Question about using a bath for constipation when only urates are passed

[NCSteve]

I have a very young BP that I'm concerned might be constipated. She's only had 1 BM since I got her a little more than a month ago (her brother from the same source has gone 3 times in the same time period). Her wt is 0.47Kg and her only BM was a little more than a month ago (the day after I brought her home). She's eaten small F/T rats 5 times. I have used a soak with manipulation 3 times in the last 10 days. Each time she passed urates but no fecal material. If she passes ONLY uric acid but no fecal material does this mean she is not constipated?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Bogertophis]

A very young snake is eating very young rodents, right? Well, they're very digestible- they don't result in a lot of waste that a snake needs to expel, & in an effort to also conserve water, snakes just don't defecate until they actually need to.

It may take a month or more, but you can actually HARM your snake doing as you did- not so much the bath (that "just" causes stress, which in turn may cause refusal to feed), but "manually manipulating" a snake's body could injure them or interfere with needed digestion. Please do NOT do this.

Actually "her brother...which has gone 3 times in the same time period" is actually the more unusual one, & might have an issue. It's uncommon for snakes to get constipated- & if they do, you'll generally see what we call "sausage butt"- ie. some amount of puffy swelling above their cloaca, & you may or may not feel some hard lumps (feel VERY gently please so you don't cause a rupture!)- the hard lumps may need help to pass (urates sometimes form these "stones") but getting professional help from a vet would be ideal, if​ a little soak or swim in shallow water & normal routine handling doesn't inspire your snake to relive itself. Okay?

[Bogertophis]

By the way, over the years of keeping snakes, some of us (myself included) have found that the "best way" to encourage a snake to "go" is just to put on our best fancy shirts (dry clean is a bonus) and let our snakes cuddle around our shoulders for a while... Nothing like a surprise, eh? (Actually, it's just that handling- the snake moving around more- that tends to get "results", ahem... When they're "couch-potatoes" they just don't feel the need to defecate so soon.) But please don't try to "manipulate" them into defecating.

[Bweiser18]

Honestly I’ve owned my snake for 7 weeks now. Also a young one. Hes ate the past 5 weeks for me. I have not seen any poop as well. Just some white urine. Which also has me concerned but to my knowledge I guess it’s normal?


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[Bogertophis]

It's very typical for young snakes that are eating pinkies/fuzzies (baby rodents) as they have tiny bones & little or no hair- they're mostly digestible. And even though BPs are often eating hoppers, it just takes a while before they need to go. Is your snake noticeably puffy above his cloaca (aka 'vent')? If not, it's just not "time" yet. They go when they need to.

[Cheesenugget]

If it can pass urate, it can poop (usually). Unless you have cause for concern, you should be fine. Remember that these snakes barely move much in their enclosure. Sitting in one area for hours to days don't encourage bowel movement because they are built not needing to go as often as a snake that is active. Think of it this way: in the wild, the poop smell is more potent and can attract predators and prevent prey from straying nearby, and not using much calories moving around, an ambush predator like ball pythons really don't need to BM unless it has to. My Dumerils boa (ambush predator) as a baby would eat once a week and poop once a month. Nature knows the poopy routine.

[Bweiser18]

It's very typical for young snakes that are eating pinkies/fuzzies (baby rodents) as they have tiny bones & little or no hair- they're mostly digestible. And even though BPs are often eating hoppers, it just takes a while before they need to go. Is your snake noticeably puffy above his cloaca (aka 'vent')? If not, it's just not "time" yet. They go when they need to.

Mine is actually on Fuzzy rats right now. Weighing in around 24 grams. My snake weighs 237 grams. Currently in the process of getting in some Rat pups this week. But as for the bathroom thing no. I thought I did see like a little puff towards the end but it disappeared! But I haven’t found any big poops or anything. Just small urine. Been about 7 weeks of ownership


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[Bogertophis]

Mine is actually on Fuzzy rats right now. Weighing in around 24 grams. My snake weighs 237 grams. Currently in the process of getting in some Rat pups this week. But as for the bathroom thing no. I thought I did see like a little puff towards the end but it disappeared! But I haven’t found any big poops or anything. Just small urine. Been about 7 weeks of ownership


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I repeat, pinkies & fuzzies...mice OR rats...are highly digestible. Don't lose any sleep over when your snake will go. With any luck & good care, you can look forward to many years, even decades, of cleaning up his poo. For now, enjoy this while it lasts.