Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a baby N. Brazilian red tail that I've had for several months. Every single time her rear end swells I have to soak her in order for her to use the bathroom. It looks normal except part of it has the consistency of rocks and it appears she has a hard time passing it. Will she be like that forever or is there something I can do to prevent it?

Ok, you have a serious problem. I am using the book "What’s Wrong With My Snake?" By John Rossi D.V.M and Roxanne Rossi as a reference. The hard stools you are referring to as rocks are called fecoliths or “fecal stones”. Overfed, under active snakes are prime candidates for constipation. Cooler air temps can cause the snake to “hug” its heat source, which causes the stool to cook. Low cage humidity makes the situation worse. This problem can result in surgery having to be performed to remove the dried “stones” if the problem is not corrected.

1 Make sure you are not overfeeding.
2 Make sure the snake gets some exercise, just by holding him and letting him move around will work.
3 Check you ambient air temps. Make sure the surrounding air is not to cool.
4 Check your humidity. Remove any drying substrates like corncob bedding or aspen. Consider using a humidifier.
5 Avoid using an untreated wood cage.
6 Try using warm water soaks 15 minutes per day for 3 to 4 days.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you need more help.
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Jeff
0.1 Wife (Homo sapiens sapiens): Kim
2.0 Hogg Island Boas, Bob Sears Line (Boa Constrictor imperator): Ham-let and BLT
1.1 Smooth-Scaled Sand Boas (Eryx johnii johnii): Xerxes, and Sa'rai
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei): Solomon
0.2 Kenyan Sand Boas, 100% het anery (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei): Sheba, Jasmine
0.1 Doberman (Canis familiaris): Princess Grace
1.0 Pitbull Mix (Canis familiaris): Popcorn
1.0 Rough Collie (Canis familiaris): Dante
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“It’s not bragging if you can prove it”

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to change up a few things and see what happens. This particular boa is housed exactly like the rest and is on the same feeding schedule. Maybe it's just an isolated incident.