injesting Aspen

[Kyleena]

Hey all
I wondered if its harmful for BP's to ingest the Aspen bedding. The substrate sticks to the prey (I feed f/t). I have a very picky little girl when it comes to feeding so she refuses to eat outside of her enclosure. Is it bad for her to eat the Aspen?

[TheWinWizard]

I wouldn't think so if it's a small amount.

[weird_science04]

I wouldn't say it is good for your snake to eat aspen. Too much can cause a blockage. I also use aspen in snake cages. I will always put the aspen down and throw a little newspaper on top of the aspen. I "try" to feed on the newspaper BUT that doesn't always happen. There are times when they drag it across the aspen. While some people (on the boa forum) freak out over feeding with aspen in the cage, I feel that in the wild, they eat off the ground and get all sorts of stuff on the prey item. Many times if you watch the feeding process, they push a lot of the aspen out of their mouths while eating. However, anything in excess is going to be bad so that is why I try to feed on the little bit of newspaper in the cage.

Star

[Skiploder]

I would not worry about it.

Wood substrate blockages are another one of the internet forum bugaboos that have gained traction somehow.

Everyone is worried about them and people go to a certain amount of bother to try to prevent them. Someone invariably knows someone who knows someone who has a brother in law of a friend's niece who had a wood fiber blockage incidence.

However if you talk to vets, or if you talk to people who have been keeping snakes for many years, they are an extremely uncommon, even unheard of occurance. Our vet claims that every impaction she has ever seen has been caused by either incorrect temperatures of dehydration.

Let's put it this way - I've fed God knows how many snakes of different species and ages on various wood substrates for years without any issues. At this point I'm more worried that my snakes will steal my car keys and go on a booze-fueled road trip than suffer a wood substrate-induced blockage.

[TheWinWizard]

That's what I figured. lol

[MasonC2K]

At this point I'm more worried that my snakes will steal my car keys and go on a booze-fueled road trip than suffer a wood substrate-induced blockage.

LOL! You have won an internetz.

[jason_ladouceur]

I would not worry about it.

Wood substrate blockages are another one of the internet forum bugaboos that have gained traction somehow.

Everyone is worried about them and people go to a certain amount of bother to try to prevent them. Someone invariably knows someone who knows someone who has a brother in law of a friend's niece who had a wood fiber blockage incidence.

However if you talk to vets, or if you talk to people who have been keeping snakes for many years, they are an extremely uncommon, even unheard of occurance. Our vet claims that every impaction she has ever seen has been caused by either incorrect temperatures of dehydration.

Let's put it this way - I've fed God knows how many snakes of different species and ages on various wood substrates for years without any issues. At this point I'm more worried that my snakes will steal my car keys and go on a booze-fueled road trip than suffer a wood substrate-induced blockage.

LMAO
that was wicked funny. and on top of that usefull. i agree 101% in almost 20 years of keeping snakes on wood sustates, sand, moss, ect i have never had an impaction. in fact except online i have never even heard of it happening. not even to someone's brother in law of a friend's niece.

[Raptor]

I saw a thread on another forum where a young cornsnake managed to get a decent sized piece of aspen down it. The piece was visible. Everyone screamed to go to the vet and were bashing the owner for not taking the animal. One person commented that he could carefully try to get the piece to straighten up, rather than be sideways. Everyone screamed that it'd kill the snake (I mean seriously, taking it to the vet would probably end up in the same thing).

The OP followed the advice on the one person and a few days later, smugly posted pictures of a half digested piece of wood.

[corgigirl9]

Mine seem to sometimes get aspen in their mouth but never really ingest alot of it. If its stuff in their mouth I use long tweezers to assist them but other then that I have more then 20 snakes I feed on aspen each week.

[YOSEF]

I would not worry about it.

Wood substrate blockages are another one of the internet forum bugaboos that have gained traction somehow.

Everyone is worried about them and people go to a certain amount of bother to try to prevent them. Someone invariably knows someone who knows someone who has a brother in law of a friend's niece who had a wood fiber blockage incidence.

However if you talk to vets, or if you talk to people who have been keeping snakes for many years, they are an extremely uncommon, even unheard of occurance. Our vet claims that every impaction she has ever seen has been caused by either incorrect temperatures of dehydration.

Let's put it this way - I've fed God knows how many snakes of different species and ages on various wood substrates for years without any issues. At this point I'm more worried that my snakes will steal my car keys and go on a booze-fueled road trip than suffer a wood substrate-induced blockage.

That, my friend , was FUNNY.....and useful. Thanks for giving such a common sense and experienced perspective !