Snake Just regurgitated need advice please help!

Hey everyone. i fed my snake regular white mouse like i always have and went back in the room an hour or so later to see her contorting all around followed by her throwing up the mouse i had fed her before. This has never happened to me before and have no idea what to do.

Please help me

What are your temps? Did you handle her after feeding? Was she on medication during this time?

Temps are 78 degrees ambient. Hot side had heat pad set to 94.8 degrees using a herpstat. Humidity ranges typically from 55-65 %. I never handle her less then 24 hours after a feeding and she isn't on any medication.

Was it a live mouse? Or f/t? If f/t, are you sure it was thoroughly thawed?

Was the mouse any larger than what you usually feed?

These questions and the ones Tiffany asked might help us figure out why the snake regurged.

As far as what to do, remove the regurged mouse, wait 2 full weeks before trying to feed the snake again, then feed it a meal that is somewhat smaller than usual. As long as it keeps that meal down ok, you can go back to feeding like usual.

In the meantime, try to figure out why the snake regurged, and eliminate any issues. Some things, such as the snake being on meds, might mean you should wait longer before offering food again.

When you came back in did she seem surprised or frightened when you looked at her?
Sometimes it's best to try to sneak and keep light off to avoid them from thinking a 'predator' is coming their way and cause them to regurge.

I recommend waiting 2 weeks to feed again, just to allow her system to recover.

Since she was a baby she has always been fed live. Thats what the breeder started her on so i figured why mess with it because bp's can be picky with eating.

When i came back in the room as far as i coudl tell she was going from one hide to the other but was not moving when i walked in. She then sat still for a moment and started squirming around. She very used to me cause i handle her everyday except feeding days so i don't know why she would be scared of me walking in my room. Im in and out of my room many times everyday and she doesn't seem to be effected by it either way.

She was off feed for about a 1.5 months before being fed tonight. Her behavior didn't change at all so i just rolled with it and kept offering her food every 2 weeks like i normally do. Then today she took the first mouse, killed the second and didn't eat it. Then like i said about an hour later this happened. Im trying to think of anything else that might be of help to you all.

The other mouse could have stressed her out since she refused for a month and a half. Maybe it could have been too much of a hassle and she just wasn't ready for another.

Maybe one of the rodents bit her or scratched her and that caused her to get freaked out or stressed out.

Also, as for the ambient/cool side temp, I'd raise that to the low 80s (the ambient/cool side temp shouldn't have triggered the regurg though).

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Originally Posted by DrEwTiMe

Since she was a baby she has always been fed live. Thats what the breeder started her on so i figured why mess with it because bp's can be picky with eating.

When i came back in the room as far as i coudl tell she was going from one hide to the other but was not moving when i walked in. She then sat still for a moment and started squirming around. She very used to me cause i handle her everyday except feeding days so i don't know why she would be scared of me walking in my room. Im in and out of my room many times everyday and she doesn't seem to be effected by it either way.

She was off feed for about a 1.5 months before being fed tonight. Her behavior didn't change at all so i just rolled with it and kept offering her food every 2 weeks like i normally do. Then today she took the first mouse, killed the second and didn't eat it. Then like i said about an hour later this happened. Im trying to think of anything else that might be of help to you all.

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When you feed they have different instincts in feeding mode.
You are a moving predator to her, she is not used to you when she's eating. As far as she can tell, you're a threat to her and she will sacrifice her meal to save herself like she would in the wild.
Once you see her kill the rat or mouse, I would leave her alone in the dark with NO traffic by her cage for at least an hour, maybe more.

Also, I recommend feeding one properly sized prey item per meal instead of trying to feed two.
You should be offering her food every week. After a regurgitation though, you should wait two weeks.

The double kill of mice could have been a factor of the regurgitation as well.

My usual routine for feeding is i offer one mouse at a time, she kills, eats, i wait about 2 mins or so before offering the next so she can slink it down and adjust her jaw(i wait for at least one yawn so i know her jaws are ready etc etc. When the gets back into strike position i lower the second mouse in. She had been on 4 mice every 2 weeks for about 2+ years now and never had even a slight issue with it. I tried rats once and she didn't respond to them at all so i stick with 4 regular size mice and that seems to be the most consistent choice of food for her.

She seems to be acting normal, she is cruising the cage now. I changed her water and she went right for it and drank a lot. Im guessing after regurgitation she dehydrated herself and needed water?

Cooliotiffany- I watch VERY closely every feeding time to make sure that she doesn't get bit or scratched by the mice. I didn't see anything out of the norm in that respect today.

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Originally Posted by DrEwTiMe

My usual routine for feeding is i offer one mouse at a time, she kills, eats, i wait about 2 mins or so before offering the next so she can slink it down and adjust her jaw(i wait for at least one yawn so i know her jaws are ready etc etc. When the gets back into strike position i lower the second mouse in. She had been on 4 mice every 2 weeks for about 2+ years now and never had even a slight issue with it. I tried rats once and she didn't respond to them at all so i stick with 4 regular size mice and that seems to be the most consistent choice of food for her.

She seems to be acting normal, she is cruising the cage now. I changed her water and she went right for it and drank a lot. Im guessing after regurgitation she dehydrated herself and needed water?

Cooliotiffany- I watch VERY closely every feeding time to make sure that she doesn't get bit or scratched by the mice. I didn't see anything out of the norm in that respect today.

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In my opinion, that is an unhealthy feeding schedule. You are feeding WAY too much at once.
And you have had plenty of slight issues with it now. You said she was off feed and she regurgitated. When she has to constrict four mice in a sitting, it is severely risking the chance regurgitation because she has to contract her internal muscles and they are not meant to kill prey directly after eating one, let alone 3 other mice.

Also, her being off feed for a while indicates that this is not something that suits her very well.
Regurges will cause dehydration, yes.

Have you tried ASFs? Anatomically it would not be nearly as hard on her system or cause any regurgitation problems if you fed less every week instead. Even 2 every week would be easier on her than 4 every two weeks.

Also, why do you have to feed live? Frozen is a bit more convenient and less expensive.

I would take a fecal sample to a vet, and have her checked for parasites.

She's been eating live mice, so there is ALWAYS a risk that something got in, transmitted by the mice.

I don't think the feeding schedule was terrible, particularly if she has had no problems with it up to this point. I doubt the regurge was related to her eating multiple mice at feedings in the past. The fact that she killed but did not eat the second mouse suggests her tummy was already getting upset, which is why she didn't swallow it.

Step one--re-check temps and humidity with a separate thermometer, just in case. If they all look good--get a fecal exam done.

Maybe this is a one-time fluke, but it's rare for a snake to regurge for no reason. A snake that's been eating 4 mice every 2 weeks for 2 years isn't going to start developing a problem with that schedule now. Mice are small--I have fed my yearling female 4 mice at a sitting, if she'll take them. Mousers can be difficult to keep weight on. It's not too much food in one sitting, it's about as much food as a small to medium-sized rat.

A regurge out of the blue without any environmental changes says 'parasites' to me.

I don't think that 4 mice in one meal is too big of a meal for an adult BP. I do prefer to feed mine on a weekly feeding schedule, but I've heard plenty of people say they feed every 2 weeks that seem to have happy, healthy snakes, so I don't see the 2 week feeding schedule as detrimental. When I used to volunteer at a zoo, they only fed their BPs once a month.

I doubt the feeding schedule would have been related to the regurge anyway, since the regurge occurred after a fasting period anyway.

Parasites is a possibility, and I'd definitely agree with the recommendation to look in to it. It shouldn't cost much to have a fecal done.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Amount of feeding at once seems to be a matter of opinion. Hell, i would love to feed her one larger sized rat and be done with it but i never had any luck getting her to even acknowledge the rat being in her cage. What are ASF's? Im not familiar with that term.

Ill definitely try to get a fecal test done, i just hope that she poops because its been a little while since she has eaten so not sure how much poop is left hehe. hmm, come to think of it i just cleaned her cage out a couple days ago and didn't empty the garbage in my room just yet, maybe i can snag a piece from there. Does it have to be a large piece?

The vet will have the most luck if it's NOT dried out. You need to get it fresh, then put it in a baggie in the refrigerator until you get it to the vet.

Have you tried scenting over to get the snake to take rats? I scent over by rubbing a fuzzy rat in the mouse pee corner--get it really good and stinky.
The snake usually takes it. You can reduce the scenting over time until it's eating unscented baby rats, then gradually increase the size of the rats. (This is for switching a stubborn, veteran mouser).

oh ok ill have to wait till she poops then, the stuff from the cage cleaning was from yesterday and is way dried out already. Ill have to try scenting a rat, i don't keep mice at my house i go to the pet store so it might be a bit difficult to rub the rat in it. But i do have a little carry case for the mice that i use, i usually blow in the carry cage over the top of the tank to get the scent in the air for the snake to pick up. Maybe i could jsut do that and offer the rat and see if i can get her to take it.

If the snake appears healthy I dont know if I would stress over this just yet. Is the snake keeping weight on? Is it always solid when she goes tot he bathroom?

As far as switching it over I would try the scenting of the rat or if they are readily available try African soft fur rats (ASF) Sometimes they can be difficult toi get and pricey so I would be sure you can get the regularly. I know most some people say they dont get hooked on them but I believe they do. I had 3 BP's that were ferocious rat eaters until they tried their first ASF. Now thats all they eat! LOL

Good luck and best of luck to the snake. Im sure things are ok

I tried ASFs with a few of my mousers. Only one took one, and then she refused them on future attempts. Not an impressive track record for the ASF, lol.

your snake was off feed for 1.5 months, then you gave it a large meal. 1.5 months isn't a long time for your snake to be off feed. but you should ease your snake back to feeding not slam it. I would wait the 2 weeks for her digestive track to settle down, then offer her one mouse not four, wait one week or less if it poops. feed her again, once she goes then start increasing the amount. many things can cause a regurg, I would try this and if it regurg again then take it to the vet.

one more thing, you can't go by the temp that's display on your thermostat. you need a way to check the temps of your tubs. I use a temp gun.

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Originally Posted by don15681

one more thing, you can't go by the temp that's display on your thermostat. you need a way to check the temps of your tubs. I use a temp gun.

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I have the thermostat to keep the UTH from cooking the snake and i have temps on each side that are stuck to the back of the tank. I don't use the temp from the thermostat as the temp its just to keep her safe from getting thermal burns.

Bones93- She appears healthy like nothing happened. She was doing her usual nightly explorations in the tank as soon as 20 mins after this all happened. She is drinking water and is now hanging out in her warm hide like nothing happened.

Ill have to see if my local pet store has ASF's. I have never herd of them till now, is there something special about them that is particularly good for the snake or is it just another option>

They just seem to really like 'em.

Well they are what the ball pythons get in their native homeland. I know these are mostly all captive born these days but they still have wild instincts. I have had good luck with ASFs but they can be a pain to get sometimes.

If your snake regurg it was trying to eat but sounds like too much from what I read. so why are you switching to asf's? They are sometimes hard to find. unless you are going to breed your own I wouldn't switch. There are pet stores in my area that had them and they had them for awhile. but they don't have them now. something to consider. some of my bp eat asf's. I have some that when you put a soft fur in, nothing, remove it and replace it with a mouse and bam right away, gone. if your snake ate mice before, it will eat them again. glad to hear you're using other methods to measure the temps and using a good thermostat, sounds like your snakes first meal after not eating was too large. good luck don

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Originally Posted by don15681

If your snake regurg it was trying to eat but sounds like too much from what I read. so why are you switching to asf's? They are sometimes hard to find. unless you are going to breed your own I wouldn't switch. There are pet stores in my area that had them and they had them for awhile. but they don't have them now. something to consider. some of my bp eat asf's. I have some that when you put a soft fur in, nothing, remove it and replace it with a mouse and bam right away, gone. if your snake ate mice before, it will eat them again. glad to hear you're using other methods to measure the temps and using a good thermostat, sounds like your snakes first meal after not eating was too large. good luck don

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I'm hoping that's what the problem is. I was just considering the option with ASF's but due to the fact that none of the stores in my area stock them and im not too keen on a stinky breeding cage in my house ill stick to whats been working for years.
I appreciate the positive feedback on my monitoring methods, id like to think that i take my snakes care pretty seriously, and due to a tricky "dry run" setup complications before actually getting the snake there were quite a bit of "kinks" that needed to be worked out in terms of ways to keep temp and humidity to the appropriate levels. I learned the hard way about the UTH's getting too hot and got my baby girl burns on about the bottom 2 inches of her tail area, ill never forget how terrible i felt for letting that happen.

None the less, its day 2 now and her behavior seems normal so im gonna go with the 2 week rest period and give her a single mouse to start then see where we go from there.

Just wanted to update everyone. I waited close to 3.5 weeks cause right after this happened she went into shed. But just got done feeding her(fed her half of what i usually do as suggested here) and everything seems to be fine!! Very relieved, thanks for the help everyone.