Constipation?

Okay...my BP Cornelious hasn't pooped in about two weeks now, and it's time. I just bumped him up to large rats, which he eats once a week (he's taken two so far, once a week). I haven't fed him this week, as he hasn't pooped yet, and he looks like an overstuffed Italien sausage. I've read on here that soaking in warm water will make them defecate most of the time. I would like to try that, but he just started his shed cycle. He's at the eyes cloudy, skin dull part. Is it it okay to soak him right now, or should I wait until the skin starts peeling? At what point should I get him to the vet for some Snaketo Bismol? Thanks in advance :gj:

Hmmm, do you think the fact that he went from medium to large could be a factor in why he hasn't gone potty yet? They're really close to being as big around as he is - I try to get large rats on the smaller side, and he ate them no problem.

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Originally Posted by reaxion07

Okay...my BP Cornelious hasn't pooped in about two weeks now, and it's time. I just bumped him up to large rats, which he eats once a week (he's taken two so far, once a week). I haven't fed him this week, as he hasn't pooped yet, and he looks like an overstuffed Italien sausage. I've read on here that soaking in warm water will make them defecate most of the time. I would like to try that, but he just started his shed cycle. He's at the eyes cloudy, skin dull part. Is it it okay to soak him right now, or should I wait until the skin starts peeling? At what point should I get him to the vet for some Snaketo Bismol? Thanks in advance :gj:

Hmmm, do you think the fact that he went from medium to large could be a factor in why he hasn't gone potty yet? They're really close to being as big around as he is - I try to get large rats on the smaller side, and he ate them no problem.

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i wouldnt ever feed anything larger than a med rat and thats to a really really large female.

Aww, man, were out of medium rats so I just followed the prey items as big around as they are rule :(

I don't think you are too late to soak him. Just be gentle, and calm and he should be ok. Soaking does help some snakes defecate, I know when I used to have a corn he used to LOVE LOVE LOVE defecating all up in his water dish so I could clean it up.

If nothing else, the soak will help rehydrate him and also help his shed. Whenever I deal w/ a difficult shed I put the snake in a tub w/ air holes, fill up the tub w/ water NO MORE THAN 1/2 WAY up the snakes' body (any more can cause them to stress out and they could drown) and then set the tub in a room undisturbed for about 30-45 mins w/ a heating pad underneath it to keep the water warm.

Afterwards, if it's an incomplete shed (he partially shed), take him out and using a wet/damp towel let him crawl through it, and it usually works really well. Again, only do this last part if he's already started shedding himself.

Thanks! After his first shed, he's shed perfectly with me every time, I just didn't know if soaking him while he was still cloudy would mess with his cycle. I guess I'll try soaking him, and if it doesn't work it's off to the vet I go!

Don't soak the snake if the snake is in the blue stage. Usually they will use they will defecate when the shed is finished.. Goodluck!

My adults usually defecate every shed cycle. If he is in blue, you should probably just leave him alone until he sheds. I feed my 2500 gram girl a medium rat every week because I tried her on small & she was hungry all the time (not that she is not still a very eager feeder). But I would not feed her anything larger or more than 1 a week. However, sizes do vary. What's large in one place, could be medium somewhere else.

I don't think the issue is whether it is too late to soak him. I've read that it can actually make a shed worse to soak before the actual shedding process begins, so it sounds too early to soak.

My BPs frequently poo when they shed, and 2 weeks is not even close to long enough to worry about it begin too long between poos (unless there is something more than just the amount of time causing your concern). I'd just wait and see what happens when the snake sheds. If the snake doesn't poo and/or the shed doesn't go well, then would be the time to try soaking.

I would not continue with the large rats though. Many people I really trust recommend nothing larger than a small/med rat for any BP. But I am not aware of a large meal being likely to cause constipation.

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Originally Posted by piper

Don't soak the snake if the snake is in the blue stage. Usually they will use they will defecate when the shed is finished.. Goodluck!

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just out of curiosity, why would you not soak the snake if it is in blue? I understand the snake just being in blue could be stressed if you handle it, but the soak itself rehydrates the snake and actually helps it shed.

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Originally Posted by MuzeBallPythons

What's large in one place, could be medium somewhere else.

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It took me a minute to figure out what you were referring to. If I interpreted correctly, this is a good point. One store might call something a "large rat" while another store could declare the very same rat to be a "medium".

I like referring to the Rodentpro website. I think their definitions are fairly standard, plus they have pictures as well as approx ages, length, and weight for each size, so you can get a good idea if the feeder you brought home from your local store should really be considered the size they said it was. In my experience, a lot of local stores aren't even consistent with themselves from week to week, much less conforming to an industry standard.

Mice:
http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp...el=frozen_mice

Rats:
http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp...el=frozen_rats

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Originally Posted by joshthaxton

just out of curiosity, why would you not soak the snake if it is in blue? I understand the snake just being in blue could be stressed if you handle it, but the soak itself rehydrates the snake and actually helps it shed.

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Actually, from what I have read, it can make a shed worse. I believe this is because when the snake is in blue, there are oils between the old skin which is about to be shed and the new one. If you soak the snake, it can wash away the oils, which are what helps the layers of skin separate.

This is probably not a 100% accurate description of what really happens, and I haven't actually tried it (I read people that I trusted saying not to, so I didn't).

Soaking the snake once it has begun shedding definitely does help, if help is even needed. That I have tried! :)

Thanks everyone! This site is awesome. I'm just worried because it looks like the poop is allready at the opening, he's just not going. He's pretty bulbous as well. Hopefully it's just because of the shed. Other then him not pooping, he's not doing anything out of the ordinary, I'm just being a worry wort.

Based on the chart, the rats I got were between a medium and a large. I felt every single bag to get the smallest large they had, because they do greatly vary in size.

The "pretty bulbous" look could be part of what I was referring to when I mentioned something else to cause concern. Does he feel hard like he has a big hard poo in him?

If so, then it might be time for a soak (for the constipation, not the shedding). I would wait for a more expert opinion than mine on whether it would be best to soak immediately, and possibly create a bad shed, or to stick with the wait until he sheds and then soak if necessary plan. That would also partly depend on just how extreme his constipation is. My feeling is that unless the constipation is really bad (big & hard), waiting won't hurt. However, if it is bad enough for waiting to be a problem... the side effects of a bad constipation issue are going to be worse than a bad shed.

Any details you can add, or maybe post a picture, will help you get the best advice possible.

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Originally Posted by reaxion07

Okay...my BP Cornelious hasn't pooped in about two weeks now, and it's time. I just bumped him up to large rats, which he eats once a week (he's taken two so far, once a week). I haven't fed him this week, as he hasn't pooped yet, and he looks like an overstuffed Italien sausage. I've read on here that soaking in warm water will make them defecate most of the time. I would like to try that, but he just started his shed cycle. He's at the eyes cloudy, skin dull part. Is it it okay to soak him right now, or should I wait until the skin starts peeling? At what point should I get him to the vet for some Snaketo Bismol? Thanks in advance :gj:

Hmmm, do you think the fact that he went from medium to large could be a factor in why he hasn't gone potty yet? They're really close to being as big around as he is - I try to get large rats on the smaller side, and he ate them no problem.

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To be really honest though, my female has only pooped twice in the last 2 months, and she isn't off feed. I think it has to do with a combination of winter months(building)/winter months (temperature/metabolism). As far as constipation or impaction goes...just try and keep your humidity up, and he will pass it. I really don't think it has anything to do w/ the large rats other than it may take longer for him to digest, and subsequently pass it.

I'm stuck at work until 5:00 with no car (girlfriend has it). She's off at 2:00, I'll make her pull him out and take a picture. When I picked him up on Sunday, he didn't feel hard. He felt full, but he's still squishy. Sorry, this is hard to describe. He has a Reptile Basic medium hide - right now, he's a little bigger then the opening, but he's still able to get inside because he's squishy. He's not bulbous per say, just pudgy. When I picked him up, his tongue was flicking, and he was slithering around a little. He's been spending his time on the hot side right now, usually when he poops, he goes to the cold side when he's ready to go. He has not displayed any unusual behavior, there has been no regurgitation, no wheezing, or mucas. The only other reptiles in the house are turtles in a different room, and a recently aquired Crested Gecko which is in the same room as he is.

Oh, and he's in a 20g long, with black foam core board on three sides, an aluminum foil/duct tape covering on his screen top, and has a Zoomed UTH and a ceramic heat emitter. Both are controlled by a Ranco Controls Thermostat (prewired from Reptile Basics). The thermostat is set to 90, +/- one degree. Hot side stays between 89-91, cool side between 77-80, and the humidity usually stays between 60%-66%. He does only have one hide, but there is a ton of crumpled up newspaper on the cold side, AND I have a bandanna draped along the front of the tank, so the only portion that you can see in is the small section where the hide is. He's in a very low traffic area, and not in direct sunlight.

Pics!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/IMG_0268.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/IMG_0271.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/IMG_0273.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/IMG_0276.jpg

More in this album:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v4...7/Constipated/

If he is about to shed, I assume it will be accompanied by a huge poo! He looks like he is about to blow!!
I would bump up your hot side to 93 though. :D

Seriously, that's why I'm kind of worried...he's huuuge, haha. I'm dreading when he finally does blow the hatch, it's going to be epic!