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How Often Do Snakes....um.....ahem!

Pal-O-Mine

Pal-O-Mine

New member
I really hope I don't have a problem here.

I've had the lovely Fran since Christmas, fed her 2 mice since then and she has yet to....um.....evacuate. She's NEVER pooped when I've held her. I've been sifting through her bedding. Nada. She's acting perfectly normal, docile, inquistive etc. She did refuse her mouse last night but I wasn't too worried about that. I decided to give her a warm bath this morning and maybe a little gentle massage to encourage things to move along. Well, she didn't mind the bath one bit. No pooping. HOWEVER I did notice something. I scrubbed and filled the bottom of the kitchen sink to bathe her and kept my hands on her the entire time. My sink happened to be right in the sunlight and I noticed that her colors are looking a bit muted. Her eyes are showing the barest hint of blue so I think she's gearing up to shed.

Does her getting ready to shed have anything to do with her not pooping??? Should I wisk her off to the vet immediately??? Am I too late?? Too soon?

As I have said, she's acting perfectly normal other than the not pooping and refusing last night's dinner. I really hope I'm throwing a fit over nothing! So far she's the cleanest animal I own!

Devon
 
Your corn will poop when it sheds, this is common. Refusing a meal when going into shed is also common so there is nothing to worry about. :)
 
Agreed. They do sometimes "back up" just before a shed. I had a male who did this habitually, and evacuated immediately following each shed. It was like someone had let a Shetland Pony loose in there...!

If she was seriously constipated, her rear end would be bulging badly. As long as she's otherwise healthy, I'd just keep an eye on her and see what happens when she sheds. I think it's the most likely reason that she refused food.
 
I'm more worried about the not pooping than the refusing the food. Otherwise she's looking and acting perfectly normal. There is no bulging around her tail. I was away this past weekend and she really seems to have changed color. Her orange looks like a plastic jack-o-lantern that's been left out in the sun too long and her black is more blueish gray.

Thanks guys! I guess its just another case of first-time snake-mom nerves again! I won't panic again until after she's shed.

BTW what DO you do when a snake is constipated??? I know what I would do for a horse but somehow I don't think that would work on a reptile!

Devon
 
You do the same with a snake. You get a big rubber glove that goes up to your arm pit and......
 
In my previous line of work that's how we do a pregnancy check on a mare! And if its too late term, the vet could get kicked!;-)

Seriously though, I sincerely doubt it would be possible to thread a plastic tube down a snake's throat to the stomach and then pour in 2 gallons of mineral oil and warm water combined. ( That episode of *M*A*S*H* ALMOST got it right! ) Just make sure you don't stand behind the horse for the next 24 hours. Things tend to come shooting out rather dramatically!

Devon
 
I have told some people this on here before, and I've talked to some people who raise all kinds of snakes, and I've been told it's just a coincidence, but 6 months is not a coincidence.

My larger snake (Voodoo) is potty trained, and she did this on her own. She refuses to go in the Viv she has lived in for 6 months now (Not Once). When the weather was nice outside, I took her out and put her on the ground and in less than 5 minutes, . . . . .she goes.
If the weather is too cold like it is now, I have a large rubbermaid sweaterbox I use to transport her in, and I line that with some paper towels, and mist them just a little bit. I put her in there, and like clockwork, . . .she goes.

I have left her in the viv for up to four consecutive days, but try to take her out every couple of days to let her go. . . never fails.
I've never had to scoop out her cage like I do constantly with the smaller snake (Draco).
 
Some of my snakes like to leave a convenient package of shed and poo for me to fine. Usually I don't notice til I pick the skin up and it breaks from the weight of the poo. :puke01:
 
Normally a warm bath and some movement will get things going, if not go to the vet.

Gotta love those first time mom freak out moments... I have had them and Im sure just about everyone has. Its normal for you to feel that way. Are you ok? Heart still beating and all that jazz?
 
I'm not freaking out until she sheds and DOESN'T poo! I suspected a shed coming on when I first wrote this, now I'm certain of it. How long do they stay blu before they actually shed????

Devon
 
Depends on the snake. Mine will take about 7 days to shed some take less and Im sure some take longer. Breathe!
 
hello there, all 3 ov mine take 7-10 days to shed completely and usually poop shorlty after :D i'm a first time dad too lol had my first snakes for 9 months
 
Okay some of you will be rolling your eyes and thinking first time snake mom jitters again! I just want to know if this is normal. I'm not majorly upset.

Last week Fran refused her mouse. By this weekend she had gone blue. She's gone clear again. When I picked her up this morning, I noticed that her skin underneath her chin and the upper part of her body seemed very wrinkly when she curled around me.

Normal pre-shed signs right?????

Devon
 
Yup, after they go blue they clear up for a few days but during that time their skin will be dull, dry, and generally icky. You could mist the viv a little bit to help the process along if you like, or give her a moist hide.

No matter what you should have some shedding action very soon though. :)
 
NFS07 said:
Normally a warm bath and some movement will get things going, if not go to the vet.

Gotta love those first time mom freak out moments... I have had them and Im sure just about everyone has. Its normal for you to feel that way. Are you ok? Heart still beating and all that jazz?
Click to expand...



Yes. . .this is good advice !

My older snake (the potty trained one), went for like a week once. That was highly unusual for her. Wouldn't go outside, or in the sweaterbox.
I was going through some of the threads here on this board, and saw someone had suggested what you described here. SO. . .I ran about 2 inches of slightly above lukewarm water in the bathtub and put Voodoo in there. You could tell she didn't like the water, but moved from side to side in the tub trying to find the way out, but after 3-5 minutes she got very still and was looking up at the rim of the tub like she was contemplating one big leap !
:laugh::laugh:
Next thing I know, she's "expelling" in the water. !!!
Shortly afterward, I got her out, and back into her viv and I cleaned out the bathtub. . . . . Have had to do this once with my smaller snake as well, and it worked perfectly.
 
Jeez Louisey! You guys must think I'm the most paranoid new snake mommy ever!

"My snake won't poo!
Now its gone blue!
Is she gonna shed?
Or will she end up dead??"

I think when she finally sloughs that skin, I'm gonna have to mount it and hang it on the wall like a hunting trophy!

Thanks guys!!!


Devon
 
Success! This morning I came downstairs to find that Fran had shed! I needed to help her with the last little bit around her tail but that was no big deal. I went to feed her tonight and she eventually took the mouse after several false starts. While she ate, I cleaned her tank and TA DA! I found poo! Wha HOO!

Thank you guys for all the advice and holding my hand!

BTW does anyone else have a snake that cruises around the viv after eating??? I expect her to sit still and ruminate after a meal. No, she wants to go jogging! She's above the substrate, under it, in her hide, out of it, around the water bowl, everywhere! She does this every time I feed her. Is she still hungry?

Maybe she's part Italian and wants to "promenade" after lunch!

Devon
 
Mine is 10g and after he eats he is all over the place for a day... then goes to hide for 2 and back out for play after that. I was worried because he eats then is all over, but then crawls up to the top of the viv against the lid where it is coolest. he is hardly ever down on the uth and it is set at 86 on the glass. Strange, but all seems norm.
 
Tomme said:
Mine is 10g and after he eats he is all over the place for a day... then goes to hide for 2 and back out for play after that. I was worried because he eats then is all over, but then crawls up to the top of the viv against the lid where it is coolest. he is hardly ever down on the uth and it is set at 86 on the glass. Strange, but all seems norm.
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I have a seven month old Anery that does the same thing. I have a large tree orniment that the older snake didn't like.
The young girl loves it, and stays in the top of it a lot. At times, she'll even crawl up to the rim of the cage. I have a weighted screen top on a 29 gallon aquairum and she'll get into the small 1/4 inch space between the tank and the screen and crawl all around the top for a while. She'll eventually climb back down through the small vines or back down to the tree.

She's very active after she eats for a while, but will usually settle down after a few hours and hide for a day or so.
 
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