Strange Medical Issue... thoughts?

I have a Female Hog Island. She is about 2 years old, and had not eaten for me in about a month or so. I also noticed that there have been no excrement of any kind in her cage, which can be odd for her, but it has been longer. I took her out of her cage and realized that her cloaca was distended and was open slightly with what looked like dried excrememt on it. I proceeded to feel the area, and it was hard as a rock. I put her in some warm water in a large tupperware, and soaked her. About 3 -4 hours later, I opened it up, and no movement had occured, so i looke dagain, same deal, hard as a rock. I prodded the excrement lightly with a probe, and it was softer underneath, and it seemed like she was trying to have a movement, so I just let her go and a VERY hard object came out, and stuck. It is still there, and is hanging. I do not want to pull it as I don't know WHAT it is stuck to, so I put her back into the water in the hopes whatever it is will come off on its own. Whatever it is, is pure white, and lookes like bone, but I find that hard to believe. She is always fed in a tupperware with nothing in it for her to accidently swallow. My second thought is that it is jsut a really dried out Urate.... Any thoughts? Anyone ever seen this before? It concerns me especially since this is a long weekend, and there are not any good vets to take her too till Tuesday, and I highly doubt I would get her in then. Any and all thoughts appreciated. I will try to get a pic if I can to post.

Here are a few pics... she is actually very clam concidering, and isn't acting like she is in pain... Looks painful to me, but I'm not a snake, so I don't know... Looks like Urates very dry, and seems to have small amount of blood there also... Starting to get worried here...

Man that looks like it hurts! I would keep soaking her until she is water logged. I have never seen that before, but I would think it would have to be urates. I am sure someone here has seen this before. Hope everything works out. Please keep me posted.
Dennis Cook

Yea, it definitely doesnt look comfortable... doesn't look life threatening in my opinion, just not comfortable. I have her soaking now, and will check on her from time to time. I put the big tupperware into her cage, and she is still laying in it... guess too lazy to get out. Hopefully it will be gone by morning. The big piece dropped off, and there is one little piece left.. looks like it stuck pretty good to her, but doesnt look like it is restricting anyhting.. WOuld still value opinions. Will keep you posted Dennis.. How has your "baby season" been going for you?

Sean, right now I have 11 baby jungle carpet pythons and the mother of your girl there is ready to pop. I also may have some Dums and some normal boas. I'm happy to hear most of it is off. Still looks like it hurts like hell.lol I'll keep checking the thread. Take it easy. You have anything good going this year?
Dennis

You got me bro'. Looks sorta like a prolapse. Never seen one so white before though. I also never seen urates that looked so much like cottage cheese. Urates are usually pretty smooth and not lumpy and bumpy like that looks.

I hope you can get into a vet soon. As for the soaking, has it helped yet? Has it softened any? You said it's hard on the outside, but soft inside. Have you tried to scrape it? To see if it is in fact a clump of calcium, disolved bone? It should prove crumbly if it is urates.

Best of luck. Hope it turns into something simple to take care of.


Rick

I would get her to the vet... my hog female died this winter of a intestinal abcess (intestine telescoped and got infected, which blocked the intestine). After necropsy, the vet said that she was probably only sick with it for about a week, but since I thought she was gravid, I didn't think the swelling was abnormal. My point is that an illness like this could cause her to go downhill very quickly.

It does look like super-solidified urates to me though. I imagine, like kidney stones in people, they can get rock hard if something's amiss.

Good luck...

It does look like cottage cheese...
Might be some undigested bones??? I'd get it to the vet asap because like Lauren said it might be something bad.
I've noticed one of my bp has something similar, just nothing like that came out. Hasn't pooped in a long time and his cloaca is sometimes open but nothing comes out. I have no idea what it is...

im thinking a vet trip is in order sean
maybe calcium deposit ,it looks too white to be a urite ,they usually have some yellow in them
that cold spell where you lost power definately had something to do with it
that stinks man
sorry
Eric

Well, the hard lump came out... not sure what it was, but it was hard as a rock, and had what looked like pale yellow / tan stuff inside that had a consistency of "wood" to it. Very strange since I don't keep any of my snakes on wood... maybe one of the rats i fed had ingested some? DOubtful, but a shot. Anyways, thats out of her, and now there is only something that I can say looks like a "splinter" in there. She isn't hard and distended anymore, and like normal, she is moving around fine and acting like usual.. I am hoping this was a fluke thing, and it will go away on its own. I am monitoring the situation, and will give the vet a call in the morning and see what he thinks. I think she is out of the woods, but a second opinion is always a good thing.