Relieving constipation - Page 2

Corey Woods · 09-01-03, 04:58 PM

Trevor,

I should have been more clean in my original post.....when I said all pythons and boas I meant all Terrestrial boas and pythons. The arboreal stuff is all whole different ball game.

Corey

BoidKeeper · 09-01-03, 05:15 PM

Ah I see. It's good that you clearified. I figured as much but a new people to the hobby often read post from big breeders and with out doing any research take their word as gospel. Must be a pain to have to dot all your Is and cross all your Ts eh.lol I think that it's also worth menthoning that the Ball Python Manual on page 70 list constipation and treatment in the health trouble-shooting chart. I guess the authors don't share your opinion about boids and constipation. I do think though that the book is written with the owner of a WC specimen in mind. There's lots of emphasis on accilimation and treatment of dieses that are more common in fresh imports.
Cheers,
Trevor

eyespy · 09-01-03, 05:59 PM

More than a few, several hundred surgeries! But the BP's sold in local petshops are often in really tough shape and that's how the vast majority of our patients were bought.

mykee · 09-02-03, 01:51 AM

Daver, your last question seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle there. In my opinion, if the husbandry is good, and all is well from YOUR END, and your snake doesn't poop much, (again, my opinion) it's because you're not feeding them enough. For example, If I only eat one meal a day, I'm not gonna crap for a long time. Mind you, if I eat three squares, I'll be much more 'regular' because there will be more food in me than my body needs to work. ( I know, crude example, but you get the idea). Since BP's have slower metabolisms than we do, they convert a higher % of their meals to energy, and storage. I'm a happy camper if my balls poop at least every three weeks, that way, I know that they are getting a little more than they actually need, hence, they will continue to grow.

daver676 · 09-02-03, 06:40 AM

mykee,

Wow. That thought never crossed my mind. I was holding off feeding her until she pooped. Then again, she is too big for what I've been feeding her, but she will eat the rat pinks I give her, and the next size rat I can get is a full sizae rat, which is too big. I don't want to feed her mice, but maybe I'll give an adult mouse a try tonight.

Dave

BoidKeeper · 09-02-03, 01:40 PM

Or more then one rat might work too. When is the last time she defficated? How many meals has she had since her last deffication?
Cheers,
Trevor

daver676 · 09-02-03, 02:16 PM

Her last defication was Aug 14th, and she has had 4 meals since then. All rat pinks.

mykee · 09-02-03, 02:30 PM

Dave, don't stop feeding her on her normla schedule just because she hasn't pooped, keep the food comin', if she'll eat, feed her. Once she has enough 'stuff' in her, she'll eventually let loose.

BoidKeeper · 09-02-03, 06:22 PM

Aug 14th, you should have nothing at all to worry about for a long while yet. Like mykee said keep feeding her. She'll go with her next shed almost guranteed.
Cheers,
Trevor

mykee · 09-02-03, 07:23 PM

It's funny, the pink thing, I got 1.3 het albino balls from Don Patterson (thanks Don, again!) and I didn't have fuzzy rats on hand, so I decided to feed the only one that would eat (they've all eaten since) a pinkie. She was 74g. She took it down in 30 seconds flat. SO I gave her another, gone, 3....4....5....He had over 30g of pink in her, when she was only 74g. She looked like a little Keilbassa for a few weeks, she ate 4 more fuzzies before she finally pooped, which weighed more than she did. You should never worry about your balls, they're tough little buggers...... I've learned.