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An update from my post of 2 weeks ago. She is still not eating
It has been 4 weeks since I got her. Also there has been no defecation. I have tried live, prekilled, decapitated, deli cup method etc. She is very lethargic and will not drink water when I hold her in her bowl. I noticed that near her tail it seems to be swollen or "beefy" there, so I thought she may be constipated or worse, a blockage. Is it possible she could keep a meal for 4 or 5 weeks without passing it? I tried a warm water bath, she hated it, would not stay in the water. She is too young to be ovulating or gravid. I'm including a pic.
Does anyone else see the bulge? Thanks in advance, I'm really at a loss on this one.

Mike B

Not to alarm you, but non feeding and swollan gut are signs of crypto... I'd take her to a vet..
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I thought Crypto causes a swelling of the stomach. This mass is near the cloaca. In any case a Vet visit seems likely, Thanks

Your snake looks way too skinny. If she's lethargic, if I were you, I'd wouldn't be expecting her to live. Although I'm not saying to give up on her, just be ready for it.

It definitely looks like she has an impaction... a pretty bad one too. I don't know how long you've had her, but when she was eating did you ever notice if she ingested any aspen along with the food?

She needs to be seen by a vet, but they may not be able to do much for her. The reason I say this is she'd probably have to have surgery to remove the impaction, but since she is already weak, the surgery might kill her.

Sorry to have to tell you this.
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I'm not epecting her to make it through the night. Earlier she was laying there with her mouth agape. All her color has dulled and she just hangs limp when I first pick her up.
I got her 4 weeks ago and she has never eaten for me. Whatever caused the impaction happened at the breeder's.
Thanks for your concerns.

Mike B

Mike,
If the snake has not defecated in the four weeks since you've had her, then that is a big problem. I cannot tell if its just the angle of the pic or the actual snake, BUT it looks very emaciated and in bad shape. Has she ever eaten at all?
Also, what size is her waterbowl? Strange question maybe but I have a friend w/ a 1st corn (yearling) who only had a water bowl the diameter of a dime (10cents). The snake was super healthy and ate regularly so it must have been obtaining water from the mice. When I saw this, I immediately convinced him to use a larger water bowl in his snake's cage.

Well, anyway, I hate to say this BUT I would think a trip to a herp vet or an experienced local herper might provide a better assessment than anyone else can since its hard to tell from the pic. I do notice the visible swelling though... Also, I find that very few snakes like baths and it can be extremely stressful if the water temp is too warm or too cool. She is definitely not ovulating or gravid from what I gather, especially if she's as small as she appears on my screen. Its been awhile since I've reviewed my herp anatomy but I'd guess there are problems like liver and kidney damage/swelling that is associated with dehydration??????? Anyone else with this knowledge, feel free to jump in...

Personally, I would rarely let a newly acquired snake go 4 weeks without getting something in its belly...but thats me and I have good experience w/assist feeding and am comfortable with a technique that works fine for me and stresses the snakes very little. IF the snake did not have that buldge, I would say to try assist feeding BUT you could make things ALOT worse very quickly, esp. if its blockage or something else much worse, like organ swelling???. I am no expert but thought I'd throw some ideas for you to think about. Also, since you posted last week, others may have more knowledge or details of your situation (temps, humidity, etc) and might provide more insight.
GOOD LUCK and BEST WISHES!

Sincerely,
Jason
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Thanks Jason,
I guess I should have taken her to the vet after 2 weeks.
She is gone, died during the night.
I'm pretty sure it was nothing due to my husbandry, as she never ate for me.
I appreciate the input
Thanks again

Mike B