Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings... I'm very worried about my five-year-old male ball python. It seemed like a long time since he "went", as I cleaned out his aquarium and still found nothing. I checked the records which I keep on him, and found these as the last entries:

Urates: 9/5/03, 9/30/03, 10/20/03, 10/28/03, 11/12/03, 12/6/03, 1/3/04, and 2/14/04.

Feces: 10/4/03 & 11/12/03.

Which means that he hasn't urated in 26 days, but hasn't made feces in 120 days!

I'm worried that the chicken broth in which I dip his mice (a trick to make him eat, and I kept it up) may be hurting his kidneys. Regarding the feces, could they be impacted?

I've had trouble regulating his heat for the past year, but, lately, I keep him at 85 degrees at the hot middle, and 80 degrees at the cool end. I can't heat what's supposed to be the basking end up any higher, as it's at opposite sides from the heater, and I can't move the heater, due to the bird cage and the wall.

Kaa didn't eat this morning. His eyes have been blue for five days now. He should've started his shed.

My vet moved recently, and I need to find a new one. Help!

Thank you.

WOLFIN )O(

I'm assuming he has been eating?

Does he look distended near his tail?

I recently lost an adult male to impaction. I took him to the vet and the vet basically palpitated some urates out and gave me antibiotics and recommended soaking ever few days. He improved and ate a few times but never could pass on his own and eventually died. The vet thought that dehydration caused excessive urates which caused irritation resulting in the impaction. I'm not 100% buying the dehydration theory and will have an autopsy done when I have some extra money but at any rate hydration and soaking can help. Best to take a temp on the water to be sure it's not too hot or cold. I bet he will go with the shed and soaking.

Thanks for answering!

He wouldn't eat this morning. He was lethargic. Five days ago, he was highly agitated, a sign which I associate with feces. I thought that he'd go then, but, nothing. I did notice distention near the tail five days ago - another reason that I thought that he'd go.

For how long shall I soak him?

I bought a fish thermometer a year ago, but, I thought that the water was way cold, going by what was on the thermometer. Going by what my wrist told me, well, my old vet said that that was too cold. So, what temperature's right - by numbers, or, by the wrist? I'll try it both ways. I no longer remember the numbers given to me. By the wrist, it was lukewarm, say, like I'd heat food for a human baby. Just taking some of the chill out. I usually let Kaa go in and out of the water on his own, afraid that if I make him stay in too long, he'll get a respiratory infection.

I found a herp vet in my area, new to me, and made an appt. for a week from today. I love this snake - he's the first and the last, the one and only. I don't want to lose him!

Thanks again.

WOLFIN )O(

I would think that the ideal water temp would be around 85 deg F or so. You for sure don't want it too hot (much over 90 deg F) and as you point out too cold could make him sick.

I was soaking for an hour or so while I cleaned cages. However, as I mentioned, mine didn't make it so best to check with the vet. Hopefully soaking and a shed will take care of this before next week.