My Snake Has a Lump...

Hi All, Jelly (my male blood) has not gone "#2" in the approximate 4 months which I have had him. That's not concerning me too much...but the past month or so he's developed a lump approaching the last 1/4 of his body. Does anybody have any idea what this could be? I've scheduled him in for a vet visit this Wednesday evening. Since he hasn't "gone" for me I don't think we can get a fecal done but hopefully some sort of xray can be taken and/or perhaps the vet can persuade him "to go" during the visit. Any comments/suggestions would be highly appreciated, thanks!

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...toshoot013.jpg

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...toshoot006.jpg

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...toshoot010.jpg

I recently read on this forum that Bloods can go quite long without defecating (7 months isn't unusual), however your snake does look like he has a fecal compaction. I'm sure your vet will tell you for sure.

In the mean time you could try giving it a lukewarm bath but you might want to check with your vet first. I'm not sure if it would do any good if it does have a compaction, but I don't think it will hurt and baths are used quite often for constipated snakes.

Hey xdeus, thanks for the quick reply! I've soaked Jelly in lukewarm water (each time approximately an hour) a few days each week for about the past month in hopes to encourage him to "go". So far no luck. I've even heard of giving the snake a few drops of cod fish liver oil to help lube up his insides...though I have yet to try it. Anyone else heard of this method?

I'm not too concerned about him holding his "feeds" in at this moment...more so about the lump. He's had it the past few weeks so I'm hoping another few days before going to see the vet is OK.

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Originally Posted by xdeus

I recently read on this forum that Bloods can go quite long without defecating (7 months isn't unusual), however your snake does look like he has a fecal compaction. I'm sure your vet will tell you for sure.

In the mean time you could try giving it a lukewarm bath but you might want to check with your vet first. I'm not sure if it would do any good if it does have a compaction, but I don't think it will hurt and baths are used quite often for constipated snakes.

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I agree. Try letting Jelly swim for a little bit. It doesnt look normal.
http://www.vpi.com/mailbag/2006/10/i...on_constipated

Hope everything works out. I do recommend taking Jelly to the vet anyhow because it could be something else. Hope not. Good luck with Jelly

That sure is a beautiful blood!!

My blood has also not gone #2 for about 4 months. No lump like your seeing in yours though. Not visible anyways. I can feel what feels like a urate in there though.

Let us know please what the vet says?

I would definitely take that snake to a vet.

Beautiful coloring by the way. :)

That is highly unusual, i think you need to get him to the vet ASAP, esp when BC has said that he has never seen that and recommends the same thing. Why have you waited so long to take him?

i started noticing it a few weeks ago...but it grew little by little. coupled with the fact that jelly hasn't gone to the washroom for the 4 months i've had him, i assumed this was just part of a "backup"...but now i'm wondering otherwise and hence have been seeking your opinions. the vet appointment has been made (unfortunately he's not in until this wednesay evening) and i'll definately keep those who want to know posted. thanks for your comments/suggestions! i'm going to try keeping jelly as warm as possible this wednesday night on the way to/from the vet...it's already a snowy and cold winter here in toronto! :)

Just start the car up and let it warm up with the heat running so its nice and toasty for him!!

Please do post the results!! It seems anyone lately who has taken they're snake to the vet with poop problems ends up leaving the place with success. A poop free blood, and a vet office whose paint is peeling off the walls.

Good luck to you! Hope all is well.

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

Just start the car up and let it warm up with the heat running so its nice and toasty for him!!

Please do post the results!! It seems anyone lately who has taken they're snake to the vet with poop problems ends up leaving the place with success. A poop free blood, and a vet office whose paint is peeling off the walls.

Good luck to you! Hope all is well.

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Haha...and so I've read! Thanks for the tip and I'm looking forward to see what the vet has to say and/or do. Hopefully I'll have the luck that others have experienced!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

Please do post the results!! It seems anyone lately who has taken they're snake to the vet with poop problems ends up leaving the place with success. A poop free blood, and a vet office whose paint is peeling off the walls.

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Just you wait, the smell of it will send you reeling. Months upon months of saved up dookie assaulting your senses all at once.

You will never be the same again...if you survive. :weirdface

hahahaha thats funny. but

yea i would love to hear the results when he goes. GL

Well hey hey hey its wednesday!!!!

If I recall today was the day you were taking him to the vet. Ill be watching this thread tonight for an update.

Hopefully a good one!!!

Hey hey indeed it is! ;)

I'm taking Jelly in tonight (7pm Toronto time appointment) and will share the results with you's later this evening! :)

I had a female bp do the same thing a couple of months ago, and found a similar looking lump but more towards the back of her.

I gently palpated her (as you were looking for follicles) a couple of times, I felt the mass break up, and the most disgusting moment of my herp keeping life took place immediately after.

Snakes have a relatively simple digestive track so a little massage is probably all he needs.

I would bet that mass is either a large urate or a blockage caused by one, and I have been told that large urates like that can be caused by the snake not drinking enough for whatever reasons.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I had a female bp do the same thing a couple of months ago, and found a similar looking lump but more towards the back of her.

I gently palpated her (as you were looking for follicles) a couple of times, I felt the mass break up, and the most disgusting moment of my herp keeping life took place immediately after.

Snakes have a relatively simple digestive track so a little massage is probably all he needs.

I would bet that mass is either a large urate or a blockage caused by one, and I have been told that large urates like that can be caused by the snake not drinking enough for whatever reasons.

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Hi Brad, to be considered the most disgusting moment of your herp life if must've been pretty bad, haha!

I tried feeling the lump area before but hadn't really dared try to massage/squeeze it as I was afraid I'd end up doing more damage than good.

My blood doesn't drink that much...not that I notice anyhow. I do notice that after handling Jelly and putting back into the enclosure near the waterbowl he'll usually go for a long drink. I also soak him a few times a week to try to keep him hydrated and encourage drinking.

Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this mysterious lump issue tonight! I'm crossing my fingers that at worst it's just a case of hard urates!!

Yeah hopefully its something simple. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully all is well and your vet has a trick up his sleeve to get em to poop. That way you can let me in on it.

Again hopefully all is well. And there's nothing serious going on. Good luck to you!! Don't forget to post up later!!

Kara has said that some bloods are extra picky about fresh water. Perhaps giving him fresh water everymorning will help him in the case he is dehydrated. good luck, I am on the edge of my seat for the results. :gj:

My fingers are bleeding from the biting of me waiting in anticipation!!

Haha...you guys are too much...but I'm very happy you're sincerely concerned about Jelly as well! :)

I took Jelly to the vet tonight and after having an x-ray, the vet confirmed Jelly's just full of - you know what - and that's what the lump is. He suggested I swim him a few minutes each of the next few nights as well as soaking him (which I've done a few days of the last 3 weeks). We'll touch base this Saturday and if Jelly hasn't released some of this waste by then, the doc said he will need to give Jelly an enema because Jelly's just so full that it's causing that lump!

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Kara has said that some bloods are extra picky about fresh water. Perhaps giving him fresh water everymorning will help him in the case he is dehydrated. good luck, I am on the edge of my seat for the results. :gj:

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Thanks for the suggestion! Jelly always has a ton of water available at all times...but it's mainly changed once a week. I'll try changing his water everyday for the next little while and see if that makes a difference! :)

I would gently palpate the affected area....basically all you do is slide the snake's enclosure so there is an opening big enough to crawl down into. Place the snake's head just inside so he sees his way back in an starts to move. Place your hand in such a way that your thumb runs along the back of his spine and your other 4 fingers run along his belly. As he moves, gently squeeze your hand shut so the snake has to flatten himself slightly to move through. Basially the same way you'd feel for follicles. Again, be gentle, repeat a couple of times, and you might get things moving.

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Originally Posted by Dvas_Romeo

Haha...you guys are too much...but I'm very happy you're sincerely concerned about Jelly as well! :)

I took Jelly to the vet tonight and after having an x-ray, the vet confirmed Jelly's just full of - you know what - and that's what the lump is. He suggested I swim him a few minutes each of the next few nights as well as soaking him (which I've done a few days of the last 3 weeks). We'll touch base this Saturday and if Jelly hasn't released some of this waste by then, the doc said he will need to give Jelly an enema because Jelly's just so full that it's causing that lump!

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Better than something worst. All I say is better be prepared with a big garabage bag! And some cleaning gloves!:O

Well it's good to hear that it's not a rock hard urate! Keep us posted on the massages and daily swimmings ;)

Awww poor lil guy hope he does his buisness soon and releives that lump. Too bad your not closer you could always hand him to my niece not sure what it is but every snake we hand her decides its a nice time to go!

Yes, I'm also relieved to know it's not a hard urate that's preventing him from "going" and/or parasites, etc. Though I did spend a fortune on his checkup and x-ray last night...part of it is also being able to wake up each morning and not wondering if the big guy is still breathing...so the peace of mind it brought is priceless. He didn't let go during last night's swim session in lukewarm water and soaking sessino...so will attempt once again tonight! But man, he doesn't seem to like swimming...thrashing everywhere, bumping into the side of the tub...! :O

Quote:

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I would gently palpate the affected area....basically all you do is slide the snake's enclosure so there is an opening big enough to crawl down into. Place the snake's head just inside so he sees his way back in an starts to move. Place your hand in such a way that your thumb runs along the back of his spine and your other 4 fingers run along his belly. As he moves, gently squeeze your hand shut so the snake has to flatten himself slightly to move through. Basially the same way you'd feel for follicles. Again, be gentle, repeat a couple of times, and you might get things moving.

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I'll try incorporating this movement when massaging his rear end during his soak tonight. OK, now that sounds funny... o_O

The water your using might be too hot or too cold for him.

83 to 87 degrees. I usually just fill a plastic tub up with water that feels SLIGHTLY cool to the touch.
And your swimming him right? Filling your tub or whatever your putting him in to a foot deep. And then letting him swim around?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

The water your using might be too hot or too cold for him.

83 to 87 degrees. I usually just fill a plastic tub up with water that feels SLIGHTLY cool to the touch.
And your swimming him right? Filling your tub or whatever your putting him in to a foot deep. And then letting him swim around?

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Yes, that's exactly it! :) I measured the temp of the water and put him in a foot deep water.

Just for those hardcore ones out there who like to hear all the details, hehe...I sketched out how the x-ray showed the current layout of the backlog. At the present it basically looks like 2 separate huge pieces. :oops:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...nsideJelly.JPG

Wow, that's a lot of s***!

Yeah it is!!! Poor snake :(

He's gonna feel a lot better once all that craps gone. Hahahaha

I just noticed you said he gets his water changed once a week. I change mine at least every 2 days if not every day.

That could be what's causing his dehydration. Like you said hopefully changing it more often will help soften things up and get him "going".

Keep us updated!! I sure hope you have a respirator for when he drops that's load. Haha.

Our animals get fresh water once a week (friday night, chris changes them all). But for my bloods, I do try to get them new stuff every 3 days or so, but generally they get changed once a week too. They both have access to soak at any time, and I have not seen any issues at all. I guess mine aren't picky :P

I'm trying everything that I can think of to encourage him to poo...so we'll see if that will result in an early Christmas to me from Jelly, haha! :rolleye2:

Update: Hmmm...swam, soaked, and massaged the bugger for the 2nd night in the row...nothing new to report yet. The end felt a bit softer after last night's session.

On the other hand, I woke up and found that my ball python Peanut left me a relatively large surprise. I was late for work already but cleaned up anyhow after the guy.

Since it looks like my vet is pretty persistant about doing an enema on Jelly early next week if he doesn't poop by this Saturday, I was just curious if this is perfectly safe for the animal or if there could be some potential danger and/or side effect(s) involved - of course under the assumption the enema is performed correctly. Anyone have any ideas?

Side effects include: Rocketed discharge, disgruntled animal, potential for injury to skin, humiliation, and finally ellated feelings of joy at waste

Update: OK, so Jelly is at the vet this moment. I dropped him off for his enema(s) approx. 9am. An hour ago, the vet called to give me an update and mentioned there were large hard urates blocking his cloaca and hence the reason why Jelly couldn't poop. In fact, they were so large and stuck that she had to manually assist Jelly to remove them...Jelly couldn't get it out himself despite the enema. The vet mentioned she has never seen any urate and the amount of poo like this before. She said she'll show them to me in a few hours when I go pick him up. She's currently massaging his tail end and will give one more enema to clear out the remaining waste lodged where the lump was. The weird this is the original vet who took the xray said there were no urates...but when I mentioned this to the vet working on Jelly, she said the xray does show urates. Either way I would have had to get the xray done...but strange how the original vet mentioned it's just Jelly holding in the soft waste. I'll definately mention this contradictory information when I pick Jelly up later. I'm just glad he's now "unclogged" and hopefully he's feeling better! :)

Well that's good news!!! Woo hoo!!!

I just took my guy to the vet. I had problems getting his meds down him. So the vet did it. I explained his situation with no poop for 4 months. Made him feel the urates he had inside him.

The vet was amazed. And manually everted the first one in line. HUGE!!!! Then all of a sudden 3 more shot out!! Man did that office stink!!

No poop. But my vet said he should feel a lot better. Great news on jelly. Post pics if you can!!

Similiar to you, the vet was able to take out a lot of the rock hard urates - but no poop. The lump on Jelly is still showing...but the vet suspects that's soft waste...which should soon move down the tail end towards the cloaca area. The urates they were able to get out basically filled up the whole portion below the lump. So Jelly is back in his enclosure now and I'm leaving him alone tonight. The vet said I should try to swim and soak him tomorrow evening...and also massage the lump downwards towards the tail in even strokes.

The vet said the only thing you can really do to try and prevent these urate buildups is to increase the humidity of the cage and soak the snake a few times a week.

Here's a pic of the mess that came out today. I'm just hoping the remaining lump is indeed soft waste and that it makes its way down Jelly's tail end. When I massage and touch that area...it doesn't feel hard...so that's a good sign. Plus...from eating 4 month's worth of rats there must be some waste in there, right?! Jelly must be pretty relieved those urates are now gone! :)

Here's the pic!

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...ellyUrates.jpg

Wow, that's a huge amount of urates. Poor little guy!

I'm glad he's getting it taken care of, and hopefully he'll feel much better soon.

That's really good to hear! It sounds like the vet was unsure about her diagnosis initially, and why she was so insistant that the animal come back for an enema. But congratulations on the pooping, the both of you. Let us know how it goes in the future, if they continue to hold it in regardless, and there are hard build ups of urates.

I'm thinking like Kara said, that fresh (stupidly fresh) water is the way to go.

Thanks guys...at this point I'm just hoping the lump eventually goes away as waste passes through his system. I'm bumping up the humidity up a bit and will change his water daily to see if this helps in encouring him to drink. Also, I'll swim him once every 2 weeks and soak him a few times a week. Let's see how this goes and every so often I'll post an update. Thanks once again all!

Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :)

That's awesome he is doing better Dvas! :gj:

Thanks Earl! Hope your little "stranger" comes around too! :)

All: the vet called to follow-up on Jelly today and I explained that I swam and soaked him last night. The lump remains.

The vet suggested I stop feeding Jelly for the next few weeks and rather continue swimming and soaking him daily to encourage him to defacate and rid himself of that lump of waste before feeding again.

Prior to the vet calling, I was wondering whether the lump of waste would come eventually travel down his tail on its own...or he'd have to be fed in order for "fresh" waste to push down the wate currently forming the lump. What do you guys think of the vet's advice? They'll be calling in a week to follow-up at that point.

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Originally Posted by Dvas_Romeo

Thanks Earl! Hope your little "stranger" comes around too! :)

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He ate a big juicy Rat today so he is all fat and happy. :)


When you get a chance could you please hook us up with some more pics of that Blood? I love his coloring. :cool:

Thanks for the compliment Earl! And I'm glad to hear your guy is resting satisfied with a full tummy right now! :P

Ask and you shall receive! Here are a few pics I just took of Jelly since he's in the tub soaking right now. You can see the lump is still visible in the pics...I've just massaged it for a good 20 minutes at the beginning of his soak (which was after his 5 minute swim). Still crossing my fingers he defacates soon enough with all this nightly swimming, soaking, and massage sessions! :)

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...llyBath007.jpg
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...llyBath010.jpg
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...llyBath012.jpg
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...llyBath013.jpg

He is gonna be a RED daddy when he grows up. How well is he taking all the massaging and stuff? Calm or agitated?