If you’ve ever cleaned your exotic pet’s enclosure and found droppings that looked a little unusual, you might have found yourself wondering—can exotics get an upset stomach? Just like humans and other animals, your pet’s digestive health is impacted by their environment and habits.
When they eat something they shouldn’t, don’t get enough water, don’t have the right nutrients, and more, their waste can slowly build up in their intestines until it becomes a blockage. That’s called impaction.
The good news is that impaction is not automatically fatal. However, it’s serious, and keepers should understand what causes it, how to spot it, and what to do about it once it’s happened.
What Causes Impaction?
It’s impossible to say that there’s just one thing that causes impaction. In reality, many contributing factors can cause intestinal blockage. One of the most common is food that is difficult to digest. Reptiles that are fed high amounts of whole prey with fur or thick exoskeletons—and who are not adapted to that type of diet in the wild—are at an increased risk. Because these items are not fully digested and softened before they enter the lower part of the animal’s intestines, they can become stuck there.
That’s why Reptilinks are a great part of a balanced diet! They’re made of ground whole prey, so your animal gets all of the nutritional benefits—but they don’t come with that sudden influx of hair or feathers that can cause stomach troubles. The casing is also made of collagen, so they’ll have no problems digesting it.
Even in animals for whom a fur- or feather-heavy diet is normal, problems can still occur if they don’t have enough water or heat to digest the right way. Insufficient heat interrupts their ability to digest the food quickly enough, and without water, the stool can become dry, hard, and difficult for them to excrete.
Then, of course, there’s the problem of an exotic eating something it shouldn’t. From finding a loose piece of decor to consuming excess substrate when eating messy food, plenty of foreign objects can find their way into the gut. Because these aren’t digestible, it’s easy for them to become stuck.
The Symptoms of Impaction
The first thing most people notice when their animal is impacted is that they’re not quite themselves. It’s usually something keepers can’t quite put their finger on—just a general sense of malaise.
As the impaction becomes more severe (because incoming food and waste is building up behind the blockage), the reptile will usually start to show more noticeable symptoms, including:
- Lack of energy
- Frequent stretching or soaking in their water bowl to try to relieve pressure in the abdomen
- Decreased appetite
- Regurgitation
- A visible lump or something hard you can feel when (gently) pressing on the animal’s abdomen
- Straining to poop with only minimal feces or urates coming out
- Deep breathing and straining noises
- Wiggling (usually from side to side)
- Bloating
As you can see, there are a lot of potential signs of impaction—as well as many behaviors that could mean any number of other things. That’s why it’s always best to take notes about your reptile’s behavior over time so you know your pet’s regular quirks versus something unusual.
How Do You Fix Impaction?
First, always start with a visit to the vet. Impaction can worsen quickly, so it’s smart to get an expert opinion. In some cases, it’s possible to relieve minor impaction at home, and the vet will recommend gentle methods and careful monitoring.
If this is the case, the most common solutions are usually to offer pumpkin puree or oily fish like salmon for species that can consume these items. The animal may also benefit from additional water intake, which can be provided by dripping water onto their nose to encourage licking.
Warm baths can also help, as water often stimulates reptiles to poop, and the lower pressure can relieve discomfort. Always supervise the reptile to make sure it doesn’t inhale water, and avoid bathing species that do not tolerate it.
Despite the temptation, avoid pressing on the abdomen to try to manually stimulate the blockage to move. Doing so can hurt your animal by putting too much pressure on the walls of the intestines, and it can also pack down loose stool, making it even firmer and harder to pass.
With a bit of time and supportive care, many animals can eventually pass their impacted feces. However, in more severe cases, a vet needs to be involved. Where possible, they’ll take the path of least resistance, such as an enema. However, some cases may require surgery, in which the vet will make an incision to access the intestines and manually remove the blockage. Animals that have had surgery can then be placed into a sterile tank while their stitches heal; in the meantime, keepers should determine what caused the blockage to prevent it from happening again.
An impaction is not the end of the road for your pet, but it’s a serious situation that should be addressed right away. It’s also a great opportunity to revisit your husbandry so that you and your animal can enjoy as many healthy years together as possible!