Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was hoping someone could answer a few questions on my JCP, she is a 5yr old female and is constipated, I have seen her trying to defecate several times but unable. I have soaked her in warm water several times over the past two weeks. Its probably been close to 2 months since she last defecated. Should I be worried and take her to a vet asap? Is there anything else I can do besides soaking her in warm water? I am worried that she will be hurt soon if she doesnt go! I appreciate any advice greatly.

Take her to a vet immediately!

Agreed. Mineral oil with a probe can help, but should only be done by a vet. Xray would be a good idea, or sonogram. Never know what's in there....
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
0.1 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
1.0 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

If you do go to the vet, make sure s/he has interest and expertise in reptiles. I have had some problems with vets not knowing what they are doing with reptiles. Can you see and/or feel bulges of fecal matter in your snake? If your snake has hardened fecal matter, don't let the snake rest on the heating pad...this can make it worse. I had this problem with my JCP and solved it by turning off the heating pad, giving the snake some excersize for a few days along with warm water soaks, then finally gave a warm water/oil enema using a plastice syringe and about 3cc of fluid. I then gently massaged the hardened fecal matter out. Not pretty but it worked.

Ahhh, the things we do for our pets.
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback (Hondo)
0.1 Spouse (WC)
0.0.8 hatchling ball pythons

I can feel a bulge, hardened. I've tried soaking her, and letting her out to 'exercise', and when I do that she tries to go, usally a small amount of fluid will come out, but not the fecal matter. How did you manage not go get bitten when doing the enema?

I think the Vet would be a waste of money in this situation, I am going to try a couple things beyond soaking before I spend 100 dollars to have the vet probe her or whatever. I imagine the vet would do exactly that, or something along those lines. BUT if she doesnt go then I will have to, I am gonna try a few things first.

"How did you manage not go get bitten when doing the enema?"

Are you putting the enema in the correct end?
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
0.1 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
1.0 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

To avoid being bitten you can place most of the snake into a sack and firmly but not too tightly enclose the sack around the middle of the snake, then you have the back end to work with. I was very lucky in that my JCP with the problem never once attempted to bit me, she just kept trying to get away (I can't say I blame her). All of her escape movements actually helped express the fecal matter. She truly had "fecoliths" (stool hardened like stone) and it required a lot of massaging to get out. Definitely get the heating pad off (if you use one) because the belly heat can make the fecal matter harden further. Also, if your snake is still eating you can try a injecting some mineral oil into a mouse stomach (frozen thawed) and feed to your snake a few days before your enema attempt and then the snake will have a laxative in the other end too. I am like you in that I mostly try and avoid the $100 vet bill each time one of my reptiles has a malady, and for the most part I have been successful with home remedies (and the help of a few friends!).

So after 10 days of soaking and exercise she was still not able to go. She would get out of her soak and slither around, had the run of most the house, and basically nothing but a small mess of goo. I took her to the vet (a. hard to find a vet in Philly that will take a snake b. once you do find them you question if this is the first time they have seen anything besides a corn snake c. expensvie!) and after some not fun activities she passed what was a hardended ball of urea and some fecal matter. This was not a good experience. He also told me that I had to get her a bigger cage (she is a large female but in a 4ft tall x 4ft wide x 2ft deep Cages By Design cage that is well set) and that she was dehydrated and thats why she had this stone or formation. Does this sound right? Humidty and temp are a bit low (temp basking spot of 80) but I've never heard of this causing such a problem.

I do know that constipation in humans is often caused by dehydrated fecal matter.

Now, whats for dinner?

Joe

I always thought a stool specimen was something that sat in front of the bar.....

And no, a larger cage is not needed. Sometimes, things like this occur. In 30 years of keeping pythons, I've had it happen once (to a snake).
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC