Substrate Stuck in Mouth

[traveling_classicist]

So, my ball likes to burrow right after I change her tank out. I use a mix of cypress mulch and reptibark. She doesn't burrow any other time except for when I clean out her tank and put in new bedding. Now, just before I was going to bed, I went to check on her and she had her mouth half open with a splinter of cypress mulch wedged down the left side of her mouth. I took her out to see if I could dislodge it but she was not having any of my harassment and now I'm afraid she may have swallowed it.

It wouldn't be the first time she's swallowed bedding, I suppose. She used to eat inside her tank before I saw that becoming an issue. I'm just a little concerned about the behavior. It's not the first time I've had to attempt to remove a piece of substrate from somewhere it shouldn't be on her body (nostrils are a prime target for this stuff when she burrows).

Shall I leave it alone and just keep an eye on her or take her to the vet to see if it's still lodged inside her mouth?

I know burrowing is natural but is there anything I can get for her to put in the tank that isn't going to cause so much fuss? She's allergic to coconut (vet confirmed; it's a long story) so we can't use coconut anything but maybe there's something out there that's better for her to burrow in that's not so splintery.

[Bogertophis]

It's quite a challenge to get debris out of a snake's mouth, so I can certainly sympathize. Sometimes you need to have something on hand like a popsicle stick to wedge their mouth open, & it also helps if you have 4 hands & arms to restrain your snake. You could also try to rinse it out by gently passing her head under a gentle stream of tepid water from the faucet, but no guarantee there either.

I hope she didn't swallow it, not much you can do now if she did other than hope it passes thru alright along with food that's already in her digestive tract. Much depends on the actual size. If it were to get stuck internally & cause constipation, that would be something for a veterinarian to deal with, one that specializes in snakes & reptiles. Watch & see if "this too shall pass", or if you see any bloody discharge call the vet. Also see the vet if anything is still visibly lodged in her mouth that you can't remove- it should be obvious: her mouth won't close correctly, or she'll be restless, rubbing her face, or yawning, & in obvious distress.

Not sure what to suggest for substrate either- some brands have a better texture than others. Most use substrates for BPs that hold humidity, but if you can manage to keep the humidity up, there are various soft paper-type substrates that might work too.

Actually we recommend feeding all snakes in their home enclosures, but you can always put down something to serve as a "plate"- it can be an actual plastic plate, of course, or a good sized box lid so the snake doesn't grab substrate along with dinner.

[traveling_classicist]

I appreciate the advice. She doesn't seem to be in great distress at the moment. She's in her fav hide as usual for this time of day. Her mouth is fully closed and I saw her tongue flicking last night before I went to bed.

I hope she didn't swallow it either. Any time she had swallowed substrate in the past just gave me massive anxiety.

I'll just keep an eye on her and see what happens. Thanks again!

[Ball_Pythons4life]

Ball pythons have pretty robust digestive systems. In the wild its not as if they NEVER eat "substrate". I honestly wouldn't worry if its just a little piece. People who use aspen have had snakes that eat it all time, although i'm not sure if cypress is the same. If they can digest and pass bones and hair a little bit of wood shouldn't be too much of an issue

[Bogertophis]

Ball pythons have pretty robust digestive systems. In the wild its not as if they NEVER eat "substrate". I honestly wouldn't worry if its just a little piece. People who use aspen have had snakes that eat it all time, although i'm not sure if cypress is the same. If they can digest and pass bones and hair a little bit of wood shouldn't be too much of an issue

Not quite true- they have very effective digestive enzymes for what they normally consume (animals), but cannot digest plant materials (including wood)- they lack the enzymes to do so. Small pieces they may swallow incidentally get pushed thru along with food waste, but in some cases they may cause an obstruction that requires surgery. And sharp or splintered pieces can perforate their digestive tract, causing infection & death. Truly that's best avoided.

I think it's safe to assume that it happens in the wild snakes too- that debris gets swallowed along with their prey, but we also know they don't live as long as our pets do. Don't we want the best life & health for our pets? Or would you rather risk your pet needing an expensive surgery with an uncertain survival?