Help! Snake Sitting a 9 yr old Snake- Elimination Problems

[SnakeKiss247]

We are snake sitting a 9 year old corn snake for 4 months.We just brought him home last Thursday. His owner said she vary rarely takes him out of his viv for exercise and attention due to University.

We fed him last Sunday and in the past week, he's eliminated 3 times. I generally put a corn snake in the bath a couple of days after they've eaten as I find it makes them go and there's no chance of them going on us. Well, he went in the bath, a day or so later on my daughter's bed and today when I took him out of his viv and put him in the bath he went again. Today, he crapped so much. It's like he had crapped two meals. I am wondering if he's backed up from not getting any exercise? I have never had a corn snake that went three times after eating one meal.

His viv doesn't have a temp gauge so I am going to buy one tomorrow as I think his heat mat isn't producing enough heat.I don't know when the last time his owner bought a new heat mat. Maybe he's not digesting his meals fast enough due to his heat mat.

Does anyone know what could be going on with him? I know he's at least 9 years old. His previous owner had him for three years and his owner now has had him for 6. For all we know, he could be older.....

Any help on this would be very much appreciated. His owner doesn't know much about corns.

Thanks in advance.

[Chromatic Corns]

Was it real liquidy, mostly urates or mostly stool?

[SnakeKiss247]

Thanks for answering. I would say it was both tonight. There was three pieces of stool, two pieces about two inches long and one piece an inch or more long. The other times it was a good piece of stool and lots of urates. The pieces of stool are hard. I would say it's a lot of both.

It just seems weird to me. His owner says that every time you put him down on a surface he goes to the bathroom. To me this doesn't sound right. I have never had a snake go to the bathroom three times after a meal and the amount he goes is a lot. We've always had a snake go once a few days after a meal and then won't go until he's eaten again. I just think that maybe since his owner doesn't pick him up much and he's in a 20 gal viv, if that's the problem. We've been taking him out of his viv daily a few times per day for some socialization and exercise. I think that since she doesn't have a proper temp prob or dimmer, her heat mat might be not working properly. She has a temp strip on the side, but it doesn't seem to be working and those are a worthless anyways. I think that if his heat pad isn't working, he might not be digesting properly. She did have a heat lamp on top of his viv, but she said he hated it and would always try to get away from it. Corn snakes need belly heat.

If you can give me an idea why a snake would go to the bathroom multiple times after he's eaten, it would sure help. I think I am going to get a temp prob tomorrow and see what his mat is reading.

Thanks

[diamondlil]

If the snake was rarely handled, the stimulation of getting out and about could well be what's causing him to poop so much. Another thing to consider though...one of mine used to poop every handling, without fail, then get put away while I cleaned up. After a while I realised that the pooping was ending the handling so I'd unwittigly conditioned him to poop to get put away. Learning to see the cloaca bulge, holding him over paper to poop then carrying on handling broke the habit over time.
A digital thermometer and a thermostat are essential though to check there isn't a problem and to control the temperatures.It'll be interesting to find out what temps you are getting as unregulated mats are usually way too high, not too low.

[SnakeKiss247]

Hi Diamondlil,

When you touch his mat it is like lukewarm. I don't know how old the UTH is either. I am going to go get a Temp Probe today to see what the mat is reading at. I have sent an email to the owner. I have never seen this before. How can they poop so much when she (His owner) only feeds him about every 10 days or so? I could see if it was just urates, but this is lots of poop. I am wondering by him getting so little exercise and taken out of the viv so very little, if this could be why when he moves, he goes to the bathroom? She told me that every time she put him down on a hard surface he goes....
Until I get to the bottom of this, we will be putting him the tub to make sure he goes before we handle him, because when he goes, he goes a lot. How could he have so much digested meals in him though? I wonder if he could be backed up from no movement?

She had a weird container for a hide that wasn't appropriate for a snake hide and so I made him a hide out of a shoe box and he loves it as now he can look out.

We are snake sitting for the summer as she will be away for 4 months working. She said she may decide to sell him and if she does, we have decided we would like to keep him. I think he would be better off with us as he gets a chance to get out of his viv everyday with us. She's too busy with school and told me that he's lucky if he gets out of his viv once a week for a few mins. I think this is so sad as what's the use of having a pet if you aren't going to bother with him..... anyways, we are giving him a great home while we've got him.

I notice he has an issue with the end of his tail. I noticed it had lots of shed left on it and is hard at the end. I got the shed off him by soaking him in the tub, but the very tip of his tail looks like it may have been injured at one point. It's black and hard. It's only a tiny tiny piece, but it is black and hard as a rock. It may be an eighth of an inch long or less. It's really tiny. He does not like you to touch it.

[diamondlil]

I'm probably one of the worst for handling my corns regularly. I don't feel they benefit from it much at all, in fact I handle them enough so they get used to it and don't get too wild. On my particular brand of benign neglect they grow, thrive and breed, so I must be doing something right! A couple of mine seem to actively dislike being handled, so I choose to respect that and leave 'em alone! I do understand that for some people that isn't enough, but for me I view my snakes as being like tropical fish, beautiful to look at, fascinating to watch, but a mostly hands-off pet.

[SnakeKiss247]

Thanks Diamondlil for your reply. We on the other hand, like to handle snakes. I find it very relaxing and therapeutic. Everyone does their own thing though...... If I were a breeder, I would think twice about it, as you just wouldn't have the time etc. It just amazes me that people have that many snakes. LOL One thing for sure, they are an easy pet.

[SnakeKiss247]

I bought a digital temp/hygrometer. I checked the snake's viv and his UTH is perfect. I emailed the owner and she said he's been like this for 8 years. Go figure.......