The Difference Between Regurgitation and Vomiting

[Skiploder]

Yeah, yeah, you all think I'm dealing with semantics here...but the words "regurgitation" (or regurge at it is wont to be called on the forums) and vomiting mean two very different things.

Short explanation: A regurge is the backflow of undigested food (food that has never reached the snake's stomach) up through the esophagus and out of the mouth. Vomiting is the forceful ejection of stomach contents through the same path of travel.

Long explanation and why it is important to differentiate between the two events:

A regurgitation most often occurs for reasons unrelated to health. A snake that has recently swallowed a meal may regurgitate it if stressed or annoyed in order to save the energy expenditure of digesting the food in favor of using it to escape. Many species of snake become vulnerable when digesting a meal, so the regurgitation of a prey item can allow it to gain an advantage in a fight or flight situation. The act of regurgitation does not carry a stiff health penalty, as digestion has not really begun and damage to the esophagus and gastric mucosa is unlikely.

On the other hand, an animal that vomits up a prey item days after ingestion often times has an underlying ailment. The inability to digest a prey item can indicate problems with the stomach, the kidney, the liver, the gall bladder or any other components of the digestive system. The problem can range from something benign (like improper husbandry) to dysfunction of the aforementioned organs, to internal parasites, viral or bacterial diseases.

Even in the case of a regurgitation, care should be taken in reintroducing food items. Snakes begin processing prey items fairly quickly so it's always a good idea to wait the requisite two weeks before feeding again. As the vast majority of captive snakes are overfed anyway, missing a couple of meals isn't going to compromise the health of an otherwise healthy animal.

In the case of a vomiting episode, not only should a minimum of two weeks pass before offering food,the keeper needs to keep an eye out for other signs of disease. Is the snake behaving normally or is it listless? Does it look dehydrated? Is it showing signs of discomfort (covered under a separate post)? If so, the animal should be taken in to see a qualified reptile veterinarian.

After a regurgitation or vomiting event, it is also a good idea to add Benebac or Reptibac to the animal's water. These supplements help restore the beneficial bacteria present in the animal's digestive system.

So humor me...let's start trying to use the right terms...

[Lizardlicks]

That's actually really good to know as I wasn't aware of the distinction.

[Tikall]

I actually had a sort of related question about regurge/throwing up. I was asked recently why throwing up casts (fur balls) in white lipped pythons wasn't a horrible event that a typical vomit is. Best I could answer was that it was just business as usual, the snake was designed to be able to do this and there is no underlying issue like illness or stress, so the snake is fine. However, I've heard that part of vomiting that is so bad is it disrupts the health of the stomach and it takes time to recover (weeks). Yet white lips can vomit non-digested fur and be fine? I'm not sure why it doesn't disrupt their stomach at all.

[Skiploder]

I actually had a sort of related question about regurge/throwing up. I was asked recently why throwing up casts (fur balls) in white lipped pythons wasn't a horrible event that a typical vomit is. Best I could answer was that it was just business as usual, the snake was designed to be able to do this and there is no underlying issue like illness or stress, so the snake is fine. However, I've heard that part of vomiting that is so bad is it disrupts the health of the stomach and it takes time to recover (weeks). Yet white lips can vomit non-digested fur and be fine? I'm not sure why it doesn't disrupt their stomach at all.

Other species do it also...Timor pythons for example.

It's an adaptive biological process that occurs after digestion has taken place.

[Tikall]

Other species do it also...Timor pythons for example.

It's an adaptive biological process that occurs after digestion has taken place.

Right! Heard of carpets and even GTPs doing it uncommonly... Just couldn't explain why that kind of vomiting doesn't mess with the gut. I think my question may have been worded poorly, kind of hard to explain exactly what I'm asking I guess. I've read that vomiting is bad because aside from what caused it, they need to replenish bacteria in the gut before eating again. So is throwing up casts different because it happens after digestion, or why does it not hurt the stomach environment?