Juvenile Ball Python: strike missed, swallowed some substrate, regurgitated kill

Hi! I am super new to this site. But I have a question about my snake. He’s a juvenile ball python and I tried feeding him in his cage for the first time. Well he missed the pinkie I was dangling in front of him and ate a mouthful of EcoEarth instead. I was able to clean a lot of the dirt out of his mouth, however I did notice him keep opening his mouth in a yawning way after. He ate his pinky about 30 minutes after and then regurgitated it by the next morning. His tail end looks a little bulbous as well. Should I be worried and make a vet appointment?

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Originally Posted by MichellePython

His tail end looks a little bulbous as well. Should I be worried and make a vet appointment?

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Please post a picture of his bulbous tail. This thread explains how to post pictures:https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures.

:welcome: MichellePython- That was good that you got a lot of the substrate out of his mouth, but it sounds like he still swallowed a fair amount? When a snake keeps opening their mouth like that, it's usually when there's something stuck, so it's possible (but no guarantee) that the substrate IS the reason for his regurgitation.

It's also possible that the handling needed to wash out his mouth caused him enough stress that the regurgitation happened by the next morning. I assume you know not to handle a snake after it has fed unless it's an emergency? So I'm assuming you didn't keep on handling him after addressing the substrate in his mouth?

In the future, put down something for a "plate" so this doesn't happen again- it can be an actual plate or a plastic box lid- or a cardboard box top- just don't use paper or fabric, as a snake will catch their teeth on it & require surgery IF it gets swallowed along with their food, since they cannot digest that stuff. A "little" Eco Earth swallowed by a snake shouldn't normally cause a snake to regurgitate, but it's still better to prevent it from happening.

Was this a rat pinkie, or a mouse pinkie, that you fed him? Mouse pinkies are way too small- most hatchling BPs are fed hopper mice, or fuzzy rat- pups (eyes closed).

We need a lot more information- how long have you had this snake? Has he fed previously for you, & without regurgitation? How many times?

What are the lowest & highest temperatures in his home "enclosure"? Snakes may regurgitate meals when they're not kept warm enough to digest their meal.

Before you stress a snake further by going to see a reptile vet, it's important to have your husbandry correct- that's not something that a vet can or will usually address- it takes too much time, it's not their area of expertise, & it also has no financial reward for them- vets are there primarily for medical & surgical interventions, so if you go to one you may find your snake being given antibiotics as a precaution, which are not without potential harm, & which don't actually address what went wrong. See?