Please help with my Boa!!!!

[hetzell1991]

My common Boa is about 3 feet long and a little over 800 grams, and I think he is constipated. He has not defecated in a little over 2 months. He has shed twice since the last time he defecated. He has eaten 15 small mice, about 15 - 20 grams, and 7 XL mice, around 40 grams. I've started giving him warm baths, but i don't know if it's going to work. His tail end isn't distended or anything, and his belly is only a little fat. So what do guys think? Please help!

[L.West]

I wouldn't worry too much about it - from what I have always been told, they will poop when they are ready.

You stated that you don't see any large swelling down near the vent - no visible signs of problems.

My thoughts are that you are feeding it mice and it is utilizing every bit of it for its growth - no waste being produced.

You should probably move him to rats. My new boa who is 682 grams ate a rat that was 57 grams last night - it was a perfectly sized meal for her.

So it may just be that he isn't eating enough.

Maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in.

Good luck.

[Kinra]

If he isn't swollen near his vent don't worry. My boa occasionally gets constipated and I have to help her pass urates. I only do this when it gets very swollen near her vent. Once I wait for a while to see if she would go on her own and then it became extremely clear that she needed help because the whole lower portion of her body was starting to swell.

If he starts swelling then see if you can feel urates near the vent and then start giving him luke warm baths. They usually help.

Like L.West said at 800g he should probably be on rats as well. I don't bother to weigh my boa because she don't sit still long enough for me too, but she is probably around 600-700g and she takes small rats once a week.

[dragonboy4578]

I wouldn't worry too much about it - from what I have always been told, they will poop when they are ready.

You stated that you don't see any large swelling down near the vent - no visible signs of problems.

My thoughts are that you are feeding it mice and it is utilizing every bit of it for its growth - no waste being produced.

You should probably move him to rats. My new boa who is 682 grams ate a rat that was 57 grams last night - it was a perfectly sized meal for her.

So it may just be that he isn't eating enough.

Maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in.

Good luck.

If he isn't swollen near his vent don't worry. My boa occasionally gets constipated and I have to help her pass urates. I only do this when it gets very swollen near her vent. Once I wait for a while to see if she would go on her own and then it became extremely clear that she needed help because the whole lower portion of her body was starting to swell.

If he starts swelling then see if you can feel urates near the vent and then start giving him luke warm baths. They usually help.

Like L.West said at 800g he should probably be on rats as well. I don't bother to weigh my boa because she don't sit still long enough for me too, but she is probably around 600-700g and she takes small rats once a week.

I 2nd this

[hetzell1991]

Thanks for all the info, I feel much better now I've been trying to feed him rats, but he won't take right now. I'll keep trying, thanks!

[L.West]

I have a couple of bp's that wont take rats either - they only want mice. So, what I do is offer several mice in order to get the proper amount of food in them each week.

[Evenstar]

I 2nd L.West's and Kinra's advice too!! What they said!

Try scenting the rats - rub lots of mice scent all over the rat right before you feed. Boas are usually garbage disposals so he should eventually go for it. You could also try just leaving the f/t rat in with him overnight (I would still scent it first). Make sure he's good and hungry first then get the rat nice and warm, scent it, and drop it in and leave it. It'll probably be gone by morning. We need to get him on rats soon - multiple mice won't do it for a full grown boa, lol!