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Hi all! I have a question regarding columbian redtail boas. My brother purchased a 110 gram female last month. She looked great, and ate frozen thawed adult mice like crazy! After her third meal we noticed her body was getting very swollen. We figured that she was constipitated since she had not releaved her bowels at all since we go her a month earlier. We brought her to the vet (an exotic specialist), and they took an x-ray. They said she was impacted with a bit of substrate (we never used anything but newspaper...it was probably from the petshop). They gave her an enema, and they said she had HUGE urates! They told us all looked well and to soak her every day for ten minutes....we were told to let them know if she stops pooping again. For a week straight the little snake relieved herself virtually every other day (only uric acid). She also shed during this time. We noticed some problems with her balance also. She didn't seem to have the best equilibrium during this time either (if you went to put her down a lot of times she flopped on her back. However, today my brother woke up and found her dead. He said she was stretched out to her full length with her mouth slightly open. We are unclear to what happened to her. He is calling the vet Monday, and he already called the store he got it at. They said they haven't had any other snakes come back with that sort of problem.
If anyone has any experience with a situation like this please let me know! Also, my brother is hoping to purchase another columbian redtail, but he wants to find a breeder this time, so if anyone knows of someone who has a good reputation, please refer me!
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*Amy*
0.1 Green Iguana (yes, I have a lizard in my bathroom)-iggy
2.1 Ball Pythons (normal)-cosi, jake, and frosty mcfry
0.1 B.smithi (mexican redknee tarantula)-athena
0.0.1 midland painted turtle-nemo
1.1 dogs-rocky and skippy
1.0 normal grey cockatiel-opie
0.0.30 betta, guppies, rosy reds, fantail goldfish, clown pleco,...

Sorry your snake died. All these dead snake posts are making me nervous.
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Martin Whalin

"It is foolish to let singleness of purpose deprive one of the joy and delectation of the many wonderful sights and sounds incidental to the quest."
-Carl Kauffeld
My Email

A couple of questions. First you said she ate "like crazy". How many mice did she eat per meal? And that was three feedings in one month? Also you list a gram weight. How long was the snake?

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

She was about 26-28 inches long. Being that I am a ball python person..."eating like crazy" means eating every week lol because I am lucky to see my balls eat much around this time of year! She ate one mouse per feeding. The mice were about 12-15 grams each tops! They were little guys! Also, I don't recall if I specified that she had water available 24-7 along with a humidity box. The vet said that dehydration can cause constipation but she said that was due to her past care, and not necessarily what was going on now. When she died her cloaca was very swollen, and it has been since she got her enema, also my brother said it looked almost bloody (her cloaca)...her stool however had no blood in it.
Thanks again!
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*Amy*
0.1 Green Iguana (yes, I have a lizard in my bathroom)-iggy
2.1 Ball Pythons (normal)-cosi, jake, and frosty mcfry
0.1 B.smithi (mexican redknee tarantula)-athena
0.0.1 midland painted turtle-nemo
1.1 dogs-rocky and skippy
1.0 normal grey cockatiel-opie
0.0.30 betta, guppies, rosy reds, fantail goldfish, clown pleco,...

Personally, I would have a necropsy done by a DIFFERENT vet to rule out perforation of the bowel during the enema. If that is negative, then they can at least tell you what DID cause the death. Good luck, and I'm very sorry to hear about your loss...
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1.1 Ball Python 0.0.1 corn snake 1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish 1.2 cats 3.1 kids 1.0 husband and now...
0.0.1 Pink Zebra Beauty Tarantula
2.0 Solomon Island Boas

Thank you! I will pass that on to my brother!
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*Amy*
0.1 Green Iguana (yes, I have a lizard in my bathroom)-iggy
2.1 Ball Pythons (normal)-cosi, jake, and frosty mcfry
0.1 B.smithi (mexican redknee tarantula)-athena
0.0.1 midland painted turtle-nemo
1.1 dogs-rocky and skippy
1.0 normal grey cockatiel-opie
0.0.30 betta, guppies, rosy reds, fantail goldfish, clown pleco,...