Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I noticed that the female retic was leaking a little blood from her anus, she has stopped, but she did a little this morning, what could cause this? I just want to know if it might be an internal parasite, or anything...

~Ben

There are a host of factors that could lead to you observing blood coming for the cloaca. Some of these include: Fecal Impaction, Mechanical Injury, or Parasitic Infection. The most likely cause in a captive bred Tiger Retic would be fecal impaction, so I’ll only address that possibility.

As food is digested and enters the bowel, there aren’t sufficient water resources to keep the stool lubricated and moving smoothly. The cause of that could be too much food or too little water (combination of both). So small tears occur as the snake attempts to pass the stool, which now nearly adherent to the wall of the bowl, and bleeding occurs. This is also how prolapses occur; the fecal material and the bowl exit the body cavity, essentially adherent.

You can address it by ensuring adequate water is available, reducing the size of prey items or frequency. If a impaction occurs, an enema and/or mineral oil can be used to lubricate the stool and allow for easier passage. Some gentle massaging maybe needed t move the stool out, but great care has to be used to avoid a prolapse. If you’re not comfortable with this, a vet is a great idea.

Again, other causes exist…but some level of fecal impaction would be the most common. Good luck!

-Randy
www.neoscales.com