My ball python is 6 months old currently on fuzzy rats weighs 160 grams. She hasn’t pooped in the 2 months I’ve had her. She acts normal is still eating and has no hard lumps in her body and her cloaca doesn’t look red or irritated. She shed about 4 weeks ago is it possible she’s waiting until her next shed to go. I do have an appointment set up for the start of April. I know she does have a bit of a sausage butt going on.
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From what I can see in the photo it does look like she’s been holding on for a while… however it is common for BPs to do this.
If I notice any of mine holding on to a lot even after a shed I give them a warm (82-85°F) shallow soak, about a quarter way up the side of their body maximum, for 20-30 minutes and it helps get their body and organs moving so they can pass excrement, entirely a just in case thing to keep impaction risk at a low.
Edit: Also I forgot to ask- how often is she eating fuzzy rats?
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I tried the soak and she just sits in the water and doesn’t really move around. When I handle her she is active and moving and I’ve gave her gentle squeezes down her body and it’s all still normal feeling nothing hard. I was given to small of feeders right away so I think she was just being efficient with digestion. She didn’t get like this after I switched her over to fuzzy rats about 3 weeks ago. I was given hopper mice and then small mice that were on the smaller end. She should be shedding real soon she she’s at the start of February I think the 7th. I am feeding her one a week I skipped this week because we have a bad winter storm coming and last time we had one she would not eat until it had passed also they are calling for 36 hours of snowfall so I didn’t want to run the risk of a power outage.
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If she is eating fuzzy rats and is 160 grams at this point it should be ok to start feeding her every 10-14 days, especially since she is holding back.
She’s probably eating too often otherwise and it may be contributing to her “sausage butt”
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@spudx444 @cmsreptiles I’m wondering if this bulge is actually a urate in front of the poop that has calcified. This happens a lot with STPs.
I would continue the warm swims supervised of course. @spudx444 you may need to keep trying gentle palpitations while she is in the water. If they are in fact urates, they are sometimes a bit difficult for a snake to pass……
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Ok I’ll start at 10 days she’s always showing she’s hungry though the little chunker lol. I don’t feed her when she shows that though just to be clear. Her enclosure is a 120 gallon pvc warm side ambient 86 warm hide 90 hot spot 92 humidity 65% cool side is 78 ambient hide is 80 and humidity is 75%. I bump both sides to 80% or higher during shed and she has a water bowl big enough to soak in and I change the water every other day. Just checking if that sounds good to you for parameters.
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Wouldn’t there be a hard lump in her body if an irate calcified? Just asking she is my first snake and I don’t feel anything hard in her body.
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I’d be concerned if @spudx444 mentioned any hard or solid lumps, or otherwise any solid masses… they’ve said that they haven’t felt any.
If it was calcified urates it would feel hard/solid/ or even “crunchy”. Seei g as how often this little one is eating fuzzy rats I’d say that is the main contributor.
That being said… @spudx444 have you palpated near or at the cloaca? Urates can calcify and get stuck even at the very end.
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I’m not sure what palpitate is but while handling I’ve done a belly massage thing applying slight pressure not to hard though. And I’ve also done it where I on off on off kind of gently squeeze if that makes sense. I’m bad at explaining lol. Also the fuzzy rats are 13 to 20 grams and the breeder said once a week but he might be power feeding.
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Palpating would be gently massaging the lump at the end of the tail preferably towards the cloaca to aid in whatever is forming the lump
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Oh yeah Ive done that while handling her this week
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Ok. It’s probably not urates. Just a clod of poop being stubborn. I am sure she will eliminate soon and be just fine…… 
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That’s what I’m hoping I’m so stressed over this!
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Don’t stress! Your reptile vet will certainly be able to help. This is just part of owning a pet. Things don’t always go the way they should but they will “go” one way or another eventually!
Sorry I couldn’t help myself! Again she will be just fine I assure you! 
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Thank you!
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If it is just a stubborn poop (which I bet it is), I don’t envy the bowel movement you are going to have to clean up here soon - that’s gonna be a whopper 
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And going to be a stinky one too 
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@spudx444 Also if you are continuing to handle her make sure you have a puppy pee pad or something comparable under her because as @lumpy Riley said, that poop will be all kinds of stinky if she decides to deposit it on you. Trust me, it will be BADDDDD!!!
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I’m handling her close to her enclosure when I see that tail tip go up she’s going right back in there( hopefully in time) lol
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It’s likely she’ll poop when she sheds. That’s very common.
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