Constipated Ball Python??

[Zecon44]

Hey everyone. I had my 4 month old cinnamon banana on ecoearth but he some how got dirt in his mouth and vent so I switched him to paper towels so I can get him clean. My problem right now is not only is he shedding but I think he's constipated? His lower half seems to be bulging and he can't really lift it to wrap around my hand so he flops around like a fish. I took him to the vet because I was worried about the dirt causing an infection. She looked him over and said a week or so of baths would do the trick and that there was no infection. But now (3 days later) he hasn't pooped in a week or more and looks like this. If it is constipation, how do I combat this?
(Also in another thread we had determined the split in his scales are like a "belly button" they just also have some dirt in them)

[Zecon44]

Some things to add is before this he was eating great (3 pinkies once a week) and he is still active, responsive and alert. He hasn't eaten in 2 weeks because I wanted to get him clean and have him shed. His warm side is 90° with an inferred bulb and humidity stays at about 60% with the fogger. Tank is a 36 gallon. My 4 year old snake is doing just fine with the ecoearth but I'm thinking of switching him to Aspen just in case?

[Sunnieskys]

3 pinkie mice? Snakes eat hoppers out of the egg then go right onto adult mice. Get him on adult mice asap. He will poop when he sheds. Almost can guarantee it. Feed him please.

[savora]

I agree, the poor thing needs a lot more food. As a rule of thumb, the less food they're intaking, the less they'll poop. The body is using all of the calories it can salvage. Here's a good feeding chart:



If you're wondering about anything else, you could look over the forum's caresheet to see if your temps and other husbandry are correct: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ius)-Caresheet

[Zincubus]

Some things to add is before this he was eating great (3 pinkies once a week) and he is still active, responsive and alert. He hasn't eaten in 2 weeks because I wanted to get him clean and have him shed. His warm side is 90° with an inferred bulb and humidity stays at about 60% with the fogger. Tank is a 36 gallon. My 4 year old snake is doing just fine with the ecoearth but I'm thinking of switching him to Aspen just in case?

On the substrate front ... Eco earth is much better at holding moisture than that awful aspen stuff ... plus if you're worrying about substrate ingestion then I'd prefer mine to eat some Eco earth rather than aspen ...

Eco earth looks so much better and far more natural than aspen which always reminds me of sawdust

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[Zecon44]

I really appreciate everyone's advice and the feeding chart because it makes me more confident to move my adult snoot up a size in mice. Unfortunately Clementine passed away just last night... His lower half was darker then usual as I mentioned but I figured he just had to have a bowel movement. I don't think he could have ingested enough ecoearth to cause a blockage, I always fed him in a separate tank with paper towels... Could it have been a parasite? Or internal bleeding? I understand now I wasn't feeding him a full meal but he was in no way malnourished. At least I think he wasn't. I've seen pictures of snakes that aren't feed, he didn't have extra skin and was well rounded and active when interacting with him. But let me know if I'm wrong in thinking that and it was me. I never want this to happen again...

[Craiga 01453]

So sorry to hear this.

I have no experience with is this, so don't want to offer anything other than sincere condolences

[Sambo76]

I really appreciate everyone's advice and the feeding chart because it makes me more confident to move my adult snoot up a size in mice. Unfortunately Clementine passed away just last night... His lower half was darker then usual as I mentioned but I figured he just had to have a bowel movement. I don't think he could have ingested enough ecoearth to cause a blockage, I always fed him in a separate tank with paper towels... Could it have been a parasite? Or internal bleeding? I understand now I wasn't feeding him a full meal but he was in no way malnourished. At least I think he wasn't. I've seen pictures of snakes that aren't feed, he didn't have extra skin and was well rounded and active when interacting with him. But let me know if I'm wrong in thinking that and it was me. I never want this to happen again...

I’m so sorry for your loss!


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[dadofsix]

Condolences.

[MD_Pythons]

My condolences, is there an exotic vet near you? I would definitely get a necropsy done if possible. And you don't need to move to feed. Where did you get him from?