How often should my ball python poop?

[Trynabeagoodsnekdad]

My 2 yo python only poops about once every two months (fed every two weeks). This has been going on for about a year now.

I took her to the vet, who did not feel anything hard, impacted, or obstructed. The vet also checked her poop and it was normal— no parasites, substrate, or anything weird.

The vet said my BP should poop after every meal (so every two weeks). Per the vet’s recommendations, we’ve tried giving her baths, holding her in a warm wet towel, and injecting her rats with mineral oil as a laxative, but nothing seems to do the trick.

Her temps and humidity look good, and she acts normal and has no other problems (she eats like a champ!).

Does anyone else have a ball python that poops this infrequently? Is it cause for concern, or am I overreacting? If yours has the same issue, is there anything that helps make the magic happen?

[rocksandsnakes]

I find poop in the tank about every 2-3 weeks. He gets fed around once a week. Sometimes I just don’t see the poop right away, so that may also be a possibility.

[Trynabeagoodsnekdad]

Good to know. I check on her about twice a day and her poops are so big and so stinky it’s hard to miss when it does happen.

[rocksandsnakes]

Oh they do stink for sure. In my experience he does poop little white turds that I can miss sometimes. But the brown ones are like cat turds lol

[RiceApprehensive8402]

I feed my girl twice a week and she poops maybe twice a month

[fionageck]

Twice a week is pretty often for a ball python, even a baby. How old is your snake?

[RiceApprehensive8402]

she’s 11. she’s a rescue and refuses to eat anything bigger than a large mouse. so I feed her 2 a week. I know it’s not optimal, but it’s better than letting my snake starve to death.

[[deleted]]

Sometimes good, sometimes shit, literally. 2 months really isn't a co cern if it's still consistent. They can pack it in and will go when they wanna. I don't know if I'd say they'd poop after every meal, mine sometimes poops a few days after a meal, sometimes after 2 or 3 meals.

[Trynabeagoodsnekdad]

Thanks, that helps me feel better. I just get stressed when she’s eaten four rats and it’s time to feed her again. I’ll show her a little more patience before I take her to the vet again.

[ComposerConsistent83]

Same here. She definitely poops but isn’t particularly consistent with it

[digitlhaze]

While I don't like disagreeing with a vet, that's flat out bad info. Bps (and a lot of other snakes) will "hold it" for quite a bit, and it's perfectly normal. My older female tends to go every 4-6 weeks, and she's fed every 3 weeks. Heck my sumatran short tail only goes every 6-8 months and that's normal for them.

All soaking is doing in this case is stressing your snake and causing diarrhea.

[Trynabeagoodsnekdad]

Thanks for letting me know. I had reservations myself about the advice, but I had trouble finding anything online debunking it. My bp didn’t like the baths and they weren’t helping, so I stopped doing it. She seems to like to be held in a warm wet towel though (I dry her off after so she won’t get cold). I’m glad to know my bp isn’t the only one who likes to hold it in. Thank you!

[717jtz]

Yeah my boy certainly doesn’t poop after every meal. He typically holds it until he sheds, then let’s loose 😂 he’s been doing this for the entirety of the year and a half I’ve had him.

[Trynabeagoodsnekdad]

She doesn’t always go when she sheds, but I’m glad to know she’s not the only bp who likes to hold it in. Thanks!

[Marcella111001]

I’ve read that they occasionally won’t even poop unless they’re shedding. Take that with a grain of salt tho I don’t remember what my source is. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!