constipated blood python

i got a baby blood ive had him for about 3 months and he eats like a champ but he dont poop like one it seems like he holds it in as long as possiable and he hasnt pooped fer about 3 weeks or soo and u can feel the poop in him i soaked him in warm water to see if ic an soften it up a little but no luck does anyone else have any suggestions before i take him to the vet???????????


thanks
joe

No need for panic or a vet visit...bloods have a very slow metabolism, esp. compared to many other species. Upside: they don't poop as often. Downside: When they DO go, it seems like a Shetland pony just hit the enclosure!

Soaking him is fine...he'll go sooner or later. Just make sure to keep your snake well hydrated, and also keep in mind that it's not necessary to pound blood pythons with food. One appropriately-sized meal every 7-10 days is more than sufficient. Overfeeding a blood is like trying to run a Honda on Formula 1 fuel. They just don't need a) giant meals or b) super frequent feedings.

How do you have your blood python set up?

K~

i got him in a 41 qt tub its my boa phile rack, i got coconut bark with a water bowl big enough for him to sit in and moss over one half of the cage and i spray the hole cage for humidity its 85 degrees on the warm side and about room temp on the cooler side for heat i just have the 2 flexwatt strips i feed him every 7 days and water him daily and i spray the cage daily is that a good set up for him???????


thanks for your help
joe

Originally Posted by bloodpythons.com

No need for panic or a vet visit...bloods have a very slow metabolism, esp. compared to many other species. Upside: they don't poop as often. Downside: When they DO go, it seems like a Shetland pony just hit the enclosure!

Soaking him is fine...he'll go sooner or later. Just make sure to keep your snake well hydrated, and also keep in mind that it's not necessary to pound blood pythons with food. One appropriately-sized meal every 7-10 days is more than sufficient. Overfeeding a blood is like trying to run a Honda on Formula 1 fuel. They just don't need a) giant meals or b) super frequent feedings.

How do you have your blood python set up?

K~

Yeah...what she said.
My bloods usually defecate after 3-5 feedings...depending on how often, and what, I am feeding.

Joe,

Your setup sounds good, but how big is the snake? Is he a little baby, or a good sized, well-established juvie? It sounds like he's doing well since he's eating consistently for you (which I'm assuming based upon your post - correct me if I'm wrong), but sometimes bloods freak out by being in a bigger box than necessary, although that doesn't sound like the case here.

It *sounds* like you have everything dialed in just right - you could potentially bump the hot spot up by just a couple of degrees - 87-88-ish, but everything else sounds good!

Keep an eye on the humidity in the enclosure & don't let things get soggy...make sure there's enough ventilation in the box as to where you don't have condensation dripping down the sides, as that can be too damp. Humidity is usually very easy to maintain in a closed rack system like a boaphile rack. Usually 65-75% humidity works very well for these guys, and just keep in mind that while being too dry is definitely not good, being too wet isn't beneficial, either.

hes about 18 inches i did read sumthing that said they do freak out when in a larger inclosure do you think i should put him in like a 10 gallon or is he ok in there ??? hes eaten every weak he hasnt refused once for me he even ate while he was sheding .i feed him t/f rat pups ..... hes a little bighter tho hes pretty agressive i try to hold all my snakes at least once a day for about 5 mins even just to hold them but with him i try holdin him more and i don think he likes that to much are yours that agressive????

An 18" blood should be fine in an enclosure that size. A 10-gallon tank would likely be too small, and bloods often freak out just as much in clear-sided, screen-top enclosures like a tank.

Keep up your consistent, gentle interactions with your bloods. Juvenile blood pythons are known for being uppity, but the majority will outgrow it over time. The vast majority of mine are tame - I can only think of a few adults that are real stinkers, most of which are LTC wild-caughts that I just couldn't pass up. The rest range from being very workable to puppy-tame.

Patience is your friend when it comes to taming a blood python! Just hang in there, keep your handling sessions brief & pleasant, and try to always end them on a positive note. Bloods are easy to condition, so if you put your snake away immediately every time it bites you, it's going to learn that you'll leave him alone if he misbehaves. Just interact with him for a few minutes at a time, and try to make sure he's sitting relatively calmly & not acting like a complete brat before you put him away.

K~

yea when he bights i just keep him out and still work with him im pretty sur mine wild caught to i work at the local reptile shop and i got him from the importer guy for 75$ i couldnt pass him up ...... i got another ? for you are bloods more of a slow grower ????
i really appreciate your help
thanks
joe

On the handling note, I promote the theory that less is better. Trying to handle a snake (that clearly doesn't like it) daily just causes stress. If he is biting, ease off a bit on the handling. When you do handle it, be gentle and move slowly. There is no reason you shouldn't have a calm, workable blood in short order.

I agree with Harald on the Blood subject. The more you handle one that doesnt like it the more it stresses them out, and a stressed out animal is more likely to have problems. With my bloods I used to handle them for 5 minutes or so each time I cleaned the cage, or at least once every 7-10 day period. This is enough for them to realize that handling can be ok, and not over whelming for them either. I got a little over 2 years old pair of bloods from someone that never ever handled them with anything other than hooks(and that was when he absolutely had too), and they were CH at best, so not real friendly. I had them calmly sitting on my hands and arms within about a month with only about 5 handling sessions in that time. They are pretty quick learners, so positive infrequent sessions seem to do wonders. I have owned close to a dozen bloods(babies on up to adults) and worked with several others and was never once bitten by one, not that almost all of them didnt try at one time or another. If you learn their body language you'll be way ahead of the game. They are a very deliberate snake, and will let you know when they are angry. All in all I think the more you let him/her be comfortable in their environment, and with a few positive handling sessions spaced out over time you should see a noticable improvement within a month to 6 weeks. Good luck, Dan M.