Thanks very much for your replies, Ian and Winston.



Winston, I'm not sure you understood the question.



The snakes are already spayed as a particular injurious wildlife permit prohibits the possession of reproductive females. The only alternative was immediate euthanasia, so I figured spaying was better than death.



Ian is correct that spaying leaves a HUGE scar, and I certainly wouldn't reccommend it as a routine method of controlling the population. I imagine anyone sterilizing snakes for sale was removing hemipenes, not ovaries. Either operation is dangerous and puts your snake at risk.



What I'm asking is: Can anyone who has had a snake that was ovariectomized for whatever reason (usually because they were egg-bound)tell me how long their snake survived and if there were subsequent metabolic issues. I am definitely seeing the same problems in both snakes (i.e. not going into shed, weight loss even though it continues to eat). As Ian pointed out, I have a sample size of 2, so I'm looking to hear from anyone else who may have any experience with ovariectomy in snakes.

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