Boa with Impaction

hylia · 07-15-13, 07:33 AM

I am sorry to be reposting this, but I thought since the title topic of my other thread had deviated to this, that a more specific thread might get me some more help/answers.

I just got a Hog Island Boas who seems to have an impaction. I gave her a warm soak last night (about an hour) plus tried to gently massage her a bit. It did not pass. At one point, she looked like she was trying to push, but gave up. A red bulge came out of her vent (see pic). It went right back to normal after the soak.

I am wondering what to do. Are impactions usually hard to pass like this or do you think she needs a vet since it did not pass on the first soak? I put her in for another soak this morning, and she is much calmer than yesterday (dare I say that she seems to be enjoying it).

I am looking for any advice on what else I could do to help her. Or do you think she needs a vet right away?

Starbuck · 07-15-13, 08:11 AM

when you gently palpate her underside, what does it feel like? can you feel any distinct, hard lumps? if yes, how many and how big are they? If the snake is nervous she may tense up her abdominal muscles and you wont be able to feel anything.
It is important to press only very lightly, press only as hard as you would when wiping makeup off your eye, or squeezing a FULL tube of toothpaste.

my thoughts are impaction, egg bound, foreign body, or something else (?)

do you see her straining in her viv? what made you think she was impacted from the get-go?

AND ALSO: i would make an appointment with a vet. it sounds like something home-remedies wont be able to fix, as the soak didn't improve things. at the least, it may be a week or more before the vet can see you, so make the appointment now.

hylia · 07-15-13, 08:21 AM

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yes, I can feel a hard lump right near her vent. Let me go recheck to try to gauge the size better. MarvelFreak had suggested on a previous thread that she might have impaction, since I was trying to describe a bulge before her tail starts. There was also dried fecal matter peeking out of her vent (this dislodged). I have not seen her straining in her viv yet.

Just out of curiosity, what will a vet usually do in these situations? Are there medications to held induce it to pass or it is only an operation?

hylia · 07-15-13, 08:28 AM

I am not the best at estimating, but it feels about 1.5" across the width of the underside of the snake. It does not feel like it is a like ball though. Unless I was not palpitating enough to feel it inside the snake. It is right before the vent. She is ~6ft long to give an idea of the size in relation to her.

Starbuck · 07-15-13, 08:29 AM

a vet can use diagnostic tools and medications in order to assist the snake. Additionally, there are surgical options.

if i were a vet (give it a few years), i would ultrasound the vent/area to determine the cause of the impaction (make sure thats 100% what it was). I would then use a light sedative on the snake to minimize stress, and attempt an enema procedure using a diluted KY jelly solution and a rubber tube IF it was a fecal impaction. if that was not successful i would consult with the owner about either surgery (not actually a major undertaking as it is so close to the vent) or waiting and seeing if improved husbandry (bump up humidity, provide humid hide, possible fluid therapy for the snake) could fix the issue.
egg-binding would require surgery, as would a tumor/growth/foreign body obstructing the GI.
A simple prolapse would require husbandry corrections, improved hydration, and possible temporary medical intervention until the cause of the prolapse (dehydration) was corrected.

But i am not a vet, so someone with a degree on the wall probably has a much better idea of what to do!!!! Im looking through some of my medical text books now to further help you out.

hylia · 07-15-13, 08:34 AM

Thanks for the reply and info. Her viv was very dry when I went to pick her up, open top with a heat light setup, no hide, just a water bowl. Her skin seems dry too, not smooth like my other snakes. I hope that it will pass on its own, but if not I got to do what I got to do. Poor snake.

Starbuck · 07-15-13, 08:39 AM

for now i would definitely get a humid hide in place, and cover the top of her viv with tinfoil if she is still in a screen top. it may resolve itself with some TLC and proper husbandry.
ive found that snakes do take a few days to respond; i had a honduran milksnake also come from very very dry, subpar conditions (skin ssues, not impaction though).

hoping for the best, good luck xx

hylia · 07-15-13, 08:45 AM

Thanks, I appreciate your advice. All that is already done. Will see how it goes, but I will call the vet anyways to make sure I can get an appointment in for next week if we need it. Thanks again.

hylia · 07-15-13, 06:06 PM

Well, I guess we will have to see the vet. Look at the pic in the first post, the red bulge IS whatever is inside her. It is smooth and round. Has anyone seen anything like this before?!? What the heck is this, a tumor? Can tumors be perfectly smooth, I always imaged them as being lumpy. I tried to get another picture, but she was moving too much. Anyone have a clue how much a snake operation costs? Holy cow...

Starbuck · 07-15-13, 06:58 PM

it could be an egg; you said you just got this boa? if she is egg-bound, and has been for some time, it will likely need to be removed along with her entire reproductive tract because the tissue of the oviduct adheres to the egg too much, and often cannot be separated and repaired.

It could be a tumor, some are not lumpy and are round instead. the cost of the surgery will depend largely on the extent of the involvement.

It could also be something else, like a prolapsed oviduct/colon/bladder/cloaca. the vet will be able to tell you more based on diagnostics and a more thorough examination than anyone can do over the internet.
Best of luck, keep us updated!

hylia · 07-15-13, 07:12 PM

Thanks for the info. If she was eggbound for awhile would tissue grow over it like that and stop it from coming out, is that what you were saying? There were spider veins in the bulge and the "bump" seems to move inside of her. It does kind of feel like an "egg", but I have no idea how a snake egg would compare to my notion of an egg.

BTW, I know that no one can diagnose on the net, but it just helps to maybe have some sort of idea about what could be going on with her. I appreciate your posts.

Starbuck · 07-15-13, 07:28 PM

when reptiles become egg bound very often the tissue of the oviduct (which is stretched very very thin while the eggs are developing) will adhere to the egg almost completely. As you said earlier, she came from a very sub-par situation previously? Dehydration can definitely cause dystocias. the reproductive tissue is highly vascularized, which may be why you are seeing 'spider veins' around the lump.
If it is an egg, i would expect it to feel slightly mobile within your snake, but relatively firm. snakes have leathery shelled eggs, but it should still feel 'hard'. a tumor would feel a bit softer, but i would definitely counsel you not to palpate too much, as the tissue could tear and then you have a much more serious issue.

I would try to contact the previous owner and see if and when she was ever bred, or if she dropped a clutch of eggs before you got her.

if it is an egg, i expect the vet will attempt a manual removal with lots of lubrication (same idea as the ky enema, but more carefully as it is an egg). if that doesnt work, i would expect surgery to remove the egg/oviduct/ovaries. one option is ovocentesis; where the contents of the egg are removed by needle aspirate, the egg can then be collapsed within the oviduct, and hopefully passed by the snake. I dont like this option as i think the oviduct tissue would be too adhered to the egg shell at this point and it wouldn't help.
again, your vet can hopefully tell you more, and who knows, it could be something i havnt even though of yet! :/
again, best of luck!

hylia · 07-18-13, 05:17 PM

UPDATE:

Managed to get her into the vet today. The blockage is a urolith, and a pretty big one. He lubed her up and tried to removed it manually, did not work. He suggested surgery or euthanasia.

Has anyone ever had this kind of surgery done before? What was the outcome? What would you do in this situation? Would you get a second opinion? Thanks for any input.

**lady_bug87** · 07-18-13, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starbuck

when reptiles become egg bound very often the tissue of the oviduct (which is stretched very very thin while the eggs are developing) will adhere to the egg almost completely. As you said earlier, she came from a very sub-par situation previously? Dehydration can definitely cause dystocias. the reproductive tissue is highly vascularized, which may be why you are seeing 'spider veins' around the lump.
If it is an egg, i would expect it to feel slightly mobile within your snake, but relatively firm. snakes have leathery shelled eggs, but it should still feel 'hard'. a tumor would feel a bit softer, but i would definitely counsel you not to palpate too much, as the tissue could tear and then you have a much more serious issue.

I would try to contact the previous owner and see if and when she was ever bred, or if she dropped a clutch of eggs before you got her.

if it is an egg, i expect the vet will attempt a manual removal with lots of lubrication (same idea as the ky enema, but more carefully as it is an egg). if that doesnt work, i would expect surgery to remove the egg/oviduct/ovaries. one option is ovocentesis; where the contents of the egg are removed by needle aspirate, the egg can then be collapsed within the oviduct, and hopefully passed by the snake. I dont like this option as i think the oviduct tissue would be too adhered to the egg shell at this point and it wouldn't help.
again, your vet can hopefully tell you more, and who knows, it could be something i havnt even though of yet! :/
again, best of luck!

I wasn't aware that a live bearing animal could be egg bound...

Lankyrob · 07-18-13, 05:22 PM

Arent they oviviparous (sp?). Meaning they have eggs but they develop inside the body until they are ready to be born?