Sudden green urates???

[emmaeh]

Hi all. My ball python has suddenly been producing green/blueish-tinted urates. His behaviour is the same and his poops are normal. I have had him for a year now and his urates had usually been white.

I have read that it may be a healthy indicator of gall bladder function, but I can't find much else on the matter.

What could cause this? Is he in need of a vet visit? Thanks in advance!

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[Bogertophis]

Has your source of feeders been changed recently? Or are the feeders themselves being fed a different diet now? (Ask the source.) If so, it's possible that they have been fed something that's showing up in your snake's output. Or it's possible that in this cold weather, they chewed something they weren't supposed to- like colored cardboard that got within reach.

Now & then I've seen snake urates with a faint tinge of greenish-grey tones. As far as I know, it usually means nothing but could possibly signal some sort of infection- no way we can tell you for sure. You could always have your vet take a look at it, but I'd ask first if they can test it. (The color I least want to see in snake output is red or black.)

[emmaeh]

Here is a photo

[emmaeh]

Has your source of feeders been changed recently? Or are the feeders themselves being fed a different diet now? (Ask the source.) If so, it's possible that they have been fed something that's showing up in your snake's output. Or it's possible that in this cold weather, they chewed something they weren't supposed to- like colored cardboard that got within reach.

Now & then I've seen snake urates with a faint tinge of greenish-grey tones. As far as I know, it usually means nothing but could possibly signal some sort of infection- no way we can tell you for sure. You could always have your vet take a look at it, but I'd ask first if they can test it. (The color I least want to see in snake output is red or black.)

Thanks for your quick reply! I've just been using rats from PetSmart (I know, not great but it's what I have access to for the time being) so I'm not sure if anything has changed, though I doubt it.

Are there any other signs of infection I can look out for?

I also just finished setting up a tank upgrade... Do you think I should hold off on moving him in for now?

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[Bogertophis]

It's most likely due to what the rats have been fed, & I doubt it's anything to worry about. You might hold off for a bit on the move, just to see if anything changes? But from his behavior, he doesn't sound ill, though snakes are also very good at being stoic & hiding symptoms. And that green color is pretty faint from what I can see.

Here's just an example: Have you ever seen those bags of very colorful (artificially colored) mixed grains sold for hamsters? Maybe PetSmart had some damaged or open bags & gave a discount to the breeder of the rats? What goes in the rats eventually comes out of your snake. Also, many rodent breeders just feed cheap dog chow to their rodents- & dog chow has all sorts of food dyes & other ingredients that are not intended or good for feeding rodents. Rats will eat whatever they can reach, even if it's green colored cardboard. This is why I've always felt better raising my own rodents- but unless you have a LOT of snakes, it's not cost or time effective.

[emmaeh]

It's most likely due to what the rats have been fed, & I doubt it's anything to worry about. You might hold off for a bit on the move, just to see if anything changes? But from his behavior, he doesn't sound ill, though snakes are also very good at being stoic & hiding symptoms. And that green color is pretty faint from what I can see.

Here's just an example: Have you ever seen those bags of very colorful (artificially colored) mixed grains sold for hamsters? Maybe PetSmart had some damaged or open bags & gave a discount to the breeder of the rats? What goes in the rats eventually comes out of your snake. Also, many rodent breeders just feed cheap dog chow to their rodents- & dog chow has all sorts of food dyes & other ingredients that are not intended or good for feeding rodents. Rats will eat whatever they can reach, even if it's green colored cardboard. This is why I've always felt better raising my own rodents- but unless you have a LOT of snakes, it's not cost or time effective.

That's a relief. I'll keep an eye on his behaviour until I feel confident enough to move him into his new tank. Thanks for your help!

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