Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Good morning everyone!

I'm worried about Boris, our 7 months old Blood Python. He was treated recently (3 months) with Mebendazole (50mg/kg, twice with 15 days interval), because we found round worms in his fecal exam. He's eating normally, but he's not defecating. His backbone is beggining to show up we can see he's loosing body mass. He's still active and a little alert, but...

He has a big bulge in his belly, we believe he's having a hard time digesting it's meal, since he's always found with this belly directly over the heating tape. He ate 2 mouses 5 weeks ago and another 2 two weeks ago and hasn't defecated. His belly in a little brown, used to be more white.

When we put Boris vertically, we can see we has little muscle in this body and the big bulge is about 6 inches above the cloaca. We think it's in his lower intestine or stomach. He eats, but does not gain weight.

Humiddy is ok, around 70%, temperature is also fine. I'm concerned that the undigested food will rot in his body. I can't colect a fecal sample because he does not defecate!

There's no reptile vet where i live. Could you help me with Boris?

Thank you.

Leonardo.
Icq: 198810
Msn: leonardo_crespo@hotmail.com
leocrespo@gmail.com

Even if you have to travel a couple of hours, I would bend over backwards to find a vet. I am not a blood expert by any stretch of the imagination, but he sounds like a sick snake (and I do know snakes in general), and needs real help at this point in time.
For the longest the herp vet nearest to me was over 2 hours away, but I had to make the trip twice because I love my animals.

Yes, he looks very sick! I will get him to a vet today, maybe he could save our snake.

Thank you for your help.

Leocrespo.

quote:
Posted by: Amducious at Sun Nov 21 11:13:28 2004 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

Even if you have to travel a couple of hours, I would bend over backwards to find a vet. I am not a blood expert by any stretch of the imagination, but he sounds like a sick snake (and I do know snakes in general), and needs real help at this point in time.
For the longest the herp vet nearest to me was over 2 hours away, but I had to make the trip twice because I love my animals.

mmmm 70% humidity seems a little high...for my blood and Borneos, I keep the humidity around 50-55% normally.

If he's not defecating, it sounds like it could be a blockage problem...maybe some ingested substrate?

I am by no means an expert; I've got just over a year of experience with bloods...you really need to find a herp vet.

good luck and I hope everything turns out well for you and Boris.
-----
.Owen.:.

"Wound opens; reveal this broken man and soon, there's notions of blood on his hands."

"That Owen kid...man...he really loves that snake of his." ~Owen

I keep boris on newspaper, i dont think he has ingested substrate. Thank you for your kindness, we will look for a vet today.

Cheers.

Leonardo Crespo.

If it was gaining weight and just not defecateing i could probably help you.

Does the "mass" feel really hard like bones sort of?

if so it is probably urates
i suggest you soak your blood in warm (85 degreeish) water for about 20 minutes then start trying to move the urates out of its cloaca.

I had to do this a few weeks ago with rhianon (it was only about 1" away from cloaca though...) and WOW did he have some urates!!!
-----
0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
0.0.1 ball pythons (FELIX!!!!!)
2.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, Bear, and Tony)

"scientia est vox"

lilroach56, we thought it could be urates, but the bulge is 6in up de cloaca. Anyway, i will try to get Boris to a vet today, i'm really worried.

Thank you.

Leonardo.

With the position that you stated of the mass I would not think that it is urates... Bloods are known to not deficate very often (once a month seems about norm). You however sound like your having much bigger problems than this. My only guess would be that the snake still has worms or there is some sort of internal damage (deterioration of the stomach/intestinal lining?). As for the browning its hard to say as well.. if your talking actually on the scales, then its probably scale rot. In which case lower the humidity and treat it with betadine. A picture always says a thousand words and that might help a little. But there is no question about it YOU NEED TO GET THE SNAKE TO A VET. Even a non herp vet will be able to help alot more than any of us.
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"It's my snake, I trained it, so I'm going to eat it!" - Mad Max, The Road Warrior

>> But there is no question about it YOU NEED TO GET THE SNAKE TO A VET.

i will, thank you for your support.

Best regards!

Leocrespo.

quote:

Posted by: jordanm at Sun Nov 21 23:29:11 2004 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

With the position that you stated of the mass I would not think that it is urates... Bloods are known to not deficate very often (once a month seems about norm). You however sound like your having much bigger problems than this. My only guess would be that the snake still has worms or there is some sort of internal damage (deterioration of the stomach/intestinal lining?). As for the browning its hard to say as well.. if your talking actually on the scales, then its probably scale rot. In which case lower the humidity and treat it with betadine. A picture always says a thousand words and that might help a little. But there is no question about it YOU NEED TO GET THE SNAKE TO A VET. Even a non herp vet will be able to help alot more than any of us.
-----
"It's my snake, I trained it, so I'm going to eat it!" - Mad Max, The Road Warrior

my snake had trouble deficating, and then alltogether stopped eating, and then started shaking, didnt lose body mass but died, i had fed him atleast 5 times and deficated twice, i could tell it was some kind of worm infection cause i found him dead with lots of blood just everywhere. i say take the snake back to the doctor so u dont suffer the same fate as mine

Hi blood_luv, thank you for sharing your experience, we're sorry for your lost blood. We hope Boris will not suffer the same fate. =[

Best regards

Leonardo.