Long Loud Fart & Mucus & Blood

[kc261]

I know BPs can fart & it is normal, but I'm a little concerned about the mucus & blood.

Last night, one of the snakes in QT made some really loud & disgusting noises. I don't think I can fully describe it, but loud, sort of fart-like, and also sort of gurgly. And it went on for a surprisingly long time. So, once I identified where the sound was coming from (that it was one of the snakes was far from my first thought), I opened up the tub to find a mess. The snake was just finishing up shedding, having maybe 1cm of the tail tip still on. OK, sheds often mean poop. But there wasn't really poop. There was some urates, and a fair puddle of what I assume was pee, and also some globs of mucus and a few spots of blood. There were also some splash marks on the side of the tub, so I assume this stuff came out of the snake rather explosively. The total amount of mucus was maybe a tablespoon, and the spots of blood were probably no more than half a dozen drops of actual blood, but splattered around a bit and mixed in with the other parts of the mess, so it looked like more. This BP is about 1800g, so it really wasn't much to have come out of a snake that size.

Stupid me, I was more worried about cleaning up the mess and the idea of pics did not occur to me until later, so sorry, I can't share pics to show what it was like.

My main concern is whether or not mucusy and bloody urate/waste stuff may indicate internal parasites, or some other kind of disease, or is it within the realm of normal?

A bit more background: I've had the snake and others from the same source for about a month now, and I haven't seen any similar symptoms from any of the rest, and they've seemed mostly healthy. A few had some bits of stuck sheds & I heard a few whistly breaths because of it during the first several days after when we got them, but that has cleared up (with the exception of one that I'm beginning to suspect is like the occasional post I see snakes such as black pastels or cinnamons who have a bit of a whistle normally) and I never saw other signs of RI. I was also told that they had just been treated for mites, and I did see precisely one mite, but whether it was the treatment they had already been given or the PAM I used on their QT enclosures, I've never seen another mite so I believe that problem is gone.

[MrLang]

I see spots of blood with sheds often. I'm thinking you just caught blood and a fart at the same time. Congrats, my inner 10 year old is having a field day with the idea of a bloody fart.

[kc261]

I see spots of blood with sheds often. I'm thinking you just caught blood and a fart at the same time. Congrats, my inner 10 year old is having a field day with the idea of a bloody fart.

I'm leaning in that direction, too, but the combination of the rather impressive sounds, the blood, and the mucus has me just a touch concerned. And I suppose because the snake is in QT I'm more worried than if it were one of the ones I've had longer.

[Webley]

I had a female do something similar. Can you post pics? She ended up having a nasty parasite called entamoeba that can be fatal. It's often hard to see in fecal parasite tests too. Most vets diagnose it by symptoms. Having a fair amount of bloody stool is one of them. If she goes off food soon I would take her to the vet.

[Divinity]

"Amebiasis: Amebiasis is one of the most significant parasite problems of captive snakes. This highly contagious disease is caused by a microscopic, one-celled organism (protozoan) called and ameba. Eating contaminated food and water containing the infective stage of this parasite easily infects snakes. The organisms cause extensive damage to the intestinal lining and liver. Secondary bacterial infections are very common and contribute significantly to the severity of the disease. Signs of amebiasis include listlessness, inappetence, and foul-smelling feces containing mucus and blood. A veterinarian may be able to diagnose this disease by having the laboratory examine specially prepared samples of feces. Sometimes examination of tissue sections of the intestine or scrapings from the lining of the intestine of a deceased snake is the only way the diagnosis can be confirmed. This underscores the importance of performing autopsies on snakes that have died, especially when there are other snakes in the collection whose lives may be threatened. Many snakes native to the American Southwest harbor these organisms but apparently do not suffer from the disease. Crocodiles and certain turtles are similar "carriers." Hobbyists must, therefore, exercise caution when housing snakes with these species to avoid an outbreak of amebiasis. Certain water snakes, as well as boa constrictors and pythons are especially susceptible to this disease. Amebiasis is treatable, requiring the expertise of a veterinarian. Specific antiprotozoal medications and antibiotics are used. Enclosures used to house infected snakes should be steam cleaned and disinfected with a 3% bleach solution."

Source: http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/r...-diseases.html


Giving it a shot with the conditions, it's all so random because it can be something very serious or just a one time thing I've noticed. Nevertheless good luck.

[kc261]

Ohh...well... this amoeba infection thing sounds quite nasty. Please please please don't be that. But, since this snake and the other new ones all seem to be eating fine & acting normal, it doesn't really sound like it matches the description of listlessness and lack of appetite and weight loss. So... really hoping it isn't that. I'll definitely be keeping a close eye out for any more symptoms in this snake or the other new ones.