Exposed tissue (prolapse)?

[SevierSerpents]

Today is feeding day and while placing everyone in their bins, I noticed a strange tissue-like lump protruding from the vent of my male blizzard. He is about 1.5-2 yrs old and has mated early this year. No prolapse at that time. Out of the blue, I find this lump today. He doesn't appear to be in any pain, and is not pissy at all. He's just dragging this thing from his bum. I'm rather concerned about it and including a pic for review and possible diagnosis. It doesn't appear to be a hemipenis, just one solid lump. I am currently soaking him in a sugar solution (cold water) to attempt natural withdrawal into the vent (a tip found while searching the forums here; thx mates). Can anyone tell me what they think?

http://members.cox.net/liamsevier/img/prolapse.jpg

Being a Saturday evening, it's a bit tough to hunt down a vet, but may be able to with the help of Don & Angel Gallagher (thanks guys!) if necessary. As far as time associated with this symptom, he was fine on Wednesday, when his bin was cleaned. So I would guess this to have occured within the last 2 days.

[ghosthousecorns]

Bummer! Sounds like you are doing everything you can, I hope you'll be able to find a vet that will look at him soon. I hope the sugar water treatment helps. Not sure how you are housing him but I think substrate could stick to him and aggravate things.

[SevierSerpents]

Thx. He's normally housed on just paper towels. Used to use aspen (same stuff I use for my boas), but the corns just don't need that level of humidity. And, it was getting to be a nuisance from the little poop factories that used it.

Tonight he's on wet/damp paper towels.

[SevierSerpents]

44 views, and no thoughts...

[ghosthousecorns]

Maybe nobody knows what it is? I responded earlier more to express sympathy than because I knew what to do...so he's not looking any better?

[SevierSerpents]

Thx for the concern Jen.

Doesn't look as though the solution was "the solution".

:shrugs:

[CornCrazy]

It looks like a prolapsed hemipenes to me. They aren't always completely out so it can have that rounded appearance. You need to take him to a vet immediately. If the hemipenes stays out, it will have to be amputated.

One other thing you can try is to sprinkle sugar directly on the prolapsed area. It may help to draw the extra fluid out and shrink the tissue. I've seen sugar used at work on several occasions.

[SnakeAround]

I've always thought salt draws out fluid.... but if you've seen it yourself, I'm probably wrong. Of course I wouldn't try salt on such prolapses, quite painfull I think... Good luck!

[Taceas]

I agree with Terri, it looks like a hemipene to me as well. The brushy end is still retracted within that tube that you're seeing.

I would try the dry sugar remedy and then get him to the vet as soon as you can. If it stays out and dry too much longer, it'll be irrepairable damage.

[CopperCornsnake]

Yikes! Poor guy.

[MegF.]

Make sure you keep him on wet paper towels so that the tissue stays moist. A shallow rubbermaid container with a little water soaked paper towel would work. Powdered sugar sprinkled on or made into a heavy paste can work, or even preparation H for hemmorhoids. Otherwise a vet is definitely in order.

[CornCrazy]

I've always thought salt draws out fluid.... but if you've seen it yourself, I'm probably wrong. Of course I wouldn't try salt on such prolapses, quite painfull I think... Good luck!Using sugar is based on osmosis...water likes particles. Salt would work the same way, but it is very caustic to delicate tissues.

[SevierSerpents]

Returned from the vet after being treated. It was in fact a prolapse of the rectum. The sugar method had little to no effect. He was sedated and "re-stuffed". He will be on antibiotic injections to fight off any infection while the sutures heal. $246 later. :nope:

[Roy Munson]

It was in fact a prolapse of the rectum.

Ouch!

$246 later. :nope:

Ouch!!

[Taceas]

Youch! Glad it was fixed and hopefully never happens again. Thanks for the update.

And sometimes I have to wonder about people who intentionally place their snakes into harm's way and then wonder why we say it can get expensive if something should go wrong. :rolleyes:

[ghosthousecorns]

I am glad you found a vet, that sure is a blow to the wallet but, the main thing is for him to get better,& at least nothing had to be 'cut off' or anything. Hope he heals ok!

[CornCrazy]

Interesting...I've not seen a prolapsed rectum in a snake. I guess technically it would be a cloacal prolapse, though. :D

$246 seems a bit expensive for that procedure...

One more comment...I have never seen sugar work on a rectal prolapse. They usually have to be replaced under anesthesia and sutures placed to keep them in.

Good luck! I hope he heals well!

[princess]

Ouch on 2 counts as Dean said.

Well at least he's OK. Is there much chance of it happening again? What will your plan of action be if so?

Good luck with the fella.

[Gintha]

This is the same thing that just happened to Treasure! Hers fixed itself, but the vet showed me how to "re-stuff" with probes without sedative (On a snake corpse... eww... dead snakey ~,~) We searched through herp teaching manuals and found a procedure for the "re-stuffing" uses 2 probes and a pair of gloves LOL didn't mention antibiotic treatment at all.. just said to steralize the probes in an autoclave (duh) before using them and to bathe the vent area in a weak steric acid solution 2 times a day for a week. One manual said the most common cause is a slight blockage of the rectum usually caused by incomplete digestion of prey.
Thanks for posting the pic tho.. couldn't get a pic of Treasure at all.. kept biting me ~,~ (She wasn't quite as bad as your baby.. luckily) Hope your baby is doing well =)

[SevierSerpents]

You're right, it is officially a "cloacal prolapse". And it "could" happen again at any time. There's no guarantee and I was told that it is not all that uncommon. Yeah, it was expensive, but he's one of the only males that I have (of breeding age). Had I been given the total cost as I brought him in, I may have had other thoughts. At that point (and price), you need to weigh out the value of the snake vs the cost of treatment. I decided to take a chance, and hopefully he'll pull through. Since it was not a hemipenis issue, he should be able to breed again later.

[CornCrazy]

Has his stool been harder than normal? If so, then try injecting his f/t mouse with a small amount of pumpkin for a few feedings. Pumpkin acts as a natural laxative and may help to soften the hard stool.

[SnakeAround]

Gosh Terry, where do you learn all those stuff?!

[Taceas]

Terri Manning, LVMT

LVMT - Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician

Canned pumpkin works great for cats at the age where their stools become pretty firm. Just dilute it down with water and/or mix it with a small amount of canned catfood.

Ours ate it straight and loved it. Not that I blame her. I find pumpkin quite delicious myself. :rolleyes:

[SnakeAround]

That's cool :cool:

[CornCrazy]

LVMT - Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician

Thanks Misty! :D

[MegF.]

Actually, rectal prolapse in Green Tree pythons, is not that uncommon, but I can't recall anyone on the forum having that problem before. Glad things worked out! With the chondros, most people put them back themselves if they can. Usually, it's from the snakes not going to the bathroom (chondros only go every 2 or 3 weeks) and they get blocked. Make sure you don't overfeed, and you might want to go to smaller items for a while to make sure that he's fully healed.

[Butterz]

sry this is off-topic but what kind of vet would you take him too? an ordinary one, or a specialized reptile vet?

[Rosebear]

Pumpkin acts as a natural laxative and may help to soften the hard stool.
Thanks for the tip on this...you never know when you're going to need this kind of info!

[MegF.]

sry this is off-topic but what kind of vet would you take him too? an ordinary one, or a specialized reptile vet?
A reptile vet is your best bet for proper treatment of your snake.

[CornCrazy]

Thanks for the tip on this...you never know when you're going to need this kind of info!You're welcome! I hope you never need to use it, though.