Should I get a fecal done?

[Badgemash]

I apologize if I should have posted this in the regular husbandry forum, but I'd like the advice of more advanced keepers.

I'm worried about one of my females, she barely eats, she's a mouser but will only eat one (or rarely two) every 2-3 weeks, which is insufficient for a 1000g snake. Her poop is VERY smelly, and tends to be soft. I think husbandry is good, she's in an AP rack, on paper, with warm/cool zone hides, temps 80-90, humidity 40-60%, no shed issues.

Our local exotic vet does fecal work-ups, I'm wondering if I should give that a try? Could this be caused by a heavy parasite load? Also, if this is a good idea, does anyone have any advice about getting a sample out of her for analysis? If she was a tortoise I'd just put her in the bath, but I'm not sure how to entice a bp to poop.

Thanks!

ETA: I think I can get her to switch to rats once this issue is resolved.

[Ryan Chin]

I have noticed the quality of feed that goes in has a great deal to do with the smell when it comes out. When I get snakes in from other breeders that have not been here long yet, their defecation usually smells a bit differently than all of my snakes. I don't mean to say I have the highest quality of feeders, although I like to think they're pretty damn good since I raise them myself and give them tons of love/good food. For a while after I got my het pied pair in their defecation was runny and also smelled bad. I got them both on rats as soon as they arrived here as I have done with all my other snakes and their poop is solid now.

I'm not saying don't take your snake to get a check up if you feel it needs one, but I would not wait to get them on to rats if I can help it. I feel rats provide a lot more fat and nutrition that helps out in younger/older snakes. My butter enchi male I just got in on Tuesday took his first rat meal in his life for me on Friday, with no hesitation at all. Has yet to defecate since I have had him but I will be keeping a nose and eye out for any differences.

[Badgemash]

She was on rats when I first got her, but was sporadically eating and refusing more and more, so I offered mice. She took these for a while and is now refusing them as well. Her BM's aren't as smelly as they were when she first arrived, but she's still by far the smelliest of my snakes.

[Neal]

I look at it like this. To get a fecal here isn't much, under $30. So why not? If doing this will help you feel better and worry less and you have the extra $15-20, then go for it.

[Mephibosheth1]

If you have the money to spend I'd recommend a fecal to rule out any problems; I'd ask first though to see what method they use

if they just do simple floatations I wouldn't waste my time, as hey tend to not show the parasites very well. Try to get them to do a centrifugation or a sedimentation, as they are the more accurate methods.

if you could let me know how your vet responds to the questions too, that would be great

[Neal]

If you have the money to spend I'd recommend a fecal to rule out any problems; I'd ask first though to see what method they use

if they just do simple floatations I wouldn't waste my time, as hey tend to not show the parasites very well. Try to get them to do a centrifugation or a sedimentation, as they are the more accurate methods.

if you could let me know how your vet responds to the questions too, that would be great

Well being I didn't know this I'll have to ask what my local one does. I know they said something about putting it under a microscope. So which way is the best?

[Badgemash]

The cost isn't an issue, and they're an exotics only vet and good with questions. I'll call and check which method they use. I just wanted to confirm that it seems like an appropriate next step, and also get some advice on how to get a "sample" out of her.

ETA: Called and made appoinment for tomorrow afternoon.

[Neal]

The cost isn't an issue, and they're an exotics only vet and good with questions. I'll call and check which method they use. I just wanted to confirm that it seems like an appropriate next step, and also get some advice on how to get a "sample" out of her.

When I called about a fecal they said to get get fresh fecal and to put it in a ziploc bag or some kind of plastic cup with a lid on it. It can't be a day old or anything. I was told as soon as you notice the snake doing it, get it and bring it in. So other then that I won't be able to tell you how because I've never done it, though I plan on doing it when I can catch my Rufous Beaked Snakes pooping.

[Badgemash]

They said bring her in to have the vet look her over, then based on that and her history they may or may not deworm her straight away and get the sample when it comes out. They can do solid or float analysis in-house, and contract with a separate lab for dna if required.

[Sita]

It's good you're taking her in for an exam as well, since if she does have parasites, vets are legally required to have seen the animal in order to prescribe medication. Soft, stinky poo makes me think it's likely she has parasites. Sometimes they can go off food if the parasite load is high enough as well.

Any fecal is going to be looked at under a microscope, since parasite eggs are microscopic. The best way to have it looked at is a centrifuged float sample, the next best is a regular (which is not centrifuged) float, and the last is direct smear.

A snake will often defecate when soaked in warm water for a time, say 15-20 minutes, and you can collect it and keep it refrigerated until you take it in. If she won't go for you, when you get to the clinic, they'll probably use a fecal loop to try to get a sample. Even if they don't get one right then, keep a paper towel handy, because the act of looping them will often make them poop! Just last week, we had a guy's BP poo on him 5 minutes after we looped her for a sample; I had forgotten to warn him about that!