Post Compaction Advice

[GarField000]

Maybe the impaction was a symptom of a larger problem, rather than the problem itself?

Good point I think.

A snake should be able to digist a mouse ... even with hair.
Is the internal system so different from garters and cornsnakes?
Because cornsnakes only eat mouse or rats and never had a problem with them.

[ConcinusMan]

Wrong. They don't digest the hair, claws, etc (anything made of keratin). Neither do many snakes that are rodent specialists but I believe they do have special adaptations and better at passing the fur. Regardless, garter snakes are generally not adapted to an all-rodent diet, and especially not adapted to eating hairy adult rodents.

It stands to reason that a diet heavy in hairy adult rodents just wouldn't happen in the wild and so there are no adaptations for dealing with the undigested hair. Furthermore, any partial obstruction, infection, swelling, etc. that is likely to allow the passing of completely digested soft tissue is very likely to cause the hair to get caught up at that spot and start backing up whereas something like worms, fish, hairless rodents wouldn't get caught up.

I guess the fact that the main blockage was hair isn't enough to convince anyone that they shouldn't feed a lot of hair rodents and everytime I mention it, I get the corn snake/BP, etc. argument. It doesn't apply. They aren't garters. Those are snakes that naturally eat a lot of rodents but even they are not completely immune to the problem: SAReptiles • View topic - Reticulated Python with food blockage

Why not just avoid giving your garters anything that they cannot digest if you don't have to? (hair) Is that so unreasonable? Mice are easy to "skin" while they're frozen.

[GarField000]

You don't have to be sarcastic. Not everybody knows everything.
I was only asking because I don't know.
Else I would made a different comment.

[RedSidedSPR]

He didn't mean anything by it. He comes accross sarcastic sometimes, but that's just who he is. I do it all the time in person.

I've never heard of skinning a mouse! Weird. But whatever works...

[kibakiba]

He wasn't being sarcastic, he has informing you. I know for a fact he didn't mean anything rude by it. I have mistaken his posts as being rude and sarcastic, but he was merely stating a fact.

[RedSidedSPR]

Exactly. Me too. To be honest I didn't even read his whole post, I was in a hurry.

[ConcinusMan]

I appreciate the support guys but be careful what you call a "fact". I think pretty much the only thing I said that should be taken as fact, is that no snake can digest hair. Or nails, claws, horns, etc.

But it does just so happen I didn't mean to sound rude and no sarcasm was intended. My apologies to Garfield000.

It just stands to reason that you should avoid letting them swallow hair (even rodent hair) like you avoid substrate. And both should be avoided for the same reason. They do not digest and can block the digestive system.


You might say, "but my snake eats rodents all the time and doesn't have any problems" Well how do you really know? Almost can't know until it becomes a serious problem. It's like saying "I've been eating greasy, salty food for 40 years and I've never had any problems" while all the while your arteries are getting clogged. You won't know there's a problem until you have a fatal, or nearly fatal heart attack.

You might be surprised at how much undigested hair is sitting in the guts of your snakes (any snake that eats hairy rodents) just waiting for the right conditions, or to back up far enough to not allow anything to pass.

Normally, a snake might not even live long enough in the wild for the hair buildup to be a problem. Also, garters get a lot more exercise in the wild and eat such a wide variety of foods. A hairy adult rodent, that a garter can actually eat, is a rare thing in the wild. Remember they have no way to kill one.

[kibakiba]

I never said that it was a fact, I said you often sound sarcastic and rude when you state a fact. I didn't mean that you were just stating a completely true fact.

[RedSidedSPR]

I know for a fact he didn't mean anything rude by it..

I knew that hair was that dangerous. I knew that garters weren't exactly made for adult mice, and that it can cause problems, but not like that. Good to know.

[GarField000]

... everytime I mention it, I get the corn snake/BP, etc. argument. It doesn't apply.

Hmmm. I think I overreacted in this. My apologies.
It was this sentence. I thought you ... argh, never mind.
Maybe it's smart for me to just shut up and read thing 5 times before I respond.

Sorry ConcinnusMan