Pics of my snake bloating?

bryxbry · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 03:39 PM

Well. 8ball is not looking good. I fed him last saturday and he still looks like this. His head/neck area is very loose appearing. then from about halfway back to his tail he is extremely bloated. Here's a pic any help would be greatly appreciated.

toker · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 03:45 PM

What is your current cage temps?

bryxbry · #3 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 03:47 PM

88 hot side 80ish cool side. Humidity at 55%

toker · #4 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 03:49 PM

How many times has this snake been fed in the past?

Any change in size, type of critter, live?

bryxbry · #5 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 03:52 PM

fed him 2 times before this incedent. first two times were 3 pinky mice. then someone told me they were to small which they were so i fed him one fuzzy rat then this happened.

Stormyva · #6 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 03:57 PM

Where are you measuring your cage temps?
What kind of thermometer are you using?
Do you have any source of belly heat for the snake?

bryxbry · #7 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:00 PM

I have round stick on type thermometers, about an ich for the floor. I amusing a UTH for heating and the floor is pretty warm.

toker · #8 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:05 PM

This usally happens when the temps are not right, the food cant be digested and it rots and causes gas.

The last time I had this happen to a baby of mine the next day there was a regurge.

one more thing... how far apart was the feedings?

bryxbry · #9 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:07 PM

Feedings were 7 days apart. I was figurin he would regurge but he hasn't. I know if i were that bloated i would. lol.

toker · #10 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:18 PM

did you feed live or f/t?

bryxbry · #11 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:19 PM

feeding him live.

toker · #12 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryxbry

feeding him live.

I would bet that's your issue.

Take your snake to a vet and get him checked out. Another cause of bloating is parasites.

I can name a few but wouldn't be able to spell it

a vet check is needed here.

Please switch to F/T, its much much safer for your critter.

muzixman · #13 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryxbry

I have round stick on type thermometers, about an ich for the floor. I amusing a UTH for heating and the floor is pretty warm.

Those thermometers ain't very accurate, you can get a didgital at wal-mart for like $15 and put the probe on the ground at the warm side and the unit on the cold side.

Dbutton · #14 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 05:17 PM

Looks to me like he is just packing on the poop. Which is just how my burm looks after a particularly large rabbit. He will most likely be just fine. During digestion of a large meal the last third of the body will seem to bloat as the instestine fills with digested material such as hair and bone. Both my BCI's do the same thing when they get jumbo rats. You are just used to seeing him after the little bald pinkies where his body absorbs most of the nutrients and he has very little to discard. Now he has a real meal in him with hair and all and his body is preparing it for discharge after all the good stuff has been removed. I would still keep an eye on him if this persits, but I doubt it will.

David

Stormyva · #15 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 05:21 PM

I would get to Walmart and get one of those digital thermometers and get a good measure on the temps to make sure that that is not the issue. Hopefully it turns out that what David said above is the only issue for you.

python04slayer · #16 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 07:41 PM

Actually, I didnt say feed hima fuzzy rat, I said feed him something about the size of his girth and no bigger.

Was the rat you fed him wider than him?

JuliusSqueezer · #17 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 07:52 PM

While many of the causes outlined before could be a contributor or even the cause of the problem, even correcting them won't likely help this snake with it's current situation by it's self. What has happened is either due to parasites, or overfeeding(too much, too large or too often) or cage temps...or any other number of possibilities....The problem here is that the snake's gut flora (beneficial bacteria) that he uses to break down food for digestion is deminished. When this happens gasses form and your snake bloats and hopefully will puke. If he does not puke this meal back up there is a very good chance that it could putrify and kill your snake. Please read the thread I posted a short while back about Probiotics. Here is the link Probiotic fix for nonfeeding or bloating - puking reptiles

JuliusSqueezer · #18 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 07:53 PM

And please stop feeding live!

Dbutton · #19 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 10:14 PM

Well we still don't know how big the "fuzzy rat" was. So that might just be the rat that is making him bulge like that. Without seeing the prey and the snake both it is really hard to make assumptions on exactly what if anything is the problem. A neonate or small juvenile boa could bulge considerably from a from a fuzzy rat depending on exactly how fuzzy it was. So liek I said, I would wait for a day or two and see what happens. Check you temps on the cage floor and make sure they are right and let the little guy digest in peace. Snakes have been eating rats and mice for millions of years without our help or interfearence.

David

JuliusSqueezer · #20 (**permalink**) 10-15-2004, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Without seeing the prey and the snake both it is really hard to make assumptions on exactly what if anything is the problem.

I disagree. That snake has gastrointestinal bloating. It would benefit greatly from a few doses of benebac or nutribac. Now I agree with you that just from this photo and what little info we actually have to work with, what caused the depletion of gut flora is a guess at best...and if not corrected it will likely repeat. But unless the snake has Cryptosporidiosis then probiotics should be able to help. It isn't backed up poop and it's too much inline with his entire digestive tract to discount as just rat lump. Even if this snake keeps it down and passes it with no major problem, It is still evident that he isn't properly digesting his meals and it will get worse if not treated. And...it's not very expensive or hard to treat with probiotics. And won't hurt a thing to give them to a healthy animal. They can't overdose on beneficial bacteria.

BTW, snakes do not discard bone. They totally digest it. If you are finding bone in your snake's poop then your snakes aren't properly digesting their food. Hair on the other hand, they can not digest and is passes every bit as pristine as it went down.

Quote:

Snakes have been eating rats and mice for millions of years without our help or interfearence.

This is true but they haven't been kept in small tanks and fed on a set schedule set by pet owners for millions of years

And...most don't survive what nature has to offer anyway. Hopefully pet owners strive to provide better care than what nature does on an individual basis...otherwise, about 1 out of 100 snakes you buy would be expected to survive a full year?

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