Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey guys this is my first time owning borneo short tails so go easy on me. my female is having problems with her urate clumping up and causing constipation, i've tried soaking her once a day and it's not really working (or working really slowly) anyone had a similar experience? can you help me out?

what do you consider constipation to be?
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The New Redpython.net

constipation as in: the urate blocks up her colon and prevents her from excreting waste.

When was the last time she went? Mine only goes about once a month or so, although sometimes it seems like longer. If she's still eating and acting ok she probably just isn't ready to go yet.

i was just wondering why you thought it was constipated...like it hadn't pooped in a few weeks....or what symptoms had made you come to that conclusion.
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The New Redpython.net

she had another one a few months ago and she stopped eating. i had my vet squeeze it out of her and after that she [bleep] like no tomorrow and started eating again, i'm worried that this may be some reacurring occurance. i know bloods like never poop but she hasn't pooped in 2 or so months. weird.

Are you using regular tap water and is your snake actually drinking it? I had the same problem with mine when he was younger and the vet told me to mix my tap water with natural spring to cut down the calcium intake (my tap i guess had way to much). Also have you witnessed it drinking? My blood chooses to live his life in a fake rock and even when he has fresh water i make a point to put him in it to keep him hydrated (he'll just hang on the edge and drink for around 15 to 20 minutes straight). When he was having problems with dehydration you could feel very big rock hard uranites in his tail and when it was really bad you could see them. it prob just dehydration... sorry long post

I soak all of my balls and bloods once a week in a closed tupperware to make them stay in the water for 30 minutes. It keeps them hydrated and fat and silky skin. I have seen my blood go for 3 months without any waste coming out. If you feel the hard golfball size right above the flap then you can help him [bleep] lol. Its not the most fun thing to do but it works. Just gently push it out and it will come out on its own. Be sure to do that in luke warm water which makes it easier. If its only been a month then dont worry about it. I recommend soaking them weekly to keep them hydrated then you wont ever have any shedding or constipation problems.

thanks for all your advice you guys! i've started to soak her every week and i'll get my tap water tested to see if it's suitable for her to drink.