Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK a few of my animals have had really bad diharea. Totally wet stool that is just all over the place. I thought they were some bad rats or something. But now all my animals are getting diharea. Since the situation has started I have not fed any of the animals and today will be two weeks since their last feeding. The only thing that has drastically changed is the temperature. Last week it was really cold and I would have to assume it was about 65-70 degrees in my room, but they all still had full heat from their racks. Any suggestions or ideas as to what I should do is greatly appreciated.

Sayyed

it was caused by your temps. I have seen boa stools that are runny when it is just too cold. If everything was fine before the temp drop, then you should make sure their temps are much higher than you have described. Good luck!
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While I have no reason to think that giantkeeper is wrong (in fact, based on the fact that he's got lots more experience dealing with these animals than I do, I'd say he's probably right), if it were me I would also take at least one of your snakes to a vet.

While it may be true that low temperatures can cause this problem, it's also true that there are other things that might cause it, and some of them are bad.

Better safe than sorry.

I totally agree with Giantkeeper,since the temp. drop was the one thing that stood out in your mind (unless your rats had possibly been thawed and refroze).Keep up those temps!

Just a few general things to consider:

1. Your air temp INSIDE their enclosures/containers

2. Their hotspot temps

Even though it might be 70, or even lower in your room, it is still very possible, depending on the cage type and setup, that ideal temps are maintined within their air space. You mentioned racks and you can have quite a difference on the outisde of those due to the insulation and tight side-to-side packing they offer.

With that said, a thermometer and a Raytech gun are worth their weight in gold to the boa keeper; no one should be without these.

If I were you I would scoop up at least one of those runny messes when it is fresh and take it right to the vet's office for a fecal. If all your boas are doing this, a fecal test is a meager investment to ensure their health.

I wish you the best with finding your solution and happy holidays!

Matthew