Honey and constipation?

[JJpeep]

Hello everyone,
I recently found out my BP is constipated. Since finding out I gave her a warm bath, did the massage thing that some people recommend (a little urate did come out). I was wondering. My pacman frog gets constipation issues. Frog people recommend putting honey in the water with them. It actually works quicker than just regular water. Had anyone heard of doing this with a snake? If so I would try it. I didn't want to give it a try if people don't so this with snakes. I am going to try putting mineral oil on her vent tonight after another bath. If she doesn't go within the next two days I will take her to be seen by a vet. Since giving her the warm bath last night she is alot more active, so hopefully the bath did something for her.

[Bogertophis]

NO. No honey, & don't be installing mineral oil in either end of your snake either.

First- how do you know your snake "is constipated"???

First, we need more info to help you. How old is your snake, & how big (roughly)? How long have you had? etc. (Posting a picture would help a lot too.)

[JJpeep]

I wasn't going to be doing an enema. Just putting a little on the opening in case it needs to be loosened up. Thank you on the honey response. She refused food the last two times she was offered food. The first time she was fine. This time I noticed she was a bit inactive and she has a budge at the end of her body. After soaking her for a half hour in warm warm. She started to move alot more and I noticed the urate seeping out. So I gently massaged the area. More started to come out. She then started to become more active as well. Since soaking her she has been crawling all over the enclosure. I have her in a steralite enclosure. She has coconut fiber only in her hide. The rest of the enclosure has paper towel. She always has water readily available at all times. Her enclosure is at 81- 85 with a hot spot around 88-90. It is a but dry because of the cold weather in our area so I dampen the coconut fibers in one hide. I will be soaking her again this afternoon. Like I said if she doesn't go in the next few days I will take her in. I'll get pictures when I take her out to soak her today.

[JJpeep]

My snake hatched out August of this year. I had her since October. She was on live mice with her breeder and I offered ft she transitioned very easy. Ate for me the first three times I offered food. It is just the last two times I offered that she refused. Like I mentioned this second time she refused is when I realized she has a budge at the end of the body.

[Bogertophis]

BPs require higher humidity- about 60% most of the time, & about 75% when in shed. You should at least put in a "humid hide" with moist sphagnum moss (& keep rehydrating it). And you really should be measuring (accurately) her humidity.

From your description, it does sound like she may be constipated & need some help. She might also be blocked up from a "urate stone" (or other issue), for which vet help is needed, especially if the "swimming motions" in the bathtub of shallow luke-warm water didn't "get the job done". (-it usually does)

The reason I asked why you think she's constipated is because many new snake owners just assume that their snake should defecate after every meal, or more often than they normally do.
When snakes are young & eating younger prey, there's also a lot less waste left over to expel, because the young rodents are mostly digestible, so they conserve water by going less often.

But you shouldn't be seeing a bulge above the cloaca, & she shouldn't be refusing food, so yes, it's time to get her some vet help.

Make sure the vet you see is experienced with snakes! This site may help, if you don't already have a local vet: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

[JJpeep]

Okay. Thank you for your response. Do you think I should try a soak one more time? Or since she has a budge there, it isn't worth the stress and I should make an appointment for the vet? I have never dealt with a snake that wouldn't poo and we have had quite a few snakes. So I was just looking for home remedies first. You did mention urate stones, so I may need to take her to make sure it isn't something like that. I don't want her to be in pain. Poor girl.

[Bogertophis]

Okay. Thank you for your response. Do you think I should try a soak one more time? Or since she has a budge there, it isn't worth the stress and I should make an appointment for the vet? I have never dealt with a snake that wouldn't poo and we have had quite a few snakes. So I was just looking for home remedies first. You did mention urate stones, so I may need to take her to make sure it isn't something like that. I don't want her to be in pain. Poor girl.

Yes, I would. Especially if you can use a bathtub, not a small container of water to "soak". It's the actual swimming motions that can really help- but you don't want her in deep water, just about 3" of luke-warm water. Remember you're 98.6* so if the water feels warm to you, it's probably over 100* & too hot for your snake! Use a thermometer for best results- water should feel cool to you, but not cold. And never leave a snake alone in the tub...not that you would.

You want her to stretch out & make "S" motions- support under her mid-body so she doesn't actually go anywhere. Spend at least 15-20 minutes doing this- she needs the hydration too.

I've dealt with a snake that had urate stones (aka "cloacaliths") before, that's how I know about them- they're not common. Snakes can also ingest things while swallowing prey that they cannot digest & that can cause a blockage, or they can develop a fast-growing tumor- so if she doesn't defecate for you, it's best to have a vet sort this out. Might need an x-ray too. But keeping my fingers crossed that the "swimming" does the job. Don't worry about the "stress" of this swimming in the tub- vets are stressful too- always better if you can resolve things at home.

BTW, go real easy on the "massage"- you can cause harm, depending on what the blockage is.

[JJpeep]

I have kept the massage in mind to not be rough. So I wasn't being too heavy handed or even using too much pressure. I know her kidneys and stuff are down there too somewhere so I don't want to cause any kind of harm to her in the long run. She hardly moved at all when I was doing it so I assumed I was being gentle. The soak yesterday was actually in a little soaking tub. So perhaps soaking her in the tub would be a much better solution. Especially the movement being the better motivation. I think I am going to make an appointment and until then just try and help her soak. If she ends up going then great and I can always cancel. But if she ends up not be able to express anything herself I at least have an appointment for her. Thank you again for your help.

[JJpeep]

I had her in the water tonight. Her cloaca kept opening up and I could see the urate trying to come out. So I kept her tail under the water and had her moving. I ended up gently pressing in a downward motion and helped a little bit come out. Still not enough to help the mass come out. But it was much better than yesterday. I also ended up buying mineral oil. And NOT doing an enema or putting it in her mouth. But just putting a little on her cloaca to maybe help any discomfort she has on the outside of her body. And if something ends up coming out tonight when she is in her enclosure, perhaps it would help lubricant and she would have any tearing. I am keeping my fingers crossed maybe she will go tonight or tomorrow.

[Bogertophis]

I had her in the water tonight. Her cloaca kept opening up and I could see the urate trying to come out. So I kept her tail under the water and had her moving. I ended up gently pressing in a downward motion and helped a little bit come out. Still not enough to help the mass come out. But it was much better than yesterday. I also ended up buying mineral oil. And NOT doing an enema or putting it in her mouth. But just putting a little on her cloaca to maybe help any discomfort she has on the outside of her body. And if something ends up coming out tonight when she is in her enclosure, perhaps it would help lubricant and she would have any tearing. I am keeping my fingers crossed maybe she will go tonight or tomorrow.

I hope so too- glad you tried again.