Maybe an infection?

[Basand]

So last night, someone called me asking for assistance with his ball python. I was extremely busy at work, but I asked him what was wrong(Some things are more important that feeding people!).

He told me that there was something "Protruding from the butt of the snake." I asked him how old the snake was. He responded with it being a baby, so I told him to Google 'hardened yolk' and to let me know if that was not it.

He texted me the first picture a bit later and told me it didn't look like a hardened yolk. I asked for more angles and he sent me the other three. I then asked him if it was hard, he said that it was actually quite soft. I asked if he could feel it continuing inside the snake, and he said that it seemed to stop at the vent.

I asked him a bit about the snake and he told me-

"Some guy posted an ad for a free snake, he told me it was constipated, so I drove out of my way to get him and when I got home and opened the box up to look at him he had that hanging out of his vent."

"It's really active and it don't seem to be bothered by it until he wraps around your hand."

He asked me if I, or anyone I know, would want it. I declined for obvious reasons.

He said he tried to feed it but it couldn't digest. I don't know what else to tell him. I am hoping someone else might have dealt with this and/or have a solution for him.

Let me know if you think of anything. I have not seen the snake personally, nor have I ever met this person.

 

[reticguy76]

Its a cloacal prolapse. The cloaca (equivelent to the rectum in mammals) has protruded outward. It doesnt look horrible (yet) from the pics. Most times mild prolapses can and will go back on their own after some water soaks and time and the snake relaxes. Put newspaper (if not already) as the substrate, so dirt or wood chips or anything doesnt get caught up in there and cause a nasty infection

 

[Basand]

Thanks, I have yet to have this issue myself, but I am sure it will happen eventually cause I have heard it many times.

 

[hadenglock]

A cloacal prolapse is an emergency and needs to be treated as such, find a local vet in your area and take him there asap. This can be both fatal and a chronic condition if not treated properly.

 

[Basand]

As I stated before, this is not my snake. I person owning the snake was not expecting to literally need to see a vet immediately upon receiving it.

There is nothing else I can do.

 

[Basand]

I = The, haha. I was going to write something else and changed my mind in mid-sentence. >.<

 

[Helenthereef]

I have seen in other threads that soaking the snake in pedolyte or sugar solution can help with prolapses. You might try searching for "prolapse' and see if you can bring those threads up.