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Constipation, help!

RainbowBright Nov 11, 2008 09:06 PM

Hi, i have a columbian boa who i aquired in early august. shes only a year and a half old or so and feeding on adult mice every 7-10 days. the first week of october i noticed mites on her cagemate and few on her. they were separated and treated and were gone farely quickly. and are still separated and mite free. for about the past months time i havent noticed any waste in her cage. ive refrained from feeding her and am begining to be very concerned. i have been soaking her once a day in warm water for the past few days but only for about 30 mins. she doesnt enjoy it and i fear stressing her out too much. is there anything else i can do or do i need to be soaking her more frequently throughout the day and for longer durations? i appreciate any feedback. also i wonder is this a frequent problem with columbian boas? i have a jungle carpet python as well who ive never had problems with and ive had her for 6 years now.

Replies (5)

dekaybrown Nov 12, 2008 06:57 AM

I am hoping that this will still apply, We have a python that has gone through this...

He finally went and it was HUGE, but there was a calcium rock in the feces, fortunately it did not cause any rectal damage on the way out.

A large water bowl that is big enough for your snake to voluntarily crawl into may help (if not done already)

Holding back on feed, I'm not too sure that will help, it may just be that last little bit of matter required to trigger a pooping response.

Good luck with this.
-----
Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

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RainbowBright Nov 12, 2008 12:21 PM

Yes, she has a large bowl that she used to soak in on occasion and always defecated in it but i havent seen her go near it in days. Hence why i have been soaking her myself. But i have heard from a few people that i should continue to feed her so i will do so. Thank you sincerely for the recommendation.

markg Nov 13, 2008 01:09 AM

Boas poop less frequently and larger than pythons. Dehydration is one reason they can be constipated, but your soaking her should take care of that. Exercise can help trigger a movement.

The main thing is to make sure she is hydrated well like you are doing. Dehydrated snakes produce feces with little moisture, and that may be slower to pass. And as we know, most boas come from areas with lots of humidity.
-----
Mark

lsnakemanc Dec 08, 2008 09:10 PM

you can also go to reptilechannel.com and look up this type of infomation.

lsnakemanc Dec 08, 2008 09:13 PM

if you go to reptilechannel.com go to reptile health and go to ask the vet.

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