Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Using a hyperdermic to remove an egg that did'nt pass? This would involve passing the needle through the skin into the egg and sucking out its contents. I've got a king that didn't pass all her eggs and was just curious if this method is a bad idea or not, or just leave the snake alone and see what happens. Thanks Kevin

Although I have not had to do it on any of my snakes, I have helped a good friend do it many times with his large collection.
As far as I know he's never had any problems...
You have his phone #.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

Mark, not sure whose phone number your speaking of. Kevin

p.m. sent.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

Before you try that try soaking her, and I mean for 24 hours or more. I initially thought that soaking for an hour or two may have been enough but someone recommended a much longer soak....which worked for me once....
You can also try to push the egg to the cloaca til you can actually see the white peaking out, then puncture it with something. You need a very fat needle to draw yolk through,...insulin needles may not be thick enough....good luck!
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Actually I popularized that method back in the early seventies(before suitable nesting was developed) Its far easier to decrease the density of the leading egg, on the female, then wait and hope.

It appears eggs absorb water as they pass out of the female. At times when ovideposition is delayed, the eggs swell, starting with the leading egg. This prevents the female from being able to pass the eggs. Just by decreasing the density and related size, the female then can pass all the eggs without incident.

One only has to use a little common sense. I isolated the problem egg and went in from the lower side. In this area there are no veins and not organs to injure. Also by the time the female lays, there is no fat bodies to obstruct the positioning of the egg. In the many times(I too was a bonehead, about nesting) I never had a problem nor did I have to suck out more then one egg.

At the time Vets cut and removed eggs, they said I was nuts, now Vets do this as common practice, or at least many do and they all should(not all vets are created equal) Some are like current keepers, they dwell in the dark ages, hahahahahahaha. But not Tom. Cheers

I would wait for at least a week to see if she will pass it. If she resumes eating and acting normally I might even give her longer then that to pass on her own. Soaking may help.

I have seen the aspiration method before and it worked both times I saw it. But its not without risk, so I would give it some time first. As posted before, you need a BIG needle.

I would NOT palpate the egg anywhere!

While this may have worked for some people it is VERY risky, especially if you have no experience doing it. I work in a vet clinic and have seen numerous females die of torn oviducts from aggressive palpation.

Kevin,

Can you palpate the eggs down to the vent? When you get them to the vent you will need to (usually) open up the vent with a probe or else (in my experience) the egg will pop out still covered by the oviduct sheath. If that happens the snake may die.

Be careful. I learned this one the hard way.

Forget the eggs that you pop out. Chances are they will be duds.

Good luck.
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Peter Jolles
East Coast Colubrids
www.eastcoastcolubrids.com

trans dermal aspiration should be done between the scales on the snakes side and not through the belly,just some info i remember

Yes, IMHO this is the preferred method to get a stuck egg moving. You'll need an extra set of hands, an18 gauge needle (at least and obviously sterile) to extract the thick fluids and an alcohol swab to disinfect the entry point. You generally don't need to get it all out just enough to make the egg easier to pass.

Some advocate palpating the eggs down to the vent but that can dislodge the oviduct, only attempt this when the egg is already VERY close to the vent.

Others still recommendation soaking, I've heard this works but in my opinion it only wastes time in which the stuck egg might solidify to the point you can't evacuate the egg using a syringe.

Don’t exactly know why but I used to be the go to guy for this around these parts but it hasn’t been as much an issue as it has in past years. I think this is in large part because people are being more careful with their breeders these days. We’ve graduated from lab surplus to better quality feeders (some even provide calcium supplements which help with shell calcification and muscle contractions during laying), we’re waiting that extra year to breed the females and I think people in general are taking advantage of the bigger cages that are now available.

From all the replies here i would have to agree with Zach post the most.

I would not do anything. I have had snakes pass eggs a year later and still breed.
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"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

>>I have had snakes pass eggs a year later and still breed.

That is very interesting. I have never heard of a snake going that long. Did she pass it before she bred, or did she pass it with the next clutch of eggs?

What kind of shape was it in? Were the contents still liquid?

I have had them pass all the way up to a year later. I have a female right now that was full of eggs from '06 and still did not pass. She is gravid again and I will let you know what happens to her. When I felt her last it seems the eggs either decreased in size or were absorbed (not sure if this is possible) but I will post a report when it is time for her to lay again.
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"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

I did that about eight years ago on a striped pacific gophersnake.

The egg was loaded sideways and the farthest back. She had taken WAAY too much time laying and was roaming the cage like it was the indy 500 so I sucked most of it out and then left her to lay.

She not only laid fine afterwards, but all other eggs were healthy as were subsequent clutches.

I don;t have tons of advice, but I was super duper careful....wait as LONG as you possibly can. I am here to say that it does work.

Good luck, man

Chris

Well I will try this method as she still hasn't laid the last two eggs and it has been since 5/14. I appreciate all the advice and I will let you know how it works out. Kevin