Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Oddball now has something hard inside him that is showing a protrusion on the side. It feels hard and moves a bit. Got a vet appointment for Saturday (soonest I can get in). Any idea what may be causing this?
He hasn't eaten yet but still had a swell from the yolk when I got him. Could something have happened with the yolk?

Sounds like perhaps some hardened yolk. If he can pass it he might be ok - you might have to carefully help him move it along.

Unfortunately - I've never had personal experience - but from what I've heard if it's a really large impaction you might have some serious problems.

Please keep us updated!

Good Luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

see mccurley's book , chapter 7 , under "hardbellies".
that's what it seems like.
i've been thinkin' 'bout this problem, though i've never encountered it. if the vet can't get it done for you, consider a long soak in an ultrasonic cleaner, of course, using nothing but water, not sure it would work, but worth a shot if nothing else will. ultrasonic cleaners are commonly used by jewelers to clean inacessable areas around stone settings. i'm sure there are other professions that utilise them too.
good luck , let us know how things work out.
peace , ck

We have dealt with hard bellies on a few occasions from CH animals that we have gotten in. The only thing that you can do for them is help them pass it, once it is hard like that i have never seen them reasorb it or pass it by themselves. You have to be very careful doing so as you dont want to hurt the animal, ribs and such. Out of probally 10-15 animals that we have had to help pass hard bellies we have gotten about 50% to live which i have found to be fairly common when talking to many other breeders.

Kim
N.A.R.C

Kim -

I've never had to deal with this yet (knock on wood) but would love to hear the experience of others in case it should come up.

Did you do a soak or try any kind of hydration (perhaps some Pedialyte) prior to helping them pass it?

After you noticed the hard belly - did you wait to see if it passed on it's own (if so how long) or immediately try to help them pass it?

And after they passed it did they have any digestive problems after that?

Thanks!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

With one of the first hard bellies we had i talked to another breeder and he said help them pass it as soon as possible. I did try warm soaks and different hydrating methods to no prevail. I found that the longer they sit with the hard mass the less likley they are to come back around. The longer it stayed the worse they got and i have never seen one actually pass it. We just slowly worked the mass out very carfeully, it can be a long process and very tidious. After it has been passed with "assistance" about half of them have lived, the other half did pass away, wether it be stress or internal damage or something else i am not sure, but the ones who started eating and drinking did fine afterwards and had a 100% turn around, the others just faded till there was nothing that could be done.

I have talked to numerous breeders afterwards about the subject and i have gotten the same responses. They have also had about a 50% survival rate but if the hard mass isnt passed then their hasnt been any that i know of that have survived, so i guess a 50% chance is better then none at all.

I have only had to do about 15 max in total and all of them came into my care that way. I have never had one develop a hard belly once set up. There may be a way of preventing it but i am not 100% sure, i have never seen it happen in any of our CB. Like others have said i believe it is a combination between the yolk sak and possibly dehydration.

Hope that some of this helps.

Thanks Kim