She is in a surgery atm, hopefully she calls back and I don’t miss it this time.
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Okay, so she’s eating and passing…Which makes me suspect that she’s got a birth defect or disease process causing her issues and not impaction, unless it was an impaction and it has already passed. If she were still impacted, she wouldn’t be eating or passing waste, and continuing to feed would cause her health to decline, not improve. Can you perhaps post photos of her cloacal area?
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I am not sure if the pictures do it justice, her cloaca tends to stay open, and her belly is always thick like that. She is super think at the base of her tail, right at her cloaca. She also has a dark, almost bruise looking area there as well.
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Interesting, she does look impacted, so it’s still a possibility. Does the area smell at all? The appearance of her cloaca makes me a bit concerned about something like secondary infectious cloacitis.
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Nope, no smell at all.
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Is there any sort of discharge from the area? Also, how long has the bruise-like area been visible?
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We haven’t seen any discharge; we are unsure how long the bruise has been there. We noticed it about a week ago.
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I would say if it’s going to still be a bit of delay until you can get her to a specialist yet, that you consider starting something like vibration therapy if you haven’t already, and continue soaking her. The cloaca being open like that will allow for water absorption through the tissues. The problem with impaction is the longer a snake is impacted, the harder it is to remove non-surgically and the higher the chance of death before treatment. The fact that she’s passing anything and that the distended area is so close to the cloaca itself means there’s a chance she could end up passing the blockage herself if it is just feces and there’s no secondary factor.
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Or maybe very hard dehydrated poop that is stuck? Maybe a very warm bath with a bit of manipulation gently?
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Don’t you think impaction would be further up in the tract?
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This is what impaction is, and considering the visual presentation and the imaging, I would say the most likely cause with the symptoms having evolved over time due to treatment. Impaction can occur anywhere along the digestive tract and is actually quite common close to the vent. That’s why the suggestion for vibration and soaking. The vibration helps stimulate the snake’s muscles to move the blockage along. I might also suggest that @haileybug consider (only if you’re comfortable with it) applying a bit of lubricant into the cloaca very carefully with a syringe or a well-coated q-tip.
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Ok that makes sense! The lubricant is a good idea. But @haileybug it may take a few warm baths to get this stuff moving……gently
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Based on the pics it looks to me like an emergency that needs to be dealt with immediately. Please get her to a reptile vet somehow. In some species, you can pass urates while the digestive tract is still blocked. Absolutely stop feeding her, this will drastically reduce the amount of time she can stay alive without surgery or medical intervention. Yes, you can try mild vibrations, minor temp increases, and frequent soaks, but the ‘bruising’ and swelling leads me to suspect that home care will not be sufficient and that you’d just be traumatizing her prior to dying from gi stasis or rupture. Please use the links provided to find a reptile vet today.
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To be honest, I agree with this and my advice only applies if for any reason OP cannot get her to a vet imminently. Not only that, but the vet she’s been seeing should not be the one she’s taken to, as they’re obviously not qualified nor comfortable treating her. I’m quite surprised that after the blockage results came back it wasn’t discussed how time-critical treatment is.
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Okay, so I did some research for you @haileybug and I highly suggest you take Emilia to Cheat Lake Veterinary Hospital to see Dr. Lindsey Elswick if you can make the drive. She’s a 2021 grad with a focus on reptiles and she actually keeps a burm. They are also open 24/7 for emergencies.
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Thank you! Our vet only told us about one in Morgantown, but not Cheat Lake. We will definitely call and hopefully get her treated ASAP. The weather is horrid right now, as mother nature can’t seem to decide what she wants to do. Hopefully Mili can stick it out until this storm passes.
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We are too. We thought the blockage was a problem that should be further looked into, but alas both vets disagreed. Now here we are.
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We are going to Walmart right now, making an emergency trip. Thanks for the help! Truly.
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You’re absolutely doing a great job caring for her, you can only do so much with the vet you have, no fault of your own as we’re taught to trust the opinions of professionals. It’s hard when you live in an area with limited options, sometimes you just have to make due. Hopefully treating at home gives you some progress, but if not, you’ve got a whole new option now.
From what I read of Dr. Elswick’s profile on the clinic site, she seems a perfect fit for your girl without having to raise so much money and drive all the way to Ohio. I hope the weather eases up soon and you can safely get her and yourself there. Fingers crossed they can get her back in tip-top shape and you two can have many more years together.
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