View Full Version : is my BP sick?
My bp has been acting a little strange lately. he has been urinating on almost a daily basis and the last time he pooped there looked to be a little bit of red on the paper towel im not sure if it is blood or not. should i be concerned? also if there is a problem, anyone recommend a good reptile vet in the Hamilton ontario region. i just want my snake to be happy and healthy
PS. all my temps and stuff are perfect i check them witha digital thermometer every day.
When you say urinating, do you mean urates? Are you actually seeing liquid, or a white powder? (snakes don't "pee")
I'm really sorry, but I'm of little help here.
no there is definate liquid there will be a soaked part of the paper towel usually a yellowis colour
Skinnychondro
03-12-05, 02:57 PM
I can't answer your question, but the Burloak Animal Hospital in Oakville on lakeshore rd is the best around. They deal with reptiles all the time and the one vet there works with zoo animals. Brought my GTP there once and they did a great job. Not many places will look at snakes in the Halton/Hamilton area. Someone else may know of another place, but I highly recommend the Burloak clinic.
Cheers
Jamie
"my temps and stuff are perfect"
Explain "perfect" please.
Originally posted by mykee
Explain "perfect" please.
27-28 degrees on the cool end 31-32 on the warm 55-60% humidity
Not "perfect".
That warm side temp need to be 90-95 (you do the conversion, I did it with yours, JK. (33-35).
We'll need more information than just some temps and humidity to see if there are other husbandry issues aside from the temps being too low.
What is your substrate?
How many hides?
Where are the hides?
Water bowl? Where?
Size of enclosure?
Type of enclosure?
Location of enclosure? High traffic?
Ambient air temps in enclosure room?
Other furniture in enclosure?
tHeGiNo
03-15-05, 10:31 AM
Hey Montie, for starters, you may want to decrease the temperature on the hot end by a few degrees, around the 95ºF (about 35ºF).
As for the excess urination, this is not something I have heard too much about, so I will start by asking whether or not you are sure this is urine.
How is the snake otherwise? Drinking and eating regularly? Typical behaviour? Additional information into the husbandry and set up of your enclosure will help us to better diagnose the problem.
**EDIT** Mykee beat me to it, the questions he asked are the husbandry questions I was referring to. ;)
substrate: paper towel
hides: 2 (1 hot, 1 cold)
water bowl is on the cool side
size: 32cm x 80cm x 40 rubbermaid
location: in my room, low traffic opposite side of where i lways am right next to my BCI
ambient temp 22 C
no other furniture
Edit
he does eat regularly 1 rat freshkilled about 115% of his girth every 8 days
just looking for clarification. when i set up my bp enclosure i used the care sheet on here which says "The temperature within an enclosure, during the day should be 80-85F (27-29C) with a localized basking spot of 90F (32C)." so you are sure i should raise the temp?
tHeGiNo
03-15-05, 12:06 PM
Hey Montie, I think there must be an issue with your temperature gauging instrument, whatever you are using. If the heated side of the enclosure is 31-32ºC, and 27-28ºC on the cool end, how does the ambient end up at 22ºC, lower then the cool end of the enclosure?
92-95ºF (approximately 35ºC) is generally the accepted temperature for the localized heated spot with ball pythons. Aside from that, your husbandry seems correct.
How long has your snake been 'urinating' frequently, and when was the last time it ate?
paulsreef
03-15-05, 05:24 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spirit
[B]When you say urinating, do you mean urates? Are you actually seeing liquid, or a white powder? (snakes don't "pee")
All my snakes leave solid urates and a large damp yellow stain on the paper towel. The damp stain is obviously liquid. Are you sure they're not supposed to release a liquid?
Paul.
Originally posted by tHeGiNo
Hey Montie, I think there must be an issue with your temperature gauging instrument, whatever you are using. If the heated side of the enclosure is 31-32ºC, and 27-28ºC on the cool end, how does the ambient end up at 22ºC, lower then the cool end of the enclosure?
92-95ºF (approximately 35ºC) is generally the accepted temperature for the localized heated spot with ball pythons. Aside from that, your husbandry seems correct.
How long has your snake been 'urinating' frequently, and when was the last time it ate?
i meant the ambient room temp the snake is being kept in. he has been doing this for about 2 weeks on a daily basis
Originally posted by paulsreef
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spirit
[B]When you say urinating, do you mean urates? Are you actually seeing liquid, or a white powder? (snakes don't "pee")
All my snakes leave solid urates and a large damp yellow stain on the paper towel. The damp stain is obviously liquid. Are you sure they're not supposed to release a liquid?
Paul.
They release a certain amount of liquid when they defecate and urinate. It is normal, and if your snake doesn't, then that means your animal is recycling all of the water that is left over after simple digestive processes...which means your snake is dehydrated.:)
Andy is correct. Snakes have something called "ureters" which is basically a tube for transporting urine... but since snakes don't have a urinary bladder to store it, the urine will exit out the cloaca as a powder which we call "urates". It's common for liquid to come out as well, but my point was that snakes do not "urinate" in the known sense of the word, nor do they expel the urates daily (usually, but not always, during a bowel movement)... Which is why I asked if it was a liquid, or a powder (or a pellet made up of powder).
If your snake is releasing a liquid every day (might I add if it's watery, or slimy? clear or discolored?), I would definitely recommend a vet visit if you can't find any answers from the self proclaimed experts (or breeders).
I for one, have NO idea what could be causing that, but it's not something I would wait on.
Def keep us posted... I'm curious as to what this might be.
HumphreyBoagart
03-18-05, 02:08 PM
Originally posted by Spirit
When you say urinating, do you mean urates? Are you actually seeing liquid, or a white powder? (snakes don't "pee")
I'm really sorry, but I'm of little help here.
I don't know where you're getting your info, but every snake I own and every snake I've ever seen has a puddle of pee along with it's poops. And they all have a solid white calcium deposit in there too.
While you are correct, you're selective reading again Hump? lol
Originally posted by Spirit
but my point was that snakes do not "urinate" in the known sense of the word, nor do they expel the urates daily (usually, but not always, during a bowel movement)...
Liquid (urine/urates) comes out when the snake has a bowel movement, but no snake that I know of has a bowel movement every day. If your snake is peeing a liquid every day, something is off. A snake will "urinate" (for lack of a better word) at the same time it takes a dump. They don't "urinate" like mammals do. And they don't "pee" (urinate) on a daily basis. Calcium deposits is a whole other thing.
What is there to argue?
Edited to explain it a bit better: Snakes have a tube which runs from the kidneys to what WOULD be the bladder. This tube is called "ureturs". Their kidneys pass "dry urates", and since snakes do not have a bladder, or a "urinary tract" (or a seperate hole to pee out of), the urine (uric acid) if forced into the colon and is excreted as a liquid (or semi solid) with the stool.
HumphreyBoagart
03-18-05, 02:39 PM
LOL! I think we all know who the self-proclaimed expert is. You're right they shouldn't go everyday, but it is very normal to have liquid in there too. In fact if they don't then there is something wrong (dehydration). Why are calcium deposits a whole different thing? What do you think that "white powder" is that you speak of?
That is EXACTLY the reason I asked if it was a powder or a liquid, Hump. Thank you VERY much for making my original question crystal clear. :) I'm not going to argue how snakes "pee". Do a search.
Ps. I edited as you replied. I'm no expert, but I'm sure you already know this.
HumphreyBoagart
03-18-05, 02:53 PM
Just because there is "white powder" or a solid "white lump", it definately doesn't mean that there isn't liquid too.
So I didn't really make your original question clear at all, but as you would say, "good job on the antagonistic downtalk"! LOL!
LOL! I don't need to do a "search" to see how snakes pee. I'll just go look at one of my snakes.
Are you STILL on that? Get over it already.
And if you know how the urine is excreted, why are you arguing me on something you know to be true?
Lame.
*walks out of thread*
HumphreyBoagart
03-18-05, 03:09 PM
Aw, don't take your "ball" and leave. You'll ruin the game! LOL!
Lame.
I know I was arguing something that was true, the only problem is, it wasn't the same thing you were saying! LOL!
paulsreef
03-18-05, 05:08 PM
I would like to join in, but I've got to go pee!
HumphreyBoagart
03-18-05, 05:48 PM
LMFAO!!!
The game's over anyways, Spirit took the "ball" and went home : (
greenman1867
03-18-05, 06:58 PM
I am all just confused by this so call "white powder". These arn't
COLUMBIAN Cartel Boas are they?
greenman1867
03-18-05, 06:58 PM
I am just confused by this so called "white powder". These arn't
COLUMBIAN Cartel Boas are they?
HumphreyBoagart
03-18-05, 07:03 PM
ummm...uhhh...I don't know anything about it...I gotta go.
LOL! You all know. I don't need to tell you... lol
Silly, silly, SILLY. ;)
I haven't the slightest idea what just happened...
HumphreyBoagart
03-19-05, 12:56 AM
Me either.
well my BP stopped that strange behavour and is doing just fine......for anyone who even still remembers what this was originally about.
he stopped after taking one big massive crap....like huge....my guess was he just had a little constipation and thats why he kept "peeing" cuz he was trying to poop, just couldn't.....but im not vet just a small guess
HumphreyBoagart
03-19-05, 10:38 AM
That's good. It was probably from doing all that white powder! LOL!
Heeeyyy! Glad to hear that, Montie! *thumbs up*
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