Prolapse.... HELP.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Okay... to make a long story very short... I was offering a baby python a mouse tonight when I looked at his tail and realized his rectum has prolapsed. This is the one with the extremely odd facial pattern... I can't afford to lose him.

I called my vet and the snake man is on vacation.... I called the emergency clinic and they said "sorry we cant take snakes anymore"... gave me yet a farther away place to call... and they said well if you can have him here in a half hour then we can see him tonight for $99 plus the fee of the treatments... I said you are an hour away its impossible... so they told me tehre wont be a snake doctor again until saturday... so this is really really bad. So far, appointment is on saturday... but I feel this isnt good enough. Both of the other vets besides my normal one were SO insensitive to my situation.

Is there anything I can do to help Po before saturday? is there anyway I can try and fix this on my own? They already told me its $70 for the appt... which is $50 higher than MY vet... I have a feeling theyre going to rock me hundreds for this. For right now, Po is in a sterilized tub with moist paper toweling to keep his rectum from drying out... I don't know what else to do... I came here because people are not jerks on this site... I am REALLY upset any advice would be great... thanks.

[ssssnakeluvr]

definitely keep it moist...that sucks about the vets! it used to be about taking care of the animals, now its about money. Not sure what you can do, just make sure it stays moist!

[Zephyr]

From what I've been told by my mother, surgery is a must. Are you sure it's a prolapse? Any pics?

[jitami]

I'd smear it with vaseline or triple antibiotic ointment to keep it moist, every little crack and crevice you can get to without causing more harm... wish I had more to offer.

[Zephyr]

If it's a minor prolapse, you can use a sterilized utensil to push it back in. If it's major, you'll have to have surgery done.

[jitami]

I'm sure you're googling your little heart out, too, but here are a couple ideas... try to use preparation H to get it to shrink and possibly slide back into place. If it goes back in at any point, use a fabric bandaid or cloth tape to hold it into place. It sounds like it may stay in after this attempted fix or it may not, but at least it might buy you a little time til Saturday? It sounds like time is not a huge issue, but I would be freaking out having to wait until Saturday.

[Garter_Gertie]

I'd not put anything on it but what you're doing. Vaseline is going to cause EVERYTHING to stick to it.

Is there *anyway* you can keep Po from moving around? Do you have something to put him where he's not able to move hardly a muscle? I don't know how big he is... One of those butter tubs? Keep him immbolized and keep moisture on it.

Should he some how poop, be sure to clean it up/off him. Only if he poops would I use antibiotic ointment - and keep him in the butter dish so nothing at all can stick to his little bottom.

Aren't they nocternal? Then keep him in a lighted area for the next day. You want to keep him as immoblized as possible.

My thoughts anyway. And I know jack-****. But it's what I would do.

[Sid]

Shannon, sorry to hear the awful news, wish I had more to offer. The only advice I find on google is "see a vet". Hoping for the best and fingers crossed for you.

[anji1971]

Shannon, so sorry to hear about Po.
I have no advice to give, unfortunately. But I'm sending all the best wishes I can. Hope it works out alright............

[jitami]

If there was a vet available that would be the only advice, but since one's not I'm reading everything I can find about people who've taken care of the problem at home. It's not meant to supercede the advice to go to the vet, just some things to try since she can't get Po into a vet right away.

YouTube - Prolapsed Rectum In A Ball Python Here's a video of a knowledgable guy and the snake is going to the vet, but he had had some luck getting it to go back into place, but not permanently.

CANDOIA.ca Here's the quote about prolapsed rectum:
Rectal Prolapse
Rectal Prolapse occurs when the last section of the intestines - the rectum - "pops out" of the anus. The danger then is that the prolapse can dry out, swell and die off, and can be fatal if not treated quickly.
Rectal Prolapse in Candoia appears to be very rare, which may simply be because so few Candoia are captively kept. Prolapse in snakes in general, however, is not rare, but not quite common. In some species, like neonate green tree boas, it can be common. There are a few possible reasons for a prolapse: parasites, dehydration, stress, and overfeeding / powerfeeding. I do not by any means overfeed my snakes (I like to keep them lean because it seems to me that most captive snakes are too chubby!) The Candoia in question, Sol, was treated for parasites shortly after I got her, and is not in a high stress/high traffic situation. I came to the conclusion that dehydration is the cause, despite the large bowl of water and thrice-weekly mistings.
I noticed the prolapse one evening after work, and although it was too late for me to take her a vet that night, I began looking for one. I was very lucky in finding an excellent herp vet who worked in zoos in Africa. His experience with "pet" snakes is limited, but he was happy to take my own suggestions and do some extra research and assist me in any way possible. When I got her in the next day, her prolapse was quite swollen and a bit dry - it wasn't shriveled up, but did seem to be developing an outer layer of "skin". When the vet tried to re-insert the prolapse, the "skin" split, causing some minor damage to the prolapse. We thought for a while that it would not be possible to re-insert it and that it would need to be excised, but the vet inserted a thermometer into the rectum, and it did go back in. We used some surgical tape and gauze wrapped fairly tightly around her butt to keep her from "flexing" and popping it back out again. We determined that two stitches on either side would probably be in order to keep the rectum in place. However, when the prolapse did not recur within a day, the vet opted not to do surgery. I did not feed her for a month and the prolapse has not recurred yet. Because I suspect the culprit was - at least in part - dehydration, I have begun injecting her (f/t) prey with warm water in the belly, and providing her with a much more humid enclosure. I also opted to treat her with antibiotics, and she was put on a 10-day course of oral antibiotics. She was not a happy camper by the end of those 10 days, but seems to be doing fine otherwise.

In the event of a prolapse in your snake, you can try to re-insert it using a gloved finger and some KY jelly. If the prolapse is swollen or dry, or if you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself, do not attempt to re-insert it. You can use a sugar and water paste slathered on the prolapse, or some hemorrhoid cream, to try to reduce swelling to help with re-insertion. You must also keep the prolapse humid with some mineral oil or KY jelly. You should schedule an appointment with your vet as soon as possible - within a day or two. If the prolapse is left too long, it will dry out and need to be surgically removed.
The vet may be able to push the prolapse back in using his finger or a thermometer. If he cannot, but the rectum is still healthy, he may suggest a small incision to enlarge the anus, giving enough room to push the prolapse back in. If the prolapsed rectum is damaged, dead or dried out, he will have to excise the prolapsed rectum and sew the next bit of healthy rectum to the anus.
Two stitches, one on either side, may be recommended to ensure proper healing. You or your vet may also want to treat your snake with oral antibiotics. Do not feed your snake for at least 3 weeks - you want the rectum to heal as much as possible before the snake passes feces. This also means that you should avoid soaking your snake, which may induce the passing the feces. Instead, provide a small bowl of water and a moist hide with moist sphagnum moss.
You will also have to address the root cause of the prolapse - if you know what it is. Treat for antibiotics if necessary; reduce feeding to one small meal (just enough to cause a small lump) every 2-3 weeks; increase humidity, inject dead prey's stomach with water; move your snake to a more appropriate, less stressful enclosure, etc.
If caught soon enough and treated promptly and properly, there is no reason that a snake cannot recover fully and quickly from a prolapsed rectum.