I was concerned yesterday that my Ball hadn't pooped in a while. He gets an appropriately sized mouse once a week. I last fed him 2 days ago and I was thinking that last meal should push something out because he had to have at least four mice in him. He's only two feet approximately and I noticed he was gaining the physique of a hot dog.
So I pack him up and take him to the guy I bought him from. He says,"Maaan that's a fat snake!" At first he said that I must be overfeeding it. But I told him he gets fed once a week. So he tells me that it must not be getting enough exercise. He went on to tell me how exercise helps the digestive system.
He went on to tell me to get a large plastic tub that is deep enough to fill with warm water to a level where the snake cannot rest on the bottom and poke his head out of the water. In other words it had to be deep enough where he was forced to swim. He said to leave him in there for about fifteen minutes with the lid closed of course.
So, I get a transparent tub.( I didn't want him swimming in the dark)I put him in and of course he wants to get out. I push him back in and snap the lid on. I'm noticing that he's really thrashing around! He did not like being in there! I felt sorry for him because he must have felt like he was fighting to live or drown! But, I left him in there for the fifteen minutes.
When I return to get him out, There's Poop all over the place!
And then there's one obviously exhausted snake.

My Question is, Does anyone have a better idea about exercising their ball? This method seems stressful.
Is there some sort of metamuscil for the scaley kind?

this method is not really excersize...it just helps release the blockage. Make sure your python is drinking enough water...it should be pooping between every feed...max after 2 feeds. People keep balls in rack systems with no excersize and have healthy pythons. Just make sre it is drinkning well. a good soak every now and then is also not a bad thing.... don't stress. It also might be a one off thing...happens to the best of us....it just does

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Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

Hello,

Hydration does help if that is the issue at hand. If the animal isn't actually constipated though, it would serve little purpose.

If the ball doesn't have enough room in his enclosure to actually move around, climb on things, and explore, then I suggest upgrading the size of the enclosure. (Even if just temporarily.) This way, you can see if the added space is allowing more free range movement, and if that is actually the issue at hand.

If the enclosure is already large enough, try adding more items for the ball to climb around on, in, and under. Maybe the added items will get a curious reaction and that will promote more activity.

Thats my 2 cents. (For what it is worth. lol)

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Well, I know he's not going to move around like he would in the wild. I've provided too much comfort!

I'm thinking that I need to handle him more often. Let him pull and stretch more.

In my experience with my pair they can just sometimes be sporadic!(sort of like their feeding habits!) As long as it isn't too long between times I would not get too concerned.
As for the water, most reptiles when placed in water will deficate. Maybe its their way of dropping their "ballast" and allowing them to swim easier.
I wouldn't worry about making the water that deep. Mine will swim in water whether they can touch the bottom or not.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Just clean their cage out - mine always wait until they have a nice clean cage before they poop! I'm sure they do it on purpose!

Well, After the the little swimming exercise( He pooped in that exercise) he's pooped once more( so that's two poops within the last week)
I've kept a large enough bowl of water for him to completely submerge himself in when he wants to.

I have had a similar problem with Sullivan my monitor I mean never been too long but to where i am like ... "he should have gone by now" and ill decide to clean his cage or change his water and within 15 minutes...

They laugh at us...

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Randy

I plan to live forever... And so far its working

0.2.0 Ball Python (Jaxxie and Kyree)
1.0.0 Savanah Monitor (Sullivan)