Help~~My baby Suriname boa's poop is like black smashed potato。。。

:(Hello guys! My baby boa just shed yesterday and it's perfectly in one piece. He also had good white cylinder shaped urine. This morning I found his poop like smashed potato in his water bowl...He had mites when he came home so I treated him with PAM and reptile relief based on the instructions. Now almost two months passed he shows no mites and eat and shed well. But his poop is always not very in shape. Last time his poop looks like 2/3 in shape and 1/3 is not in shape looks like he pass through it and break the shape. I fed him pinkie rat. He pooped once every week or every two week. Does this have something to do with the mites treat? Or because I mist too much during his shed? Or signs of inner parasite or something? Or because I fed him pinkie which does not have fur? Thank you so much!
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Originally Posted by alice40604345

Or because I fed him pinkie which does not have fur?

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this is the most likely reason.
Was your baby captive bred and born? If not, you may also want to get a fecal down to rule out internal parasites.

Rodents not yet developing fur like pinkies and even fuzzies will do this. The high fat content and lack of developed bones and fur will result in your young snake pooping what may look like tar. Nothing to worry about and once you switch to more developed rodents it will get better.

Thank you so much! I got him at Hamburg, PA reptile expo and the seller claim he's captive bred, but I'm not sure. May I know what is "get a fecal down"? Sorry for my English...

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

this is the most likely reason.
Was your baby captive bred and born? If not, you may also want to get a fecal down to rule out internal parasites.

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Thank you so much! Yeah it's like tar! Great description lol! So it's OK to keep feeding him pinkie rat right? Or should I change to small mouse with fur? I was worried if I change to mouse he may not want rat when he grows up.

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Originally Posted by SDA

Rodents not yet developing fur like pinkies and even fuzzies will do this. The high fat content and lack of developed bones and fur will result in your young snake pooping what may look like tar. Nothing to worry about and once you switch to more developed rodents it will get better.

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Feed him until he takes larger. It's fine they simply do not get the same quality of nutrients so as soon as you can upsize safely, do so.

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Originally Posted by alice40604345

May I know what is "get a fecal down"?

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A veterinarian uses a sample of the feces (usually you bring it into their office when fresh) and checks it for parasites.

This is the reason, i feed all my little snakes on mice until they are big enough to switch to weaned rats. Anything under weaned rats is like a jellybean of fat and milk.

I would start off with switching him to hopper mice and after a few weeks, if the poop hasnt tightened up, then might have a vet do a fecal like April said.

I started my suriname off on hopper mice. She just graduated to weaned rats.

Some snakes handle the fat a little better than others but really, no snake should be having such a fatty diet.

And remember, BCC tend to puke if fed too big of meal. Stick with the mice and you should be good.

Thank you so much!! I haven't seen any parasite post, not sure what should be a sign of parasite lol.

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

A veterinarian uses a sample of the feces (usually you bring it into their office when fresh) and checks it for parasites.

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Ah thank you so much!:) LOL jellybean. I'll get some hopper mice! May I know that have you had any problem in changing their prey from mice to rats?

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

This is the reason, i feed all my little snakes on mice until they are big enough to switch to weaned rats. Anything under weaned rats is like a jellybean of fat and milk.

I would start off with switching him to hopper mice and after a few weeks, if the poop hasnt tightened up, then might have a vet do a fecal like April said.

I started my suriname off on hopper mice. She just graduated to weaned rats.

Some snakes handle the fat a little better than others but really, no snake should be having such a fatty diet.

And remember, BCC tend to puke if fed too big of meal. Stick with the mice and you should be good.

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Originally Posted by alice40604345

Ah thank you so much!:) LOL jellybean. I'll get some hopper mice! May I know that have you had any problem in changing their prey from mice to rats?

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Nope. I have been able to change all my snakes over no problem. Boas are not picky and will usually eat anything hung in front of their faces.

The only snake i havent switched from mice to rats yet is Luna my dumerils but she is still small enough that a mouse or 2 work for her. I'll work on her after she clearly outgrows mice. All the baby boas instantly grabbed weaned rats when i showed them, no hesitation on it being new prey or anything. They just said 'FOOD!!" and wrapped it lol.

And yeah, i heard a couple people call little baby mice and rats "jellybeans of fat'. Also just heard a guy call GTPs 'Ball Pythons on a stick" lol. Kind of true though. Pat is like a bump on a log all day long. I only see him move if i bug him or he moves from the cool side of the perch to the warm side under his CHE. He gets pretty worked up when he smells food also. Come night though, he is far from a BP. The little booger is on the move all night long unless he just ate lol.

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Originally Posted by alice40604345

Ah thank you so much!:) LOL jellybean. I'll get some hopper mice! May I know that have you had any problem in changing their prey from mice to rats?

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I've had my captive bred baby suri for 3 feedings. She was born in September 2019 I received her in October and it's now Dec. Each time she has pooped its been a puddle of brown with specs of urates. According to the breeder and from what I have been able to find out, it is caused by the pinkie rats that she's eating. It's basically like eating soup. I have been assured that nothing is wrong with her. I can switch her over to hopper mice but prefer to stick with rats and up size her to fuzzy rats in about a month. We'll see how it goes however it is distressing to see the puddle.
Lou

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Originally Posted by skaukatt

... I can switch her over to hopper mice but prefer to stick with rats and up size her to fuzzy rats in about a month. We'll see how it goes however it is distressing to see the puddle.
Lou

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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Baby Suriname/Guyana boas should be fed mice...your preferences will not do your boa any good.

There are theories as to why some Suriname boas have trouble digesting rats early in their life and I'm not trying to downplay anyone's theory but regardless of theory the results are known...Many decades ago pioneers (so to speak) killed baby Suriname/Guyana boa feeding them rats and learned that digestive problems can be avoided by feeding appropriately sized mice for the first year.