A "Crappy" Problem

[CoolioTiffany]

Knowing that Bloods are famous for holding back their feces for months at a time, I didn't necessarily think this was too much of a problem.

Although now that time keeps passing I'm getting more worried. The last time my Blood has ever passed feces was around some 10-12 months ago. I think she may have urates that are blocking the passage and not allowing her to pass waste. Last time I felt around there were about 3 hard urates in her. She hasn't refused food and has been eating once a week ever since she last passed waste.

I've soaked her in warm water a couple times with no success. The last time a couple weeks ago I tried working down the urates to her vent. So today I'm going to soak her again. Would the best thing to do is work out those urates then let her soak a while to pass the waste? Or leave her soaking in a tub for a few hours?

She acts completely normal and it doesn't seem to be affecting her. I'm just afraid if she ends up dying or something going wrong inside for keeping in waste for so long.

[Kara]

You can try manually palpating the urates out, and on rare occasions it may become necessary to do so. Have you tried swimming her, instead of just soaking? Let her actually swim around in deeper water (you'll want to supervise), and see if that gets things moving.

Also, when you do soak her (not swimming), try soaking her overnight instead of just for a few hours. It's perfectly fine to leave a snake on water for 24 hours as long as the water stays a reasonable temperature (80 degrees is great), and isn't so deep that the snake must swim to keep its head above water for the duration of the soak, as this can tire a python to the point of drowning. A relatively shallow soak with water one-third to halfway up the snake's sides should be sufficient.

Good luck!

[CoolioTiffany]

You can try manually palpating the urates out, and on rare occasions it may become necessary to do so. Have you tried swimming her, instead of just soaking? Let her actually swim around in deeper water (you'll want to supervise), and see if that gets things moving.

Also, when you do soak her (not swimming), try soaking her overnight instead of just for a few hours. It's perfectly fine to leave a snake on water for 24 hours as long as the water stays a reasonable temperature (80 degrees is great), and isn't so deep that the snake must swim to keep its head above water for the duration of the soak, as this can tire a python to the point of drowning. A relatively shallow soak with water one-third to halfway up the snake's sides should be sufficient.

Good luck!

A friend of mine actually suggested allowing her to swim rather than soak. I'll definitely be trying all of these techniques today, hopefully one of them works! Thank you .

[JohnNJ]

I know this one.

Put on expensive white clothes and hold her in your lap.

[llovelace]

LOL John, keep us posted Tiff

[Anna.Sitarski]

x2 on swimming her my Rico went thru the same thing he swam and pooped out an alien... yes and do this in very expensive white clothes it speeds up the process

[Kara]

I know this one.

Put on expensive white clothes and hold her in your lap.

Ha ha! To this point, meticulously cleaning the entire cage top to bottom, including all cage furniture, seems to have the same effect. It really helps if you're using a paper substrate & have gone to painstaking effort to interleave the paper while layering it, making a nice, thick comfy pad. Also, do this with the intention of photographing the cage...

It'll be Arts & Crafts day in Poopy Land before ya know it.

[Tim Mead]

I know this one.

Put on expensive white clothes and hold her in your lap.

Ha ha! To this point, meticulously cleaning the entire cage top to bottom, including all cage furniture, seems to have the same effect. It really helps if you're using a paper substrate & have gone to painstaking effort to interleave the paper while layering it, making a nice, thick comfy pad. Also, do this with the intention of photographing the cage...

It'll be Arts & Crafts day in Poopy Land before ya know it.

True on both counts, the swimming is good exercise and slings the waste in the right direction..More handling may benefit as well..I believe its urates that cause this and not the feces..So I'm puzzled, fed once a week and hasn't passed ?? Are you feeding her M&Ms .

[Rawbbeh]

Quote Originally Posted by JohnNJ
I know this one.

Put on expensive white clothes and hold her in your lap.

Originally Posted by Kara
Ha ha! To this point, meticulously cleaning the entire cage top to bottom, including all cage furniture, seems to have the same effect. It really helps if you're using a paper substrate & have gone to painstaking effort to interleave the paper while layering it, making a nice, thick comfy pad. Also, do this with the intention of photographing the cage...

It'll be Arts & Crafts day in Poopy Land before ya know it.

Do all of this...however, have someone who is afraid of snakes come over...wearing the expensive white clothes....Shat storm will ensue....

[pedipalps]

I'm here in this situation last 2 months ago, but thanks God, its success!

Good luck! Hopefully your blood doing fine.