BP feeding issues+possibly constipated questions

[pilot511]

My bp was having some feeding issues, and I seemed to have broke them with hopper mice then eventually he was taking adult mice again...Currently he has not been eating well again, husbandry has been right on, 88-90 on the warm and around 80 on the cool, humidity right around 40-50%, always fresh water....he just hasnt pooped in probably at least 5 weeks, could this be because he hasn't been eating, or possibly blocked?

[dmaricle]

when i run into a constipated snake, first off if they feel a little bloated they could be constipated i usually cust put some warm water in a tub about 3/4 way up the snakes back and i let it sit in it for a bit and usually they will releave themselves there is its a little worse you can sort of massage their underbelly real carefully and this will help or atleast it does for our snakes. i hope this helps.

[pilot511]

I have soaked him a couple times already...still nothin...half of me thinks its just because he hasnt eaten

[tigerlily]

If he hasn't been eating well, it's more than likely that he just doesn't have any waste to expel. I would worry more about getting him eating more consistantly, than about constipation. I've never had a constipated snake, they go when they have to go. If you noticed swelling and bloating around the vent, then I might be worried... otherwise I don't think you have anything to stress over.

[Argentra]

Agreed. If they don't eat regularly they don't poo regularly either. My picky eater goes VERY infrequently, so don't fret.

On the constipated line... the others are correct. Unless you see bloating and swelling at the base of the tail (vent area) then they're fine and just bidding their time.
When I rescued my pastel male, he WAS constipated...badly. I took him to the vet, of course, and they expressed some pretty nasty stuff. But his tail end was swollen to twice his body size! (Not THAT terrible a thing, since his body size was 1/3-1/4 what it should have been). It's not hard to miss...

[pilot511]

yeah I wouldn't say its swollen....Ive tried quite a few tricks though, apparently there is a "car ride" trick I may try on Thursday my feeding day...how long should they not feed before I seek medical attention though?

[bigballs]

man, dont bother with the car ride trick. it seems like youre handling your ball too much and you need to leave him alone.

in another forum you mentioned how you moved him from and old enclosure to a new bigger one and then back to the old one during his "hunger strike". you also mentioned the snake is 900g and eating hoppers and/or adult live mice. you 've also soaked him a few times cuz you think hes constipated.

if you want him to eat you need to provide him with some sort of consistency. stop the handling, find a size feeder to stick with, and pick ONE day of the week that you attempt to feed on and only that day every week. until he starts eating regularily try these things out. i dont mean after the first successful feed start swinging him around like a rope, im sayin after at least a month or even two of successful feeding attemps then start your regular handling of the snake.

if hes not eating in the enclosure he wont eat while driving around town. try something else first. good luck!

[pilot511]

man, dont bother with the car ride trick. it seems like youre handling your ball too much and you need to leave him alone.

in another forum you mentioned how you moved him from and old enclosure to a new bigger one and then back to the old one during his "hunger strike". you also mentioned the snake is 900g and eating hoppers and/or adult live mice. you 've also soaked him a few times cuz you think hes constipated.

if you want him to eat you need to provide him with some sort of consistency. stop the handling, find a size feeder to stick with, and pick ONE day of the week that you attempt to feed on and only that day every week. until he starts eating regularily try these things out. i dont mean after the first successful feed start swinging him around like a rope, im sayin after at least a month or even two of successful feeding attemps then start your regular handling of the snake.

if hes not eating in the enclosure he wont eat while driving around town. try something else first. good luck!

He is around 970grams and was eating f/t small rats....i tried a live hopper bc I had an extra one and he ate that, thats why hoppers were mentioned.....I barely handle him as it is, no more than once a week really but I will try the one day a week and see..would you recommend f/t small rats like he was on?

[bigballs]

if he was eating f/t small rats then try to keep him only on f/t small rats. try feeding once a week and if he doesnt take then wait until the same day of the next week to try again. keep this up until he starts feeding consistently, even if it takes a few months.

during this time he should be left alone and since youre not cleaning poop, try not to disturb him while changing his water. dont handle him for fun until he starts eating well again. you want him as stress free as possible during this time to better your chances for a successful feeding.

i would also attempt feeding during the night time as they usually have a better feeding response when they are awake. before you try feeding, pre-scent the room for a good 30 mins with the rat. it may help stimulate a feeding strike.

your husbandry sounds pretty good. you have temps and humidity down. make sure he has two hides and again, keep the handling to a necessary minimum until he starts feeding for a good couple months.

hey i gotta run but if you have anymore questions ask away!

[pilot511]

if he was eating f/t small rats then try to keep him only on f/t small rats. try feeding once a week and if he doesnt take then wait until the same day of the next week to try again. keep this up until he starts feeding consistently, even if it takes a few months.

during this time he should be left alone and since youre not cleaning poop, try not to disturb him while changing his water. dont handle him for fun until he starts eating well again. you want him as stress free as possible during this time to better your chances for a successful feeding.

i would also attempt feeding during the night time as they usually have a better feeding response when they are awake. before you try feeding, pre-scent the room for a good 30 mins with the rat. it may help stimulate a feeding strike.

your husbandry sounds pretty good. you have temps and humidity down. make sure he has two hides and again, keep the handling to a necessary minimum until he starts feeding for a good couple months.

hey i gotta run but if you have anymore questions ask away!

I used to feed him in a separate container with the f/t rats and he would eat great, in this case would you just do a "puppet show" in his enclosure?