Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Juvi Corn took a dump in his water dish. The stuff floating around in there did not seem normal. I just don't have the experience or the vocabulary to describe it.

He's had a fecal. Came back neg. Having another done this week. May have seen a tapeworm segment in his droppings. Again, too green to know for sure what I'm looking at.

But the thing I'd really like to know about is three drops of a clear, oily substance floating on top of the water in his dish along with everything else he evacuated. What on earth could that be?

Inquiring minds...

You've had a fecal...ANd you are having another done...Sounds pretty thorough to me. How new are you? Maybe you are just looking a little too close at the poop! Does your snake seem healthy in general? Just keep the water clean, especially if he poops in it. If you are going back to the vet, s/he should be able to tell you if you have anything to worry about. Is your snake captive bred/born, or wild-caught? What caused you to go and get a fecal in the first place? I admire your perserverence, but I am wondering if you are looking TOO hard for trouble when you should be enjoying your new pet.
Hope it all works out. Duffy

Well, you make a good point. I've been doing this all of 6 months--so I'm still in the paranoid stage where every new problem I learn about I'm sure I've got.

That said, there is something going on with my two corns. Diarrhea, smelly, loose, wet stools, slow growth (3 sheds in 6 months). They are both CBB, siblings and from the same breeder. They are active, but eating is erratic. Most weeks they eat. Some weeks they don't.

I have 7 snakes total. The other 5 are thriving. So I have something to compare against.

For the last 2 weeks I've gone psycho with the cleaning and disinfecting. Every cage and everything in it is swapped once a day *and* everytime there is a stool. That has cut defecation from nearly every day to every two or three days.

Found the water bowl this AM with a nasty stool and the small, floating drops of something clear and oily. Immediately after I changed it the snake was drinking.

If the second fecal turns up nothing then I'll probably do a shotgun treatment for bacteria and parasites. It's hard on the animal and I've avoided it. Thing is that it's all a learning process for me as well. Would be far cheaper and easier to destroy the 2 animals and start over, but I want to learn and gain experience. Solving tough problems is a good way to do it.

Of course I won't mind if someone just tells me what's going on!

well i'm certainly still learning about my corn as well. but i find it hard to imagine that every snake would thrive to its fullest, even in similar environments. there are billions of posts on this site that suggest that some snakes are picky when it comes to feeding, and some that will eat anything and everything. also the spring brings about all sorts of hormones that may or may not be influencing feeding patterns. i do envy your enthusiasm for keeping your pets as healthy as possible, but i agree with duffy. i'd second his suggestion to chill a little and see what the next week or so brings. maybe the last mouse you fed was the equivalent to mexican food. heh. i'm also going to assume that 'destroying' your animals was really not a serious option. i'd say if you believe you are doing everything correctly, then there shouldn't really be anything to worry about. especially if you've been as meticulous in cleaning as you say. whew. i dunno if i could clean that much. you should see my bedroom. heh. keep us up to date.
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-ryan
fancher@email.com
ultimate frisbee, volkswagens and snakes.

Though I am relatively new to corns as well (only owned one since last september) I wouldn't recommend treating your snake for parasites or bacteria if the vet doesn't find anything wrong with the stool. You would be putting your snake through treatments that are not necessary and could cause unneeded stress. Parasite treatments often unbalance the natural gut flora of animals that could lead to other problems.

As for the oily substance in the snake's water dish after he pooped in it, I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably just undigested oils from it's diet and/or natural lubrication to help thing pass through easier.

The snake with the really runnny and smelly stool may have a higher chance of having parasites, and that snake's stool should be tested. To help prevent spread of parasites, daily cleaning of the cage and anything used in the cage. Housing snakes separately will also ensure parasites won't spread.

Not everything shows up in a fecal. Also, parasite eggs are not shed with each defecation. Need to do two or three fecals over as many weeks to be confident.

Probably going to get a microscope in the next few months. If you want something done right...

BTW, I've been using NutriBac, a natural gut flora supplement. Seems to be helping. Poops stink less, have a darker color and are significantly more solid.

So says the vet...