Ball Python Sick?

So today I looked at my BP's cage and I noticed that she was out during the day which is odd for her because she is almost always in her hide... Then I went to look through her tank and noticed she pooped in her hide. The were no urates and the poop seemed to have a small amount of 'mucous' in it? I then noticed a small white bug crawl away from the poop. Can someone please help me with what this is? Is she sick, or is there nothing to worry about?

Thanks,
Alex

She may have internal parasites. If you want to know for sure you need to take a fresh sample (within 12 hours) to a vet for a fecal exam.

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Originally Posted by Kinra

She may have internal parasites. If you want to know for sure you need to take a fresh sample (within 12 hours) to a vet for a fecal exam.

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What would she get that from?... Taking her to the vet right now isn't really an option because I am at college and no form of transportation. How much do vet fees usually cost?...

Small white bug could be "springtails" which feed off waste and moist wood bedding (i could be wrong though). Did you physically see it come out of the poop or was it in the same general area? Hopefully some of the more experienced herpers can chime in here.

If youre scared its a parasite, if you havent thrown it out or killed it yet, I would save it in a plastic bag and freeze it in case you need to show a vet.

Heres a few threads that I found that might be helpful to you:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...mucus-in-stool
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...26-Strange-Poo...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0165249AAAK51R

She could have gotten them from anywhere. She could have had them since birth, and since before you got her. If going to a vet when there is a potential problem is absolutely not an option, then maybe you should reconsider having her. I'm sorry but anything could happen to animals, and being capable physically and financially to care for them in the event of an emergency should be considered before getting the animal, and this is for more than just snakes too. Fecal exams (without snake being seen) is $25 where I live, if it's positive and the snake has to be seen it's an extra $80 plus the cost of medications. But, that varies.

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Originally Posted by abrunsen

What would she get that from?... Taking her to the vet right now isn't really an option because I am at college and no form of transportation. How much do vet fees usually cost?...

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Usually costs about under $100 for a regular checkup where I am from, but it would cost more for an emergency checkup. If you have any pictures of the poop or the white bug, they would help a lot.

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Originally Posted by mattchibi

Small white bug could be "springtails" which feed off waste and moist wood bedding (i could be wrong though). Did you physically see it come out of the poop or was it in the same general area? Hopefully some of the more experienced herpers can chime in here.

If youre scared its a parasite, if you havent thrown it out or killed it yet, I would save it in a plastic bag and freeze it in case you need to show a vet.

Heres a few threads that I found that might be helpful to you:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...mucus-in-stool
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...26-Strange-Poo...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0165249AAAK51R

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Thank you so much. This sounds exactly like what I was experiencing. I had her on aspen and it gets moist from being misted. The poop looked fairly normal except for a slight amount of mucous. Her bedding has only been spot treated and hasn't ever been completely changed. I switched her to paper towels for the time being. I will buy new aspen soon. Thanks again, you have no idea how worried I was.

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Originally Posted by abrunsen

Thank you so much. This sounds exactly like what I was experiencing. I had her on aspen and it gets moist from being misted. The poop looked fairly normal except for a slight amount of mucous. Her bedding has only been spot treated and hasn't ever been completely changed. I switched her to paper towels for the time being. I will buy new aspen soon. Thanks again, you have no idea how worried I was.

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Did you find other white bugs in the aspen? Im not a vet so dont take my word 100% for it. I could be wrong. Slight amounts of mucus I've heard is normal for snake poops, usually it dries up and you dont notice it unless its fresh.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abrunsen

Thank you so much. This sounds exactly like what I was experiencing. I had her on aspen and it gets moist from being misted. The poop looked fairly normal except for a slight amount of mucous. Her bedding has only been spot treated and hasn't ever been completely changed. I switched her to paper towels for the time being. I will buy new aspen soon. Thanks again, you have no idea how worried I was.

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I would still find a way to take a fecal sample to a vet on your bus line at school and take that in to get it tested for internal parasites. When I was in college, I was able to get most any place on the bus line or with a cab.

http://www.rcreptiles.com/blog/index..._white_bugs_be

It looked exactly like the bug in the picture... I still might go home this weekend and bring her with me so I can take her to a vet.