My BP might die.. beyond worried.

I've had Chai for two weeks now and today was her second feeding I have done with her. She's a six month old BP. Long story short, her rat pup got a little wet while I was thawing it out in a bag (The ziploc unsealed), and when I put it in her enclosure and she struck I immediately noticed how much cypress mulch was sticking to the wet rat.. I tried to get some off with my tongs but I was so worried of also stressing her and it wouldn't come off the rat with my tongs. She swallowed a lot of little pieces and a big piece as well, I removed some of the big piece but she soon swallowed the rest. I have her in a mix of cypress mulch and eco earth bedding. I have seen so many mixed reviews about impaction and now I'm just praying she passes it. Realistically, what should I be expecting? How long before I know she's going to be ok and impaction will no longer be a concern? I feel like a failure!!!

Calm down, it should be ok. Mine has swallowed a few and never had an issue. Now when I feed I’ll pick off the pieces with long tweezers. But they swallow stuff in the wild all the time.

It's best to avoid letting them swallow "extra stuff" but she'll probably be OK. In the future have something right there on hand to put under the feeder when
she grabs it & before she rolls it in the substrate. A lightweight plastic plate or something similar...you could even put down a large flat box lid or piece of care-
board just before you offer food.

I hope she's okay.

For future feedings, place and adequately sized plastic lid or cardboard cut-out on the top of the bedding so that the bite, follow-through and beginning of ingestion all happen on top of that surface.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

It's best to avoid letting them swallow "extra stuff" but she'll probably be OK. In the future have something right there on hand to put under the feeder when
she grabs it & before she rolls it in the substrate. A lightweight plastic plate or something similar...you could even put down a large flat box lid or piece of care-
board just before you offer food.

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beat me to it!

She will probably be fine like the others said. My ball python is also 6 months old. And as mentioned it is not ideal that they swallow extra substrate so what I do is I have one side of his enclosure that I feed him at where the substrate is pushed away from where he will be dining.

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The title of the thread may be a bit alarmist.

I have found dabbing the rodent dry beforehand eliminates most of the potential for substrate ingestion. The rat or mouse tends to go down pretty clean, with only a couple little flecks of substrate here and there, and I notice that often that comes off the feeder before it goes down the snake's gullet anyway.

I would relax a little bit and just watch for any abnormal signs from your snake.

They swallow animals whole, bone and all. I think they can handle a little bit of mulch. That being said I think some really good advice has already been brought up on how to avoid this. Personally I don’t like mulch as it can cause splinters and doesn’t seem like it’d be very comfortable to me. Depending on species I usually use a mixture of coconut fiber, husk and moss. I feed all my animals in their enclosures and haven’t had any impaction issues. Hopefully this thread has helped ease your mind.


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I wouldn't sweat it. Snakes are very efficient animals.

Think of it this way...they've survived thousands of years in nature....and where do they eat??? They swallow debris with their food.

Try not to stress, I know easier said than done. But rest assured your snake will be ok.

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Originally Posted by MarkL1561

They swallow animals whole, bone and all. I think they can handle a little bit of mulch. That being said I think some really good advice has already been brought up on how to avoid this. Personally I don’t like mulch as it can cause splinters and doesn’t seem like it’d be very comfortable to me. Depending on species I usually use a mixture of coconut fiber, husk and moss. I feed all my animals in their enclosures and haven’t had any impaction issues. Hopefully this thread has helped ease your mind.


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FYI, different enzymes are required to digest bones & protein versus plant material...VERY different. Snakes are not & cannot be 'vegetarians' for this reason. ;)
It's not about being "tough enough to digest bones"...they do not possess the enzymes needed to break down plant material.

I too would be concerned about mulch with splinters...perforated guts are not unheard of, but usually minor amounts of debris just "go along for the ride" OK.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

FYI, different enzymes are required to digest bones & protein versus plant material...VERY different. Snakes are not & cannot be 'vegetarians' for this reason. ;)
It's not about being "tough enough to digest bones"...they do not possess the enzymes needed to break down plant material.

I too would be concerned about mulch with splinters...perforated guts are not unheard of, but usually minor amounts of debris just "go along for the ride" OK.

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I’m aware of this, just trying to make a point. I’m actually a biologist by training, freshwater ecologist to be exact. I’m currently in grad school, almost halfway done [emoji1695]I was trying to comfort the poor guy by mentioning how “tough” they are. I’m pretty confident that a snake can pass a wood chip. Although it is more concerning than if it ate coconut husk/fiber. Even if you take a wood chip and soak it in water for a bit it gets more pliable so I’m doubtful that a small one would cause permanent damage. I’m by no means a veterinarian but in my experience reptiles can be pretty resilient when it comes to things like this. I think it’s normal to worry too much with a new animal. I still think he should change the substrate though.


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I've considered the different enzymes problem too, but the snakes don't perish if the prey just ate.
Rats and many birds eat grain, what if the bunny had a gut full of alfalfa?
Inquiring minds...

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Originally Posted by distaff

I've considered the different enzymes problem too, but the snakes don't perish if the prey just ate.
Rats and many birds eat grain, what if the bunny had a gut full of alfalfa?
Inquiring minds...

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I’m assuming they just poop it out but can’t digest/absorb the nutrients from it.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by distaff

I've considered the different enzymes problem too, but the snakes don't perish if the prey just ate.
Rats and many birds eat grain, what if the bunny had a gut full of alfalfa?
Inquiring minds...

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For sure the prey can be full of food (but also enzymes of their own)...I think it's really a matter of degree, & not all "organic matter" is created equal. Sticks & wood chips are not the same as pliable grass blades or lots of tiny seeds/or grain. Some things pass easier & some things make great blockages.

I'm picturing the wild doves that eat the whole corn I put out for the chickens. Would a crop full of whole corn just get passed? Would it cause the snake any distress? Kinda wondering what those who feed poultry tend to find in the resulting snake poop.

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Originally Posted by distaff

I'm picturing the wild doves that eat the whole corn I put out for the chickens. Would a crop full of whole corn just get passed? Would it cause the snake any distress? Kinda wondering what those who feed poultry tend to find in the resulting snake poop.

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Corn tends to look the same no matter who or what eats it, lol.
But seriously, kernels are fairly round & can be pushed forward pretty well, even if undigested. Twig/splinter shapes can catch easier, as when they get pushed sideways.
Great question for those who feed poultry though...why not start a thread & ask?

This is one of the reasons that I use newspaper.

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Originally Posted by Reptilius

This is one of the reasons that I use newspaper.

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:gj: It's not very aesthetic but no snake ever had a perforated bowel from it, as they can from ingesting some kinds of substrate (sharp pieces of wood & twigs).
It's not that it happens often, as such debris often gets safely ejected when there's enough other digested food around it, but you don't want your snake to be the one,
nor can you count on being lucky forever (for all the times your snake eats during it's life). Just better to prevent this...it's not that hard to do.