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  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran Luvyna's Avatar
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    Creepy urate (wtf is this???)

    Don't look if you are squeamish (y'all are snake owners though so probably not) but there are these creepy spots all over my BP's urate! Wtf? I have never seen anything like this before. Is this a sign of parasites? Should I take it to a vet to check what it is? Ugh my skin is crawling right now!

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2...jpg?authuser=0
    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R...jpg?authuser=0
    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K...jpg?authuser=0
    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q...jpg?authuser=0

  2. #2
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Are you sure this came from a BP, & not a spotted python? (jkg) I really have no idea what caused those spots, but I wouldn't call 'em "creepy"? You really seem to expect perfection out of excrement- maybe you just have a creative snake? That green stuff is a nice touch. I have no idea what a vet would say but if you ask one, do let us know? (Seriously, I don't think it has anything to do with parasites.)
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-12-2021 at 02:37 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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  4. #3
    BPnet Senior Member jmcrook's Avatar
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    Re: Creepy urate (wtf is this???)

    It's nothing. Likely just some bile mixed into the uric acids. Not uncommon and I wouldn't waste a trip to the vet over it

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  6. #4
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    This has been asked before (https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...24-Weird-urate) no pic, but sounds the same. I don't think it's cause for concern either though.

    I tried searching for similar, & only found this: https://azeah.com/recognizing-abnormal-feces But there's just so many variations on the norm.

    Might even be something in the water that the snake consumed- or, have you added any minerals/vitamins to his food lately? Maybe something failed to get fully digested- for that matter, something the rodent ate?
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-12-2021 at 03:10 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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  8. #5
    BPnet Veteran Snagrio's Avatar
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    "Creepy urate" is definitely up there on my "weird sentences I didn't ever expect to hear" list now.

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  10. #6
    BPnet Veteran Luvyna's Avatar
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    Re: Creepy urate (wtf is this???)

    Thanks for the input everyone! I now see that I may have overreacted, but in my defense my BP has always had very consistent urates in terms of size, frequency, and appearance and they have always just been solid white or maybe with a bit of green or yellow. I did recently feed him a rat from a different supplier so maybe that's what caused it. I don't add any minerals or vitamins to his food and he is drinking the same plain tap water he always has.

    Quote Originally Posted by Snagrio View Post
    "Creepy urate" is definitely up there on my "weird sentences I didn't ever expect to hear" list now.
    LOL it seemed pretty creepy to me at the time! I'm a bit trypophobic and I hate clusters of dots like that I've also had to deal with chicken mites before so now anything that looks remotely mite-like sets off alarm bells in my brain.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    I really have no idea what caused those spots, but I wouldn't call 'em "creepy"? You really seem to expect perfection out of excrement- maybe you just have a creative snake? That green stuff is a nice touch.
    Maybe he is just trying to make me live out my worst fear - clusters of dots

    Anyway, glad to hear that nothing is wrong and I'm happy to throw out this cursed urate now that I know I don't need to bring it in for testing. Good riddance!

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  12. #7
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    Re: Creepy urate (wtf is this???)

    Quote Originally Posted by Luvyna View Post
    Thanks for the input everyone! I now see that I may have overreacted, but in my defense my BP has always had very consistent urates in terms of size, frequency, and appearance and they have always just been solid white or maybe with a bit of green or yellow. I did recently feed him a rat from a different supplier so maybe that's what caused it...
    I'd say it's potentially something they fed to the rats, then. Some rodent breeders feed dog kibble because it's cheap, & it often contains red or other dyes & chemicals known to be inappropriate for consumption by both rodents & snakes (their bodies cannot excrete it properly & it might have adverse health impacts at some point).

    Or maybe they fed other stuff, who knows what? -because rats will eat most anything. For example, if you give rats a nearly-empty peanut butter jar to lick out, they'll do that, but they'll also chew off & eat the label, which would contain ink. So it could have been something accidentally fed, or intentionally fed, on the part of the rat-breeders, not realizing what could happen. Personally, I'd not buy their rats again out of an abundance of caution- I hope you haven't a bunch more already on hand.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-12-2021 at 10:38 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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  14. #8
    BPnet Veteran Luvyna's Avatar
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    Re: Creepy urate (wtf is this???)

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    I'd say it's potentially something they fed to the rats, then. Some rodent breeders feed dog kibble because it's cheap, & it often contains red or other dyes & chemicals known to be inappropriate for consumption by both rodents & snakes (their bodies cannot excrete it properly & it might have adverse health impacts at some point).

    Or maybe they fed other stuff, who knows what? -because rats will eat most anything. For example, if you give rats a nearly-empty peanut butter jar to lick out, they'll do that, but they'll also chew off & eat the label, which would contain ink. So it could have been something accidentally fed, or intentionally fed, on the part of the rat-breeders, not realizing what could happen. Personally, I'd not buy their rats again out of an abundance of caution- I hope you haven't a bunch more already on hand.
    I wouldn't be surprised if it was from the rodent breeder feeding the rats something unhealthy. It was the Arctic Mice brand of rats from Petsmart, thankfully I only bought a pack of two. I purchased them because the rats from my regular supplier went bad from being defrosted during transport when I was moving and the next rat delivery date was over two weeks away when my BP had already not eaten for around 18 days (I feed every 2-3 weeks because he is fully grown and when he was eating every 10-14 days he was getting a bit chubby).

    Fortunately the rats from the regular supplier arrive this Wednesday and I won't be buying the Arctic Mice rats again. I suspect it was the food since that's the only variable that's changed and I've never seen any speckled urates before.

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  16. #9
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    Mystery solved! Can't be sure but it makes sense to me & I'm so glad you don't have a freezer-full of their rats. Snakes have strong digestive enzymes for what they evolved to eat, but not necessarily something a rat might have eaten.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  17. #10
    BPnet Veteran Snagrio's Avatar
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    Re: Creepy urate (wtf is this???)

    Quote Originally Posted by Luvyna View Post
    LOL it seemed pretty creepy to me at the time! I'm a bit trypophobic and I hate clusters of dots like that I've also had to deal with chicken mites before so now anything that looks remotely mite-like sets off alarm bells in my brain.
    I feel ya on the fowl mites. Dealt with them for nearly a year trying homemade remedies (anything from diatomaceous earth to garlic in their drinking water to lavender spray) and nothing worked. Took going with the big guns (permethrin) to finally send the creepy crawlies to kingdom come.

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