Snake jumped while probing...

So I've always been pretty good about popping all of my hatchlings. But a few of these adults that i've acquired are proving super difficult, if not impossible for me to pop. So I went out and got me a probe kit.

Watched all of the videos and studied it for a while to make sure I could do it without injuring the animal.

So first attempt was completely successful, it was a female! Second, so far so good. Then the third, this little girl was calm up until I got my probe to the end. She kinda jumped and I it may have pushed in a little less than a cm.

What demage can be done when something like that happens? What do I look for if there was any damage?

I'm not sure, because I am to scared to try myself. :confused: Hope she's ok.

^ And when I say a CM I mean a CM past the farthest I could go with the probe.

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Originally Posted by RideRed12

Watched all of the videos and studied it for a while to make sure I could do it without injuring the animal.

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Watching a video is NOT a good way to learn how to probe...please go to your vet or a show and have someone experienced show you how to do it before you risk hurting any more snakes.

It's possible that you pushed the probe through the cloaca. You should watch for bleeding from the cloaca and signs of bruising that could indicate internal bleeding. If you palpate the area and it feels hard to the touch localized in the area of the cloaca, that can also be a sign of internal bleeding.

Even if I watched a vet do it, it wouldnt be any different than watching a video of someone professional. I did it fine the first two times, took it slow. Can't learn until you actually do it yourself, and with 25 ball pythons, I can't be taking them all to the vet to have them sexed.

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Originally Posted by RideRed12

Even if I watched a vet do it, it wouldnt be any different than watching a video of someone professional.

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Seeing something in person is always different(often times extremely) than watching on video. It boggles my mind that a person would invest potentially thousands of dollars on snakes with the intent of breeding and then just wing it on something that could be very harmful to the organs necessary to breed(not directed only at you, as I've seen this a few times)...as well as painful and harmful to the snake period.

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Originally Posted by RobNJ

Seeing something in person is always different(often times extremely) than watching on video. It boggles my mind that a person would invest potentially thousands of dollars on snakes with the intent of breeding and then just wing it on something that could be very harmful to the organs necessary to breed(not directed only at you, as I've seen this a few times)...as well as painful and harmful to the snake period.

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I agree with you completely, and I thought it through thoroughly before I did anything. I would not do anything to risk the health of my snakes without knowing the possible consequences either.

I do disagree about seeing it done in person, I watched many different videos including one Justin Kobylka did over a dozen times in the last year. If these people who are professional didn't think you could do it by watching a tutorial, why would they post such a video.

I also learn by seeing and doing, actually using my hands. Not being told what to do. I respect your answer, and do thank you for your opinion.

Not to mention its a fairly simple thing to do, you just need to know what not to do.

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Originally Posted by Slim

It's possible that you pushed the probe through the cloaca. You should watch for bleeding from the cloaca and signs of bruising that could indicate internal bleeding. If you palpate the area and it feels hard to the touch localized in the area of the cloaca, that can also be a sign of internal bleeding.

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Ouch! I hope that's not what happened. :(