac, or association with not being fed often enough. And there are also references to green poop from unhealthy snakes. And also mentions of fluctuating temperatures. As if anyone would know if the power went out for a few hours in the night while sleeping commenced. It appears there can be many causes of green poop.

Perhaps there is an opportunity for creating a Sticky: Poop Thread. ?

[jtclark13]

Yep, he is bad about having a very loose discharge. It is basically impossible to spot clean his cage. I do my best to clean/check it daily, but when I dump the bin every couple of weeks there is always dried urates that take a good scrubbing to get up. He has been this way for years though, and seems to be healthy. He is on the smaller side when it comes to my collection, but nothing that has ever worried me.

If he gives me a good sample that is sitting up on the aspen I will snap a pic so you can see it when it is dried up.

[jtclark13]

Well, I guess it was something I should have worried about, because I just found him dead.

Now I need to worry about the other 9 snakes in the room. I already threw out the water dish and hide along with the bedding. I wanted to keep the tub, but will bleach the hell out of it tomorrow. What else should I do at this point?

I put him in the freezer just in case anyone feels it is a must to get a necropsy, but at this point I was thinking it best to just wait and see if any of the others show signs and then get them to a reptile vet.

Thoughts?

Jeremy


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/jtclark13/NewRacks018.jpg

[beautifullywild77]

I am so sorry for your loss. I would have a necropsy so that if it is something really serious and contagious you can get the others tested and start treatment. I do not think I would wait until more start showing signs.

[Nanci]

Wow. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'd do a necropsy.