BRB not eating and green urate :(

[JimJam]

Like the title says. She has been healthy and has shed twice, eating every seven days for months. All the sudden she seems to be scared of me when I walk into the room and very quickly goes into one of her hides. I've tried feeding her mice, small rats, medium rats, fresh kill, F/T, everything but live.

We decided to try and handle her more often than usual just before this started, but we quickly stopped when she refused a meal for the first time. She's only been on the hunger strike for 18 days, but the green urates found today have me very, very worried. Some say it's normal, some say death is imminent in my searches so far.

Shes in in an AP t8 with two hides, huge water bowl (that she used to always swim in, but not lately), humidity around 90% and temps steady between 74-79.

Help! Anybody seen this before?

[JimJam]

Well, as a very quick update I just opened her cage and she was out and exploring. Seemed normal but still concerned about the not eating and the pea green urate.

[Sauzo]

Well if you got a regular vet you see, call them or swing by and see if you can get a poop container and maybe bring in a sample to have it checked out.

[Reinz]

All 7 of my snakes will sometimes have some green goo with the urates
.
Sometimes there is yellow as well. I have seen yellow centered on the chalky white which makes the urate look like a mini fried egg also.

[Albert Clark]

Sounds pretty normal to me. All of my ball pythons have excreted green colored urates at one time or another. I presume it's a indicator that the gall bladder is functioning. The green fluid is bile and is expressed from the gall bladder and some of it may be mixed into the solid urates part. I wouldn't handle her until she has taken at least 4 meals. Consider giving her a extra hide. Stay on top of the temps and humidity as well.

[bcr229]

Like the title says. She has been healthy and has shed twice, eating every seven days for months. All the sudden she seems to be scared of me when I walk into the room and very quickly goes into one of her hides. I've tried feeding her mice, small rats, medium rats, fresh kill, F/T, everything but live.

If she's old/large enough to be eating a small or medium rat then feeding weekly is way too often. Offer her a feeder every 2-3 weeks.

Otherwise check her enclosure and make sure she's not too hot, too cold, too dry, etc.

Is she going into shed? My adults will sometimes refuse to eat during a shed cycle.

[MarkS]

Like Albert said, the green is from bile. Sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't. If it's always like that it might be something to worry about, but not if it's every now and then.

[Albert Clark]

What bcr229 said also. Try to limit the prey items to two different items. But definitely space out the offerings to 2 or 3 weeks. Maybe offer a chick or quail? Don't brb's enjoy a occaisional bird in their diet? Aren't birds a more natural prey? Idk.

[bcr229]

What bcr229 said also. Try to limit the prey items to two different items. But definitely space out the offerings to 2 or 3 weeks. Maybe offer a chick or quail? Don't brb's enjoy a occaisional bird in their diet? Aren't birds a more natural prey? Idk.

I've never tried mine on chicks or quail but since they are semi-arboreal it wouldn't surprise me.

Mine will go for rabbit kits (for juvenile BRB's) and fuzzies (for adult BRB's) very enthusiastically.

[Albert Clark]

I've never tried mine on chicks or quail but since they are semi-arboreal it wouldn't surprise me.

Mine will go for rabbit kits (for juvenile BRB's) and fuzzies (for adult BRB's) very enthusiastically.

Hey, I bet its worth a try! Especially the chicks.