This problem is not common in properly maintained collections. However, most keepers with multiple animals will experience prolapse at some point. Even veteran keepers experience this condition from time to time, and the occurrence of prolapse does not necessarily indicate that there are husbandry problems. Actually, chondros prolapse part of the bowel as a normal part of defecation. The problems arise when the rectal tissue fails to retract, and begins to swell. This looks like a pink bubble or blob of tissue protruding outside of the vent. Left untreated prolapse can be fatal. Conditions that may lead to prolapse include stress, temperatures too high, dehydration, feeding too large a meal or feeding too often, lack of exercise, and in the case of babies, eating unnatural food items. (It is very doubtful that pink mice make up wild neonates' diets.) However, prolapse can occur for no apparent reason even under good conditions, so if you are doing things correctly and experience a prolapse, don't beat yourself up...they happen to experienced keepers too. Animals that repeatedly prolapse are most likely suffering from deeper health issues.

The first order of business is to keep the swollen tissues from drying out. Place the snake in an appropriate size container (such as a deli cup for babies) with a small amount of warm water in it. Be sure that the water isn't deep enough to drown the chondro - use just enough to keep the swollen tissue moist. Make a thick sugar and water paste and apply some to the tissues. Often this will cause the prolapse to retract within a few hours, or overnight. An eye dropper can be useful in applying the sugar paste. Sometimes the tissue will go down in size but not fully retract. Use a clean blunt tool such as an appropriate size sexing probe, and gently push the tissue back into the body cavity. Push the tissue completely into the body, but not farther than is needed to get it all reinserted. If you aren't comfortable with doing this, or if no improvement has been observed within 24 hours, see let a qualified veterinarian. In really bad cases, mild anesthesia will be needed to relax the muscles enough for reinsertion. Sometimes a purse-string suture is needed to retain the prolapse while things heal.

Withhold food from the recovering animal for at least a couple of weeks and then start with very small food items. Watch for a normal defecation, and then slowly work back up to normal meal size and feeding frequency. Most cases of prolapse look much worse than they really are, and usually the condition is very treatable if caught early. Adult females can make a full recovery and go on to lay eggs without complications, as long as sufficient time is allowed for complete healing.

Alors qu'est-ce qui c'est passé avec la prolapse ?

Pablo