Need help possible hernia baby Candoia

Originally Posted by crotalusadamanteus

Looking at the next picture though, looks strangely like a partially digested lizard tail, or a piece of one anyway. ????.

I think all organs were fine.

I also thought that the "fleshy thing" looked like undigested gecko tail, but she hasn't eaten for a month - I would have imagined it would be at least decayed. However the last meal she had was one tiny gecko and two tails from larger geckos. If one of those did stick and block her digestive tract, I guess that faeces could have built up behind it and created this problem.

In that scenario, though, I can't quite get my head around a piece of tail (no jokes please.... ) remaining undigested for a month, when everything behind was definitively fine and uniform waste. Unless maybe it blocked below her stomach so that digestive acids couldn't reach it?

In which case it may have been caused by a poorly developed intestine from the start (remembering she was born a runt), or a twist in her intestine, or still, conceivably, parasites, so that she could not manage a piece of food this size (although she had eaten tails this big before without mishap).

I know we'll never know for sure, but I'm very interested in educated guesses.

My thought was the same (part of undigested tail) but I don't know enough to say more that just a guess... if it somehow passed through the stomach without being fully digested...?? sorry I can't be of more help but thank you for posting the photos.

I dont know how she could have passed a month old gecko tail... one would think that her stomach acids would still be working fine

Originally Posted by Utta

I dont know how she could have passed a month old gecko tail... one would think that her stomach acids would still be working fine

I know, it doesn't seem very credible to me, but I don't know what else it was....

The bulge was further down her body than where a normal food bolus would be while it was being digested, so all I can think is that maybe it somehow passed the stomach undigested and blocked the lower intestine where stomach acids could no longer reach it.

But I'm by no means certain that is what it was, it seems hugely unlikely it could sit inside her for a month and be virtually intact. Just can't think of anything else....

I'm so sorry for your loss, Helen. You tried so hard for her, and I'm sure she appreciated it.

Shared this story with my friend Charles whose knowledge I highly respect. I asked him for his opinion of what might be going on. He said I could share his thoughts on the matter. This is just his opinion and best guess based on the information provided:

My first thought, which I've seen before almost identical to the symptoms and pictures of the swollen area were impaction from fecal matter or urate. What happens is the fecal or urate adhere to the intestinal wall either from dehydration which is the more common scenario or possibly a parasite issue. Parasites can lead to major hydration issues so the effect is the same regardless of the cause of dehydration.

It doesn't have to be a very large piece of fecal or urate to cause this type of impaction. What happens is the piece of urate or fecal adheres to the intestinal wall causing an infection point and swelling of the intestine. As the intestine swells and the matter that has adhered to the intestine wall can get forced free from the pressure built up but can easily tear the intestine wall it was attached to. Even if it doesn't get forced or torn free it can still cause lesions or small rips in the intestine from the pressure. Then you have fecal matter amplifying the infection area as it sits and is not allowed to be flushed from the impaction. So abscesses can form making the impaction even worse.

My best guess on the fleshy type thing pictured most likely is some type of abscess from tissue trying to rapidly repair the infected area. that's why it looks look a lizard tail or a regenerated lizard tail from the growth of the abscess or scar tissue. It really does look like an undigested piece of lizard tail. But it's really highly unlikely that something like a lizard tail would pass all the way down to the intestine not digested with all that digested fecal matter behind it properly digested. Also even if a lizard tail made it somehow undigested that far down the intestine it would have rotted due to how much time had passed since she had last fed the snake a lizard tail. So you add digestion and the time lapse from the last feeding the tail would not look so fleshy, if that makes sense.

All in all sad situation but these things happen. It's great that she shared so much info and great pics to learn from.

Many thanks April. This makes a lot of sense and is very informative indeed.

Yep. Tried to give you Karma for it, but must spread it around first. Interesting read for sure.

Interesting observation on the lizard tail looking thing. Having been dealing with abscess on Lucy, the debris we removed isn't quite the same color or texture. But what he says does make a lot of sense.

Originally Posted by crotalusadamanteus

Tried to give you Karma for it, but must spread it around first.

Me too! Obviously I am being mean with my karma giving

Hi Helen,
That was my PM to April about your situation. I just wanted to say that I was sorry for your loss, that really sucks!! If you have any questions about what I wrote you can ask them here or PM me and I'd be happy to help anyway I can.
Happy New Year!!
Charles