Constipated snake?

Hey everyone,

So I got my snake 2 weeks ago, 3 weeks tomorrow. Other than the Friday I got him, I've been feeding every Monday for the past 2. However, he still hasn't pooped. I know the guy at the store told me they were behind on feeding the snakes so I figured maybe the first mouse was just digested and metabolized as energy and the 2nd would force something out. I just don't know if I should keep feeding so regularly or if I should wait for him to clear his system out.

I replace his water with warm water every morning and often at night as well, and the heat lamp is now over the dish in the center of the tank. I've also read about putting the little guy in the tub and letting him swim around in some shallow warm water. However, livin in a low-income apartment complex I don't trust the integrity of my bath tub :-p Would likely require loooots of bleach.

Anyway, I appreciate any help on this. Thanks everyone!

Dev

Hello,

They do, sometimes, go several weeks without passing waste. You snake has not pooped - has it passed any urates or liquid waste?

What are your husbandry measurements? [heat/humidity]
Does your snake move around freely, or is it coiled most of the time?

most likely your snake is fine. they sometimes go a while without pooping. and if you're feeding him a smaller rodent than what he should be taking, even longer. when you feed, you should be able to see a slight lump in his belly when he gets the rodent all the way down. if not, next time feed a little larger and check again. if you decide to soak him. get a tub from walmart, doesn't have to be real big. but your snake should be able to move some in it. and the water should be luke warm to you. what's warm to you is hot to your snake. you don't want the water too deep that your snake has to swim. half way up the snakes body is fine. put a few air holes in the lid and place it on the tub. also check and make sure his hot spot is around 88 to 92 degrees F so he can properly digest his food. keep us posted. good luck don

What size prey are you feeding your snake? Also, how old is your snake, and how much does it weigh? You can use a kitchen scale to weigh him.

I don't yet have a scale and am working hard to get my tank to ideal conditions. Its been tough living in a crappy VT apartment. I'm buying a heat mat thermostat today, it will arrive next week. I feed him small frozen mice. The tank is usually about 82 throughout with 30-50% humidity. I have the water bowl under the basking lamp, aspen bedding, some moss tucked under the water bowl and behind his hide and a medium heat mat, 10G tank. The snake is young. Unfortunately I don't know exactly how old because he's from a pet store and they're clueless. Wish I could've gone breeder. He does move around a bunch, coiled up mostly throughout the day but climbs around at night. Getting a much bigger tank tomorrow, as well. 20G, 36". Want to clean and set this next one up right

Ok, you need two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side, or otherwise your snake will choose security over regulating his temperature.

Also, when you say "small frozen mice" do you mean pinkies, fuzzies, small adults, or ...???

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Ok, you need two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side, or otherwise your snake will choose security over regulating his temperature.

Also, when you say "small frozen mice" do you mean pinkies, fuzzies, small adults, or ...???

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Okay, I'm going to make a small make shift hide for the time being. And he is on pinkies right now

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Originally Posted by Dev_DeCoste

Okay, I'm going to make a small make shift hide for the time being. And he is on pinkies right now

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That snake NEEDS to be eating something bigger than a pinky. It should at least be eating hopper mice or small adult mice depending on how much it weighs. Heck, even better, get some rats into that snake's belly!

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

That snake NEEDS to be eating something bigger than a pinky. It should at least be eating hopper mice or small adult mice depending on how much it weighs. Heck, even better, get some rats into that snake's belly!

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Exactly, as soon as the OP said "pet store" and "no poop" I was thinking he got the same bad advice I did when I got my first: feed it mouse pinkies. It wasn't until I did some online research that I learned they could take much larger prey.

So, ditch the pinkies and get the poor thing onto rat pups.

ETA: If you don't have a thermostat for that heat pad (under-tank heater?) then you need one or it can get hot enough to burn your snake.

So I added a second hide to the cool end. Temp is still around 80 throughout. I repositions the hot-hide so that only half the heating pad overlaps it. That way it doesn't just cook inside the hide. Moved the water dish to the center.. Came home and he was exploring the new set up. Have to admit it is pretty cramped in there now.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6052/5hx4.jpg

I'm buying a thermostat for my UTH soon. I'll upgrade his diet my next trip to the store. He's got one left. Also after checking the amount I noticed the packaging actually said fuzzies. It honestly seems pretty big to him when I feed them to him but if you guys are saying he can handle much larger I suppose I should start progressively getting bigger food now.

Hey!

I wouldn't worry to much, especially if it has been eating pinkies. Keep working on the husbandry, it makes all the difference in your snakes behavior and health :)

And for a baby ball python I would recommend keeping it in the size tank you have now....They really like the clutter, makes them feel more secure and hidden from predators. (more difficult to clean though haha)

Also, can't really tell, but it looks like you only have a analog thermometer. If so, get a digital. Those analogs thermos are horrible and rarely accurate. And yeah, definitely get the thermostat stat! Hahaha.....Your substrate will get up to 105 degrees at 1" depth from the UTH. So if your snake hates the cold side hide, it will endure the heat anyway for security. I figured this out as soon as I got my infrared temp gun. Went and bought a thermostat immediately.

Let us know what happens though :)

I find it also depends on the meal sizes...my guy didn't poop for 3 weeks when I was feeding him smaller ,once I upped meal size,it's been about every 7-10 days.

Thanks guys.

I definitely want to get a digi as soon as possible. Problem is the analog are taped to the background.. taking them out would leave a residue... I may just add the digi one and keep the others one in as something for the snake to climb on :P bout as much as they seem to be good for anyway. He's still pretty cautious- always pokin his head out of his hide and slippin' back in once he see's ya. But that's just how B-Ps tend to be from what I've heard.

Latest pic a friend took tonight- he seems to be enjoying the clutter a bit more, definitely. Since I put it up yesterday he's been climbing back and forth between the two plants a bunch haha

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/149/czz5.jpg

In regards to liking the clutter and feeling secure... In the pic on the last page it showed the white make-shift hide that I made. However I want to add some moss to help w humidity and make it look less like a tupaware in a snake cage... But I'm worried about the residue either getting in his vents or his water bowl. Right now all the moss I have in his tank is packed into the substrate pretty much.. Should I be worried/cautious about just placing loose moss on top of stuff?

I also scooted the water bowl to the left so its against the white hide. That way the stone water bowl and his warm hide have a gap in between for shedding.

Happy to say I woke up to a little turd next to the water bowl. Only took 3 weeks, haha. Right on time, too for his weekly dinner tonight.

Is it bad that my snakes first crap kinda just made my day? :rofl:

Just for the record, most of us start our hatchlings on either hopper mice or rat pinks.

Glad you are happy to see a little poo, I want to see how happy you are when he is about 1000g and competing with your dogs LoL

Hopper just means live, right?

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Originally Posted by Dev_DeCoste

Hopper just means live, right?

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Hopper is usually a reference to the size/age. Essentially a teen-age mouse. Not full grown, but not a baby that just lies there and does nothing. It's up and hopping around checking out the world.

I'm in the same position you are with the non-pooping!
I've had mine for 6 weeks, and have only found urates thus far, even after cleaning out the tank.

I think you and I are both in for a big dumping... be prepared! ;)

I found the bigger the prey and more they eat the more they deficate. I'm sure he is fine.. I worried for a while bout mine at first.didn't poo for like 2 21/2 weeks..but been about 1 time a week since I started feeding him larger prey

That makes sense. I just ran out of the fuzzies today so I'll be upping his meal size next week. Hopefully Petco has all the different sizes and what-not