Sand and Impaction

[archaic37]

I know there is the constant debate of sand substrate and impaction. But just as in the snake trade there's always the saying that a live rat/mouse for feeding can kill a snake but if you ask around no one has actually had personal experiences with a feeder rodent killing a snake, is impaction just another one of the stories that go "a friend of a friend's beardie was impacted and it was a huge vet bill" or has anyone actually had personal experience with impaction?

Im just curious so if you have actually had personal experience with impaction and think im naive for never having any experiences with impaction do not be rude please.

 

[Rud3Bwoy]

i had sand had 0 issues!and fed in viv with sand

only downside is the mess,the little black flies it attracted for some reason,and it stained my dragon


after i got my new dragons i never used sand again,tho i heard playsand don't do this

if you don't mind constantly cleaning sand etc go for it

 

[MissT]

I have had first hand experience with sand impaction. I rescued a beardie who was kept on sand. It was MONTHS before he was able to go toilet properly. The straining he did while impacted was heartbreaking to watch. His was a relatively minor impaction - if he had been kept on calci sand, the vet said surgery would have been the only way to clear it. So yes, it is possible and it is awful to watch the suffering.
It is also pretty unsanitary... The smell it had created in his viv lingered for a long tine.

 

[babyelvissocute]

I had the same problem. My friend didnt want his dragon anymore, and the dragon was on sand, had no uvb light, no heat light, no salads, ect, and that was almost a month ago, and he still has trouble pooping.

 

[kjinxx2]

I've seen issues with sand first hand, along with many fatal injuries from feeding snakes live prey (unattended at least).

 

[archaic37]

The sand I am using (which has been about 3 months now) shows no sign of staining, the first day they kept licking the sand but ever since then they completely ignore it. For everyone that has had issues with sand how large were the beardies that had issues?

I've seen issues with sand first hand, along with many fatal injuries from feeding snakes live prey (unattended at least).

So your telling me that you fed your snake a live rodent came back a little while later and the snake was dead and rodent alive?

 

[kjinxx2]

No, the rodent has bitten the snake during construction which resulted in a fatal wound. I have also talked to people who have had their snakes develop bad scale rot after a rodent bite. I always keep a hemostat in the rodents mouth during constriction because of this.

Sorry for the derail.

 

[archaic37]

No, the rodent has bitten the snake during construction which resulted in a fatal wound. I have also talked to people who have had their snakes develop bad scale rot after a rodent bite. I always keep a hemostat in the rodents mouth during constriction because of this.

Sorry for the derail.

No problem. That is a common issue from small scratches to infections I have heard of that. I do the same to the rodent especially because my ball python thinks that its normal to strike and eat the rodent from the back so its head is still free and tries to bit him.

 

[MissT]

For everyone that has had issues with sand how large were the beardies that had issues?

Huff was 19 inches long.

 

[Jess]

I observe at a vet clinic, where they rescued a beardie who was impacted. He had eaten so much sand that he required surgery to have any chance of surviving it. The owner couldn't afford it, so the clinic adopted him and did the surgery. He was 5 years old at the time, and he must be 20+ inches long... He is MUCH bigger than Dudley.

My first beardie was one that I rescued from the same vet clinic, where he was going to be put to sleep because sand had gotten in his eye and caused a huge abscess and infection.

And Dudley has been stained for over a year and a half because he was kept on colored sand before I adopted him. Not really a health problem, just nasty.

 

[archaic37]

And Dudley has been stained for over a year and a half because he was kept on colored sand before I adopted him. Not really a health problem, just nasty.

Agreed it ruins the natural beauty of beardies. That beardie must have been taking mouth fulls of sand at a time?

 

[archaic37]

Also can't impaction occur with other substrates? Such as Sani-chips? Those have cause more of a problem for the beardies eyes than the sand has. There would be a piece stuck in at least one of their eyes pretty much on a daily basis

 

[Rud3Bwoy]

And Dudley has been stained for over a year and a half because he was kept on colored sand before I adopted him. Not really a health problem, just nasty.

Agreed it ruins the natural beauty of beardies. That beardie must have been taking mouth fulls of sand at a time?

get play sand it won't stain,i know many breeders etc out there who uses sand with 0 issues,people say that there natural habitat has no sand but a clay area which is false,personally i think you will be fine just to much hassle with sand esp with a huge viv

 

[MissT]

get play sand it won't stain,i know many breeders etc out there who uses sand with 0 issues,people say that there natural habitat has no sand but a clay area which is false,personally i think you will be fine just to much hassle with sand esp with a huge viv

Huff was on playsand and DID have issues!!!!

 

[Rud3Bwoy]

get play sand it won't stain,i know many breeders etc out there who uses sand with 0 issues,people say that there natural habitat has no sand but a clay area which is false,personally i think you will be fine just to much hassle with sand esp with a huge viv

Huff was on playsand and DID have issues!!!!

just because you have had issues does not mean everyone else will have issues on sand

i can name 10 or more well known breeders who have all there dragons on sand and never had a issue personally it's up to the owner to make that decision,i would of kept mines on sand if it was not for the cleaning hassle plus a 3x2x18 =to much sand