Regurgitation?

So there was an issue with my jumpstart thermostat and the hot spot on my bps cage was about 98 when I checked after seeing this. Cool side was still 78. It had an acidic smell that I noticed when I opened the enclosure but wasn’t as bad as it was when my other one regurged back in January. When breaking it apart it seems to be mostly hair, but does not really have the consistency of normal poop. His poop was normal up until this point. This was a whole 5 days after eating his last meal. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...95c168953f.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...107abdf778.jpg


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I found that in my bp's enclosure once. I even posted about it (Post #10 & 15). My bp was suffering from a large cyst or tumor. I found that in his enclosure and took it with me to my vet appointment, but the vet couldn't tell me what it was.

I would be highly concerned if it were an internal issue like that. I can’t feel any masses in him at all and he’s quite young and 250 grams. Should I make a vet appointment?


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Originally Posted by BallBoa

I would be highly concerned if it were an internal issue like that. I can’t feel any masses in him at all and he’s quite young and 250 grams. Should I make a vet appointment?

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Something stopped your bp from fully digesting it's meal. In my case, it was probably the tumor. Hopefully, the cause in your case is something less dire. Wait and see if anyone else on the forum has experience with this.

The acidic smell* suggests to me that this was a regurgitated "hairball". If your snake seems healthy otherwise, I doubt that a vet can tell you very much, but if you'd feel better asking one, by all means do so. Fecal material, in my experience, always smells, well, like fecal material. ;) *That this odor "wasn't as bad" as a previous regurge is because it's mostly hair, not other undigested content. Nothing reeks like a snake regurge... :rolleyes:

Do you think the temperature spike could have caused it? What should my course of action be? I was going to wait 2 weeks before offering food again and put nutribac in his water.


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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

The acidic smell* suggests to me that this was a regurgitated "hairball".

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I searched the forum for "hairball" and I was surprised at how often this comes up. Doesn't seem to be anything to be concerned about. Apparently, bps cough up hairballs like cats do. You learn something new everyday.

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Originally Posted by BallBoa

Do you think the temperature spike could have caused it? What should my course of action be? I was going to wait 2 weeks before offering food again and put nutribac in his water.


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I wouldn't worry about it- no idea if a temperature spike could promote this, but he's better off without this in his G.I. tract, & it might have proven to be a more problematic blockage if it had left the stomach. (What I'm saying is that he might have ended up "constipated", which is no fun at all.)

I thought more about this so I'm editing > > > Yes, after 2 weeks, I'd go back to feeding him on his regular schedule- & you might also want to feed him smaller prey for the next meal or beyond, for better digestion. For whatever reason (& it seems to be quite rare) but some snakes just don't digest as well as others- I was just remembering one snake I had like that- it was years ago & a long story, but the cause was unknown. Just like us or any other living things, some have issues that others don't.

I would not bother adding Nutribac to a snake's water, as it will be far too diluted to do much (& just be wasted) as he couldn't possibly drink much of it in a day, & if you leave it longer than that dissolved in water, it will help pathogens grow. Personally I'd dose Nutribac by installing it into the oral cavity (mouth) of the dead prey right before feeding. It should be well absorbed this way, since it will be digested with the meal. (When humans take vitamins, they're also best taken with a meal.) ;)

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Originally Posted by Homebody

I searched the forum for "hairball" and I was surprised at how often this comes up. Doesn't seem to be anything to be concerned about. Apparently, bps cough up hairballs like cats do. You learn something new everyday.

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It's common to see a bunch of hair within a snake's stool also- it's just that we don't always look that close...:rolleyes:

I've never dealt with ASF's, that are said to be the normal diet of wild BPs, but I have a hunch that their fur is far less course & thick than the fur of domestic rats- that might be why BPs (or other snakes) seem to have occasional issues with "hairballs"? I do think hairballs are FAR more of a "cat thing" (since they're always licking their fur).

The main concern (IMO) about a snake "coughing up a hairball" is that snake's don't actually cough very well- this was actually a regurgitation, & with any kind of regurge there's always a risk of aspiration into the lungs & of the snake choking to death. Is it possible that domestic rats aren't the ideal food for BPs after all? Domestic mice (which most BPs like) have much thinner hair- they just aren't as large. (for convenient 1-item meals).

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Originally Posted by BallBoa

Do you think the temperature spike could have caused it? What should my course of action be? I was going to wait 2 weeks before offering food again and put nutribac in his water.


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Certainly the temperature spike could have caused it. However , for the most part these reptiles have the ability to thermoregulate and if they are uncomfortable they can move to another area of the enclosure. It’s concerning that this occurred and a reptile vet surely is a consideration. However , I think waiting to feed in 2 weeks is a great strategy. Of course troubleshooting the thermostat is key also. What prey item was that? Consider going with a smaller offering next time will help. Maybe even something hairless? I would use a liquid acidophilus to coat externally the next feed. Acidophilus in its liquid form is easily applied to the feeder.