Possible Egg Bound!!!

[Dixie Serpent Den]

We have a girl that ovulated almost 4 months ago and has shed many times. I felt her and she is tight as can be. She has laid belly up many many times and still no eggs. She is eating though. The vet said he couldn't be sure if I should worry or not cause of the variation in laying with ball pythons. It will cost 100 to get her a ultrasound but I don't know if I should be worried and do that or just wait it out. Her clutch is worth saving no matter what but I just don't know. Please has anyone ever dealt with this before? thanks

[muddoc]

If she is still eating, then she is not egg bound. I have never heard of a snake eating after ovulation. I don't believe your snake has eggs. I would also advise getting a new vet if your's said he didn't know if you should worry or not. A good vet shouldn't need to ultrasound the animal to know if it has eggs or not. He could simply have palpated her to determine what is in there, and determined if they were eggs, wether or not they are mobile or stuck.

Just my .02,

[Dixie Serpent Den]

I had some of mine eating last year till they layed. And one layed last month that was eating. I just didn't know if she would still eat if she is egg bound. I don't have many vets around here to choose from. I only found 2 that will see snakes and this one will acutally handle them. He is great when it comes to getting meds for URI's but he doesn't have a lot of experience dealing with pregnant possible egg bound ones. I don't know.

[muddoc]

I had some of mine eating last year till they layed. And one layed last month that was eating. I just didn't know if she would still eat if she is egg bound. I don't have many vets around here to choose from. I only found 2 that will see snakes and this one will acutally handle them. He is great when it comes to getting meds for URI's but he doesn't have a lot of experience dealing with pregnant possible egg bound ones. I don't know.

You learn something new everyday. Thanks for the lesson, as I have never heard of a Ball Python eating while gravid. Have you palpated the snake to insure that there are eggs in there? If she is indeed eggbound, she will probably die if the eggs are left in there. I would call the closest Veterinarian College to you, and ask them if they could remove the eggs for you. Sometimes they could use your snake for practical experience for students, and you get the necessary work for your snake. Something to look into. I hope everything works out for you.

[Dixie Serpent Den]

I have tried to palpate and I never feel anything. I have learned a lot in 3 years now and my main thing is to expect the unexpected. We don't know if we have a vet college near us. I am waiting for the vet I use to get back in. I have only found 2 vets that will see snakes. Thanks guys........... wish us luck

[blackcrystal22]

Just curious, how much does she weigh?

Have you noticed a weight gain?

[Dixie Serpent Den]

When she started breeding she was 1300 grams, now she is 1500 grams. She was off feed the entire breeding time but once breeding stopped most mine went back on feed and some never quit. She is still eating now.

[muddoc]

One more thing I can think of to tell you for now, since you can't feel anything when palpating. Grab the snake near the head with one hand, and the other hand on the tail below the cloaca. Stretch the snake out as straight as you can get it, holding the head skyward. The flip the snake such that the tail is pointing skyward. While doing this, watch the belly closely. You should be able to see the eggs very easily (matter oif fact you can count them if you look close enough). Now, flip the snake once more, so that the tail is pointing to the ground again. Watch the belly again closely. This is the important part. See how close the egg gets to the cloaca. If your snake is indeed 3-4 months post ovulation, that egg should get within an inch of the cloaca. If tyhe egg stops a good distance from the cloaca, then you could potentially have a twisted oviduct. If it gets close to the cloaca, but looks very large, then there is a possibility that the egg will need to be aspirated as it is too big to pass (with that said, a snake's cloaca is pretty stretchy, and can get rather large: similar to a human giving birth). So, I think the twisted oviduct is probably the culprit in 90% of the Ball Python Egg Bound instances.

I hope that helped,

[panthercz]

$100 for an ultrasound?!

How much for an x-ray? You'll be able to see eggs via x-ray. I think my vet charges $25 for x-rays.

[Dixie Serpent Den]

muddoc: I will do that tomorrow and let you know, I hope it helps too and thanks so much for trying to help.

panthercz: our vet charges 88 for x-ray or ulltrasound. it's 25 for a office visit and he it the only one in my area I have found that will handle snakes.