Swollen Cloaca

[Shyanna]

When I first got my boa I noticed she had something stuck in her vent, was told to use a wet qtip and very gentlely remove it. So I did that, but it was still just as swollen days later. I got her just about a month ago and her cloaca just seems to stay swollen/open all the time. I tried soaking her this past week and she passed a hard urate and it seems as though she was a little plugged up. After she passed all that she has been a lot more active, but a few days later I found her burrowed in her substrate making popping noises and she had a bit mucus in her nose. I took her to the vet and she is doing better now. Her cloaca still seems swollen though.

I've asked the place where I purchased her and they say it's fine and the vet also says it's fine. My BP's vent has never done this so I just don't get how this can be normal.

Right now, since all this virus stuff is making it harder to get treatment for her; I've had to lower her humidity to try to help fight off this RI. it seems like if I get her humidity over 50% she starts to get sick again. I need some advice though, about her swollen cloaca. Is there anything I can do to help her? I'm scared to try another soak if she still has anything lingering from that RI. Also, this isn't the first RI she has had. It seems like Everytime I get the humidity to the recommended level she starts getting sick. Do some boas just do better in lower humidity?

Any advice or information would be helpful. She seems to be doing better. But I always like to ask fellow keepers. You guys have always helped me out! Below is some info on her that I thought may be helpful.

Cage temps:
91-93 hot spot
80-82 ambient
74-75 cool side

Humidity:
Was keeping it around 60-70%
It's now sitting between 30-40%

Last feeding:
3/20

Last shed:
Unknown, I got her about four weeks ago and she has not shed yet.

Age:
Unknown, for size reference (I know it doesn't help much) she is about a foot and a half long.

[bcr229]

Don't drop humidity for an RI, you'll just make it worse. Think about when you're sick and you take a steamy shower, how good it feels to blow all that crud out of your sinuses. That's the environment you want for your boa. Also if your snake is constipated you don't want it dehydrated as that will just make passing feces more difficult.

Her cloaca/vent could be normal, could be sausage butt, could be a prolapse... we'd need a picture to tell more.

[dakski]

^^^^^^^^^^^This.

Also. 74-75F is too low even for the cool side. Aim for 78-80F.

[Shyanna]

Here are some pictures Pics for boa forum https://imgur.com/gallery/dl6pM9b

[bcr229]

Link fixed:
https://imgur.com/gallery/dl6pM9b

I would call that sausage butt - backed up feces and/or urate. Keep the snake well-hydrated and the humidity up in the enclosure.

[Shyanna]

Okay so I raised her temps and humidity. Also, should I soak her again or wait and she if she goes on her own? I did soak her last week and she passed two urates and poo. One of the urates was hard as a rock though. I just can't believe that she is still backed up.

[Bogertophis]

^^^^^^^^^^^This.

Also. 74-75F is too low even for the cool side. Aim for 78-80F.

Actually, considering that the OP's high temps are a bit too high also*, it might balance out, given the mid temps seem to be OK. Remember this is a boa, not a BP.

*Cage temps:
91-93 hot spot
80-82 ambient
74-75 cool side

[Shyanna]

Well the only way I can raise the temp on the cool side is to raise the temp overall. So confused now. These were the temps I read/was told to keep her at. I really need to find a solid source of info.

[dakski]

Well the only way I can raise the temp on the cool side is to raise the temp overall. So confused now. These were the temps I read/was told to keep her at. I really need to find a solid source of info.

I agree with Bogertophis that the temps are ok. A boa can handle 75, as long as there is a gradient, and good hot spot and middle ground.

My point was specifically if you are fighting an RI, that higher temps and higher humidity are better than lower temps and high humidity.

Having said that, if that's the best you can do right now, without upsetting the balance that exists in the rest of the tank, I would keep things as they are temp wise, but do think humidity should be higher as stated earlier.

I would not go higher than 93F on a hot spot for a Boa.

[Bogertophis]

I'll just add that when I had a BCI for many years (all of them healthy!) she used all of her temperature options, & in winter the cool end was low 70's. But she'd use
her warm side (upper 80's) just as much. Snakes have a wider variety of temperatures in the natural world than do many of our pets & they survive just fine. But
the urate stones might be due in part to the low humidity: our heated houses in winter tends to drive the humidity way down, also A/C does in the summer.