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One of the biggest health concerns for reptile pets is impaction. We talk about it a lot with fibrous feeder insects, substrates, and even foreign objects. It’s a major worry if your pet stops eating, too. But what exactly causes it, and how can you prevent it?
In this article, we’ll talk about how to set up your reptile pet’s habitat with the best substrate possible to make sure they stay happy and healthy. Let’s dive in.
Why Do Reptiles Get Impacted?
In a nutshell, impaction is a blockage of the intestines or digestive tract. This can be caused by a high fiber intake or a foreign object in your pet’s stomach. But more likely, it’s due to ingesting substrate from your pet’s habitat.
Why Do Reptiles Eat Substrate?
There are two main reasons for reptiles to eat substrate. The first is accidental - your reptile may eat some substrate with its food during mealtime. This is our main focus in this article, because your choice of substrate can eliminate this risk entirely.
The second is a much less common condition called geophagy, in which a reptile eats substrate to get minerals. This is caused by a specific vitamin deficiency. The way to prevent geophagy is to make sure your pet is getting everything it needs in its normal diet. It’s one of the biggest reasons to dust your feeders.
The Risks of Impaction
Impaction normally manifests as low appetite and constipation, as your pet won’t be able to pass anything, and will feel full because it isn’t digesting any of its food. Impaction is deadly and poses an immediate health risk. If you think your pet is impacted, don’t wait to go to the vet.
Why Do Reptiles Need Substrate?
Substrate is one of the key components of a good reptile habitat, along with lighting, heat sources, and hides. Regardless of what furniture you put in your habitat, or how you arrange it, you always need some kind of substrate.
Substrate does a few things for your pet. First, it helps you clean, which is a very regular activity. It absorbs moisture from your pet’s bodily functions and helps you collect waste without spreading it around.
Beyond that, it absorbs heat and moisture to regulate the climate in your pet’s habitat. It also gives your pet a surface to burrow in, which may be important depending on the species of your pet. Last, it (ideally) mimics your pet’s natural environment. This is a major stress reducer and helps keep your pet happy, which in turn keeps it healthy.
Substrates to Avoid
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to avoid substrates that cause problems. The main substrates to avoid are wood chips, calcium sand or vita sand, and reptile carpet.
Wood chips and calcium sand are both common culprits of impaction. Calcium sand may also cause geophagy if your pet isn’t getting enough calcium. Reptile carpets are tough to clean and can soak up feces and urine. They’re also prone to tearing, which might lead your pet to accidentally ingest the carpet and become impacted.
The other major no-no is using unwashed sand. If you’re using sand, be sure to clean it thoroughly to make sure there are no contaminants or foreign objects in it. You’ll need to rinse it and then bake it in a 250°F oven.
Substrates for Juveniles
To pick the right substrate, you should first think about your pet’s age. Juvenile reptiles can’t handle bioactive environments like adults. Plus, their high energy levels usually result in anything you give them being torn up or soiled.
So while your pet is still young, it’s wise to keep things simple and easy to clean. As long as your pet gets what it needs in its diet and has some insects to chase, it will probably be perfectly happy.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tiles are the simplest option out there. They’re easy enough to clean and they absorb heat very well from your pet’s lamp. This will help your pet regulate its temperature really well, which is very important for general health. The downside is that they don’t resemble a natural habitat at all.
Paper Towels
Paper towels are a very popular option for young reptiles. They’re the easiest to clean, they’re cheap to replace (which you will probably be doing a lot) and they’re easy to set up. Every day, you just change them out and set out some new ones. Similarly, they’re not very similar to a natural reptile habitat, but your pet won’t rely on them for very long.
Natural Substrates
The best option for adult reptiles is natural substrate. Natural substrates are harder to manage, but offer a more comfortable environment for your pet. If you want to take this idea to the next level, you could also consider setting up a bioactive habitat with real plants and decomposers to create a tiny, living ecosystem.
Topsoil and Play Sand
One of the best soil options for bioactive aquariums is a mix of topsoil and play sand. Play sand has a very consistent texture and is calcium-free, which is important in preventing impaction. You want a 70/30 mix of topsoil to sand, which will give your pet a good medium to burrow in and is also easier to clean.
Make sure you get topsoil with no added fertilizer or additives, as these are poisonous to reptiles. When preparing your soil mix, you need to sterilize the fertilizer in the oven until it reaches 180°F.
Excavator Clay
Another interesting option is excavator clay, which can be shaped and molded and will hold its shape. This allows your pet to build its own burrows, which won’t easily collapse. You can also mold it yourself to create structures if you have a particular arrangement or theme in mind. Excavator clay is all-natural and safe, and is also reusable, so you can re-shape it as you like.