Ooof... Snake vomit. Help?

Our rescue ball python vomited 5 days after eating. I can say that it is one of the worst smells ever first thing in the morning! But that is the least of my concerns, of course. In all my herp years previous, I have never dealt with vomit from a snake. She came to us from a horrible background and was in the middle of a bad shed and underweight. Despite that, she is outgoing and not shy. She ate f/t with no problem an hour after she arrived at our house. 5 days ago she ate 4 f/t mice (they are small for her). Seemed fine. Gave her three days before handling and even then was just a short time sorted contentedly on a lap. No stress, no ball, no trying to hide.

Not ideal setup yet (was a rescue and didn't have time to plan), but OK. Room temp is around 80. Large bathroom with long shower taken each day to get humidity up, plus an all day waterfall in the turtle tank. Heat lamp with basking spot at 90. Nice hide, good size water dish for soaking. Newspaper substrate (for now). Tank size is appropriate.

Did we feed her too much after being underweight? Should not have handled? And she is hungry again... Can I feed her tomorrow?

You guys are the BEST! Thanks in advance for your help.

PS Baby arriving Tuesday... Will quarantine!!!

I would wait until feeding day to try again, but would start with 1 to see if he/she keeps it down for the week. If that goes well then gradually increase the size/number of prey until he/she is where he/she should be...

Tomorrow is feeding day, so we will feed one... Wait a week, make sure it stays down, then feed two...and so forth? Appreciate the advice! 🐍

I believe your supposed to wait 1-2 weeks before feeding again after a regurge, so they can build there digestive juices back

OK... This was vomit, not regurg. More advice please! Thanks! You guys are the best!

IF it came out of the intake side of the snake, wait 7 to 10 days so that a the digestive juices get back to normal before trying to feed again.

Crap... Getting mixed stuff now. She's hungry... Don't know what to do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

Crap... Getting mixed stuff now. She's hungry... Don't know what to do.

---

Do as Pit suggested and wait to try feeding your snake again. It is very risky to try and feed that snake again. You NEED to wait or you could do your snake more harm then good.

OK thank you. Want to do the best by her. She was in a horrible circumstance just over a week ago and I think for a long time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

OK... This was vomit, not regurg. More advice please! Thanks! You guys are the best!

---

Vomiting is the more traumatic of the two events.

Wait two weeks and feed again. In the meantime you can buy Benebac from Petco and add it to the water. It's a probiotic that can accelerate getting things back on track.

You need to wait. Feeding too soon will cause another regurge, which will further delay her recovery.

While you wait get the BeneBAC, or The Bean Farm carries ReptiBAC which works if you don't have a local PetSmart/Petco that carries ReptiBAC. I prefer to dust a wet f/t feeder with a pinch of it rather than putting it in their water, as then I know the snake injested some.

In the meantime you need to figure out why she regurged. It could simply be that four mice was too big of a meal, or it could be that her hot side, which you think is 90*F, really isn't. What is the surface temperature on the warm side, under the hide?

Also this will probably sound rather gross, but... did the mice look more-or-less intact, or did she mainly puke up liquid and some hair? If the mice were intact then she's not digesting, that's another clue to check your temps. If they were mostly gone then the meal was probably too much for her.

Meal was almost totally digested. Actually looked almost like feces... Just wrong color. No structure left of the mice at all.

True 90 on the hot side but she prefers the cool side hide. I'll move that. Could be there problem.

Sounds like it was just a bit too big of a meal then.

This may be a really dumb question but ................... how do you know it was vomit and not a stinky bm? Did you see her regurge it? 5 days seems like a long time especially since it was totally digested. Being malnurished can do a lot to a digestive tract which can lead to unusual abnormal stools. Just a thought. Either way I would wait 2 weeks then give her 1 mouse every 4 or so days for a while then try to switch her to rats.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kibbleswhites

This may be a really dumb question but ................... how do you know it was vomit and not a stinky bm? Did you see her regurge it? 5 days seems like a long time especially since it was totally digested. Being malnurished can do a lot to a digestive tract which can lead to unusual abnormal stools. Just a thought. Either way I would wait 2 weeks then give her 1 mouse every 4 or so days for a while then try to switch her to rats.

---

If you smelled it... you'd know it wasn't a poop.;) It's awful!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fraido

If you smelled it... you'd know it wasn't a poop.;) It's awful!

---

This. Poop stink is just funky. Regurge stink makes you want to hurl.

OK... Thank you everyone for your advice! I truly appreciate it. I do know it was vomit not poop. Yes, the smell, of course and the fact that back in the day I had a lot of snakes, so know what poop should be. After looking at all the factors, I believe we overfed her after being malnourished. Immediately after vomiting she was in hunt mode again. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. I waited until now to offer one small mouse which she took immediately. Will wait 5 or 7 days to offer the next which will be dusted with BeneBac. I am happy with her feed response. A sick reptile doesn't tend to want to eat. Will order rats next.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

Bright eyed and bushy tailed. I waited until now to offer one small mouse which she took immediately. Will wait 5 or 7 days to offer the next which will be dusted with BeneBac. I am happy with her feed response.

---

She vomited, you waited a day, fed her, and are going to feed her again in 5 to 7 days?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

Immediately after vomiting she was in hunt mode again. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. I waited until now to offer one small mouse which she took immediately. Will wait 5 or 7 days to offer the next which will be dusted with BeneBac. I am happy with her feed response. A sick reptile doesn't tend to want to eat. Will order rats next.

---

Why would you bother asking for advice that you are not going to listen to?
There are so many people that get mad because no one answers their questions.
Yes this is a busy site so a lot of them get swallowed in the action BUT this is a reason many dont try to help anymore.
You are capable of figuring it out on your own. Hungry or not a gurge can turn ito a serious problem.
Good luck to you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 200xth

She vomited, you waited a day, fed her, and are going to feed her again in 5 to 7 days?

---

Ah, this. Minimum wait after a regurge is at least 14 days no matter how hungry they act. Their insides need time to recover.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

Ah, this. Minimum wait after a regurge is at least 14 days no matter how hungry they act. Their insides need time to recover.

---

Yea.

I just wanted to make sure I read her post correctly. I was thinking I read it wrong or missed something and have the timing wrong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

OK... Thank you everyone for your advice! I truly appreciate it. I do know it was vomit not poop. Yes, the smell, of course and the fact that back in the day I had a lot of snakes, so know what poop should be. After looking at all the factors, I believe we overfed her after being malnourished. Immediately after vomiting she was in hunt mode again. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. I waited until now to offer one small mouse which she took immediately. Will wait 5 or 7 days to offer the next which will be dusted with BeneBac. I am happy with her feed response. A sick reptile doesn't tend to want to eat. Will order rats next.

---

I doesn't matter if she's hungry or not she vomited up her last meal - which unlike a dog, or a cat or you - is a traumatic event for a snake. she can go a long time without a meal and your decision to feed he was a poorly calculated risk that your should not have taken. There was zero benefit to it and a whole host of things that could have gone wrong. Let me put it bluntly - your assessment of her condition based on her appetite was rash.

Just because she can eat, doesn't mean she should. If you feed her too soon and her digestive system does not have time to recuperate, she will vomit again.

At that point you have taken a mildly serious event and turned it into a potentially major event.

She vomited her meal - which means that it had begun the process of digestion. A regurge - or almost immediately ejection of the prey item - and involves no digestion.

It is this interrupted process of digestion that creates damage to the esophagus and the gastrointestinal system of the snake - as the stomach acids and digestive enzymes are fairly powerful. If you do not give the animal enough time to recuperate, more damage will be inflicted on that digestive system.

BTW, you have completely missed the point of the Benebac. You don't put it on the prey item immediately after the event, it is meant to assist in the replenishment of digestive enzymes and bacterial balance in the digestive system while the snake is healing over time - not as an additive to the next meal.

At this point, whether you decide to wait two weeks or two hours means diddly over squat to me. You were given solid advice by several forum members. However, if your snake vomits the next meal and it's health situation becomes more serious, you will probably find less people willing to take the time to help you.

You do not overfeed rescues. They can be very hungry, yes, but overfeeding them can cause serious harm. When snakes go to "feeding mode", they will eat, again and again, and it is your duty as keeper to think what is appropriate amount food at one time. Not to feed as much as they can take!

Fortunately your snake is not very emaciated, but looks like s/he is pretty dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious problem and can cause regurgitation if you start to feed too aggressively. If the snake vomits, you need to wait at least two weeks before next feed. Vomiting is not something to take lightly, especially when we are talking about animal in poor condition. Recovery takes time, you can't rush it.

You know, I was going to post that you fed this poor snake way to early. If you really know as much as you say you do about ball pythons then you would have waited to feed this snake for at least the two weeks that like everyone has stated. If your snake regurges again please do not come here crying when your snake is no longer healthy or thriving. Not to be mean but you should really know better.

I apologize. I Was reading all of the advice as well as researching and asking questions elsewhere. I got a variety of answers and chose what I believed to be the right solution at this time. The mouse I fed is much smaller than the correct size for Sasha and I only fed the one and then will wait to see how it goes. So far she is alert and comfortable. I DO very much appreciate all the advice and help I have received since joining this forum. I certainly did not mean to upset anyone, just trying to do the best that I can by her.

Did anyone else pick up that this snake was fed four prey items at once? It's near impossible for a snake to digest that much at one time - the prey will just sit in the belly and rot (which may have led to the regurge/vomiting). Recommendation is to feed ONE prey item at a time - make a bigger one if you think she can take it, but multiples is not good, especially for a snake that hasn't been eating regularly as is.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

I apologize. I Was reading all of the advice as well as researching and asking questions elsewhere. I got a variety of answers and chose what I believed to be the right solution at this time. The mouse I fed is much smaller than the correct size for Sasha and I only fed the one and then will wait to see how it goes. So far she is alert and comfortable. I DO very much appreciate all the advice and help I have received since joining this forum. I certainly did not mean to upset anyone, just trying to do the best that I can by her.

---

Can I ask where you were advised to feed a snake that had regurged two days ago? Because every forum I've been on, every Facebook group for snake/reptile care and health, every Google search on it... the advice is consistent: 1) Wait at least two weeks before feeding again. 2) The next few meals should be half normal size and offered on a two-week interval, then slowly increase the meal size and shorten the duration between feedings if all goes well. 3) ReptiBAC/BeneBAC.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

Did anyone else pick up that this snake was fed four prey items at once? It's near impossible for a snake to digest that much at one time - the prey will just sit in the belly and rot (which may have led to the regurge/vomiting). Recommendation is to feed ONE prey item at a time - make a bigger one if you think she can take it, but multiples is not good, especially for a snake that hasn't been eating regularly as is.

---

Not necessarily. A lot of people won't touch a healthy "mouser" female BP that refuses rats, because as a 2000+ gram adult building follicles she could easily put away half a dozen grown mice each week - and look for more. Obviously that's not the case with the OP's little rescue though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

Did anyone else pick up that this snake was fed four prey items at once? It's near impossible for a snake to digest that much at one time - the prey will just sit in the belly and rot (which may have led to the regurge/vomiting). Recommendation is to feed ONE prey item at a time - make a bigger one if you think she can take it, but multiples is not good, especially for a snake that hasn't been eating regularly as is.

---

I have a 1500g male that will down 5 to 10 mice in one sitting. Does this weekly and hase for a couple years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

I have a 1500g male that will down 5 to 10 mice in one sitting. Does this weekly and hase for a couple years.

---

Dang I wish my males ate that readily... but not so much that I'll convert them back to mice from rats.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SashasMom

I apologize. I Was reading all of the advice as well as researching and asking questions elsewhere. I got a variety of answers and chose what I believed to be the right solution at this time. The mouse I fed is much smaller than the correct size for Sasha and I only fed the one and then will wait to see how it goes. So far she is alert and comfortable. I DO very much appreciate all the advice and help I have received since joining this forum. I certainly did not mean to upset anyone, just trying to do the best that I can by her.

---

If you feed to son after a regurge and this result in the death of said animal because you do not leave enough time go by between feedings, thinking you did what was best will not matter :rolleyes:

YOU were provided with solid advice YOU chose to dismiss them and disregard the possible outcomes.

YOU have a lot to learn and part of that learning experience is to listen to EXPERIENCED people especially when it comes to health issue, if you do not, what is the point of asking?

At this point you also do not know what caused this regurgitation.

Unproperly thawed prey
Stress
Improper temps
Internal parasites
etc

Bottom line this can be a SERIOUS situation, what YOU feel is best is really not.

Uugg. I am betting that the vomit was abnormal feces. At least I am hoping it was for the snakes sake.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kibbleswhites

Uugg. I am betting that the vomit was abnormal feces. At least I am hoping it was for the snakes sake.

---

Your nose will never get this one wrong. Any type of poo will smell like roses compared to a gurge

Do you know the entire history of this snake? I understand she is a rescue and was malnourished. Is it possible that this is a longer term problem, repeated regurg, causing her to fail to thrive. I don't know much about snakes, I'm just learning, but do a lot of rescue of dogs and horses and understand that often what we see at the time of rescue can actually be an unaddressed long term issue...just saying. And although I don't know much, if anything I can read. I have checked my various books and care sheets on BOs and Herps generally and nowhere to I see anything but wait 14 days minimum.

BPs, not BOs...sorry

First off, I would get a fecal analysis ASAP. You say that she it very thin, she could have intestinal parasites. A high load count can cause an obstruction which can lead to regurge. Also, dehydration will precipitate a regurgation. A qualified herp vet should be able tell if she's dehydrated and easily administer SQ fluid therapy.

Good luck, I wish the best for you and your new addition.

The OP has left the community. This thread explains why.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...4-Sorry-to-say