All he does is remind me he's a boy. [Cloud issues]

[Nova]

Cloud won't poop. Sorry to be blunt.
But every time I think he's going to, he just drops a urate and plugs. Yes I'm glad to know he's a boy and all...but really. Should I take him to the vet? It's been 2-3 weeks since he's graced me with his droppings, and his enclosure looks clean.
That's not all, either. Whenever he's working hard (IE trying to get somewhere with not enough traction), his nose whistles a little. It's never gotten worse but it doesn't seem to be getting better. Vet time? He also foams at the mouth a tiny bit whenever I think he is stressed (when I take him out of the room).


- Nova

[Katrina]

Hi Nova!

Was he pooping regularly before the last couple weeks? Have he been eating normally? Does it look like he is struggling to try to pass something when he pees or does he just pee normally? If you haven't seen poop in two weeks, I wouldn't panic just yet... unless there is a chance he is impacted. Has his appetite or behavior changed at all? Sometimes they just don't poop very often. Could he have eaten substrate or anything?

A slight whistle from the nose is somewhat normal. It should be a bit of a whistle and not a wheezing or crackling - like the nostril has a tiny bit of shed or something blocking it, NOT like there is fluid in the lungs. But a couple of mine have a bit of a whistle and it is normal for some. If there is no discharge from the eyes or nose, no lethargy and no change in behavior or crackling / wheezing then I wouldn't be worried about RI based on a slight whistle.

[Fatal_S]

Have you tried feeding banana/egg? Those usually assure a big smelly poop. Or a warm bath?

[Nova]

Hi Katrina.

Yeah, pretty regularly. He eats every time I feed him, but recently he hasn't been cleaning his plate. I also started feeding him less since I was worried he was getting fat. Once every 2 to 3 days now. He gets about a heaping tablespoon of various high quality wet dog foods, squash, collard/mustard/turnip greens, and sometimes carrots, chicken, or whatever meat was cooked for dinner, topped with calcium powder. I don't think he ate any substrate, the reptibark chips are pretty big and heavy for his tongue get any down his throat. I try to watch what he does when he tries to go, sometimes it does look like he may be straining. err...yeah. Once I was watching him, was SURE he was going to go, but it seemed like it "went back in", if you know what I mean? I might have just been seeing his 'boy parts', though. but it really did look like a poo. awkward. :l

THAT is good news, yes its just a faint whistle when he works hard. I was panicked there. Thank you for that info.

Fatal_S,

He actually had a warm bath before I posted this. I'll see what the egg or banana does. I actually don't think I've given him banana yet. Yay new things 8D

[Katrina]

Hmm. Well, if he is eating less and seems light he might be straining then that might mean that there is some sort of blockage. I'd try a bath and/or banana and give it a couple days, but if he isn't eating much and seems like he is straining to get something passed but it isn't moving then you will want to take him to a vet to make sure he isn't impacted. But try the baths and egg/banana and don't panic just yet.

[Bird_Brain]

I have only had to deal with impaction once in my years of owning reptiles and that was an iguana I was given. The previous owner allowed it to free roam, in which it ingested loose change (coins/money) that caused impaction. From my experience, they dont eat at all when impacted. IMO, as long as food is going in, I would not worry about. I know bts are magicians and do a great job of hiding their poo in their cages. Obviously a vet visit is never a bad idea, I just feel that as long as food is going in, then it has to be coming out. If its not coming out, then the skink wont be eating.