Sand and Your Reptile: Impaction

It's no secret: sand is a very controversial topic when it comes to acceptable substrates. But why? In this post, I'll explain the dangers that sand can pose for your scaley friend.

Yes, it's true, there are definitely some reptiles that can, and even should, have sand in their enclosure because they live on or near sand in the wild. A good example of one of these reptiles is the Kenyan sand boa, which, as the name implies, lives in very close proximity to sand in the wild.

Though the enclosure of this beautiful snake should not necessarily only contain sand as a substrate, there's no doubt that sand is okay to have in a Kenyan sand boa's tank.

What makes using sand as a substrate such a controversial topic is when reptiles that do not explicitly live on or near sand in the wild are provided sand substrate in captivity. This is commonly seen with reptiles that are from deserts, such as leopard geckos and bearded dragons. When people hear that leopard geckos and bearded dragons are desert reptiles, they automatically assume that these reptiles live on sand in the wild, because desert = sand. Right?

As a result, many inexperienced reptile owners will pick sand as a substrate, believing that it is what their new leopard gecko, bearded dragon, or other desert reptile not only wants, but needs. Never mind the fact that a quick Google search will tell you that the majority of desert reptiles don't actually live on sand.

By providing sand substrate for reptiles that don't naturally live on sand, reptile owners run the risk of impaction. This illness is easily preventable, yet so many reptiles have their lifespans cut short because of it.

The Cause

Impaction is most often not caused directly by keeping a reptile on sand substrate, but rather occurs when the reptile tries to eat a feeder insect and accidentally gets a mouthful of sand as well. Over time, because sand cannot be digested easily, the substrate builds up inside the digestive system of your reptile, causing it a very slow, very painful death.

Prevention

Even when it comes to reptiles that live on or near sand, there should be multiple options provided for that reptile to climb on in case they don't want to be on the sand. By this, I mean that you should introduce some hides that can be easily climbed on top of, or add something like a small platform or reptile hammock.

To eliminate as much risk of impaction as possible while still using sand as a substrate, prey should only be offered away from the sand in your reptile's enclosure. This could mean removing your reptile from his or her enclosure for feeding, placing his or her prey on a small dish that is clear of sand, or feeding him or her in an area of his or her enclosure where there is no sand.

The only real way to guarantee that your reptile will not become impacted is by not using sand as a substrate anywhere in his or her enclosure. If you want to entirely eliminate all risk of impaction, don't use any loose substrates, and instead use something such as reptile carpet, paper towels, or even slate. Though I don't believe that avoiding all loose substrate is necessary, or even advised for some reptiles (such as burrowing reptiles like the western hognose snake), it is the best way to ensure that your reptile won't become impacted. If you want a foolproof method to prevent impaction, don't use any loose substrates.

Diagnosis

If you currently have your reptile on sand, don't fret; there are ways to tell whether or not he or she has been impacted. If you currently have or recently had your reptile on a sand substrate and have noticed that he or she

a. has not been eating/has not had interest in food,

b. has not defecated for a week or longer, and/or

c. appears to be very lethargic/slow-moving,

you should seriously consider taking your pet to a reptile veterinary clinic* as soon as possible, as he or she has likely become impacted.

*Most vets don't know much about reptiles, instead specializing in mammals such as cats and dogs, and therefore taking your reptile to a regular vet will unlikely yield the results that you need.

Treatment

If you suspect that your reptile may be impacted, the best method of treatment is to take your reptile to a vet a soon as you can. There are other methods of treatment that you can do without going to a pet clinic if the impaction is discovered quickly enough, but the safest thing for you to do for your reptile is to bring it to a reptile vet.

Other Resources

"Facts About Sand Impaction In Leopard Geckos" by Leopard Gecko

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

This video specifically talks about impaction in leopard geckos, but the basic information can be applied to other impacted reptiles as well.

"Symptoms & Treatment of Sand Impaction in Leopard Geckos" by Leopard Gecko

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

This video specifically explains how to treat impaction in leopard geckos, but the basic treatments can be applied to other impacted reptiles as well. Just remember, the most effective and best-advised treatment is to bring your reptile to the vet as soon as possible. Please don't solely rely on home remedies.

Images

Sand Boa. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest.eb.com/search/149_2054558/1/149_2054558/cite. Accessed 24 Mar 2018.

Bearded Dragon. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest.eb.com/search/139_1971548/1/139_1971548/cite. Accessed 24 Mar 2018.

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