HELP! My ball python has mice stuck in its throat

I fed it what it usually eats and usually it eats it down fine yesterday I fed it at night and it ate but the mice got stuck right at the throats it's almost been 24 hours and it's still stuck and it's not spitting it out it is currently in the process of shedding too I fed it when it was shedding before and it ate fine what do I do will my python die

oh no! is the food like hanging outta it's mouth? or is it fully swallowed but just a lump in the throat/neck? which way did the food go down - head or tail first?

pix?

i'm not sure what to do. if it can't swallow, maybe a forced regurgitation?

anyway bamp so others can comment.

bamp!

Idk which way it went down because I went away for a sec and then it was stuck but it's stuck right after the mouth ends u just see a big lump there and also it has its mouth open most of the time like it's struggling to breath

you need to get in there.

do you have tweezers or hemostats? forceps? at this point use your fingers, you NEED to get in there.

you're going to need to open the mouth as wide as you and the snake can go and try to GENTLY GENTLY wiggle the prey. wiggle it to get a better sense of HOW the prey is stuck, not to remove it right away. the most dangerous part of this situation is going to be the feet scraping the insides; if you can, use tweezers to grab those feet and try to GENTLY pull them out.

let us know what you discover.

EDIT: the prey might be stuck to the teeth. just try and get a sense of how the prey item is stuck.

So this was the same size you normally feed? I second what Taylor says just very gently see what you can do. I wish I could be if more help


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^ what tttaylor said. Also, it is not a good idea to feed a snake who is shedding. They will be fine for the time, even if its been a week since the last feed. If I catch them blue-eyed I wait until after shed (at least 24hours) to feed them.

Any update?

Also, I believe this was posted in the wrong section. Perhaps it should be moved to BP Gen Info?

So I started to pick it up and went near its head it started wiggling and now is in the process of throwing it up so if it throws it up do I wait a week to feed it

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Originally Posted by WildSnipez

So I started to pick it up and went near its head it started wiggling and now is in the process of throwing it up so if it throws it up do I wait a week to feed it

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Yes absolutely. You wait minimum 1 week after a regurge to attempt a feed. Stay with it, make sure it does throw it up. If it doesnt you WILL have to manually remove the rodent.

Ok thanks guys it threw it up completely although the the part where the mice was stuck looks a littler larger than the other part of the neck it's currently drinking so much water and also how can I prevent this from happening again maybe straighten the thawed mice out if it's curled up?

Some info on the size of your snake vs the size of the rodent would be good.

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Originally Posted by Psyrocke

Yes absolutely. You wait minimum 1 week after a regurge to attempt a feed. Stay with it, make sure it does throw it up. If it doesnt you WILL have to manually remove the rodent.

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^ all the above, except @Deborah advises to wait 2 weeks after a regurge. i know this isn't a full-on regurge, but after a stressful event like this, i'd definitely wait those 2 weeks.

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Originally Posted by WildSnipez

Ok thanks guys it threw it up completely although the the part where the mice was stuck looks a littler larger than the other part of the neck it's currently drinking so much water and also how can I prevent this from happening again maybe straighten the thawed mice out if it's curled up?

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GREAT to hear. the area is probably very irritated, so just keep an eye on it to watch for any signs of worsening.

i agree with @cletus, we need some more info.

I feed it small mices it's about 4 month old now and it's body it bigger than the prey

You must wait a minimum of TWO WEEKS before feeding again. This is per Deborah! She also advises to go one smaller prey as well and build back up to original size if I'm not mistaken.

Wow, never heard of a food item being stuck in the throat for that amount of time !!!

I would wait at the very minimum 2 weeks before attempting to feed !!! The tissue is most likely very irritated if not swollen nearly shut. Add to that the actual regurgitation.

Its promising that it drank some water, but keep a careful eye on the baby !!!

I'm not a fan of feeding during shed. I think some of their hydration is being used for the purpose of shedding, and it could cause issues. Doesn't have to, many feed during shed, but I'm not a fan of it for a few reasons.

So for now make sure your husbandry is 100% on the spot, give that baby lots of privacy, but on the other hand, observe it for any abnormal behavior.

IF everything seems on the up and up in a couple of weeks, feed a slightly smaller meal then you normally would.

Ok I will wait two weeks but will it do the python harm not eating for two weeks

How big is the snake weight? And what did you feed it maybe offered Large prey item

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Originally Posted by WildSnipez

Ok I will wait two weeks but will it do the python harm not eating for two weeks

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No not at all. They are more than capable of surving two weeks without a meal. They probably get food more frequently in captivity than if they were in the wild, always something to keep in mind.

And wait at least a week and just moniter his behavior next time you feed offer smaller then usual prey and see what happens

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Originally Posted by WildSnipez

Ok I will wait two weeks but will it do the python harm not eating for two weeks

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Two weeks is nothing. He may lose a gram or two but the overall health of your snake outweighs 1 or 2 grams. Your beep will be fine for two weeks. And don't let this puppy snake eyes talk you into feeding any earlier.

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

You must wait a minimum of TWO WEEKS before feeding again. This is per Deborah! She also advises to go one smaller prey as well and build back up to original size if I'm not mistaken.

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If it was a regurgitation which means the prey made it's way to the stomach started being digested and then regurgitation, the prey never cleared the neck area.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

If it was a regurgitation which means the prey made it's way to the stomach started being digested and then regurgitation, the prey never cleared the neck area.

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So what should be done? I love learning from you. Your like the snek goddess lol.

Holy crap what a tripy read.

Damn, thats a bummer! I hope I never have to deal with that situation.

Glad he finally spit it out though. I wonder if his teeth prevented him from spitting it out, it is so weird that he had it stuck for 24 hours! Crazy!

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Originally Posted by Deborah

If it was a regurgitation which means the prey made it's way to the stomach started being digested and then regurgitation, the prey never cleared the neck area.

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This. Your BP didn't regurge, it basically spat out the prey. I would still wait the two weeks because the inside of the snake's throat or neck could be irritated, give it time to heal, and then offer a smaller meal than normal.

:w00t::w00t::w00t:

yay! i like how everyone came together and helped out.

:grouphug:

(i saw the thread was posted in the wrong section and PM'ed everyone i saw online lol.)

This same this just happened to my BP I've got her a few months ago been feeding hoppers just fine
And then 30hrs went by mouse still visible in is mouth never got passed the head. Made my husband pick her up because she really acts uncomfortable with him in hopes she'd spit it out and she did thankfully.
So I waited only a week and fed a fuzzy today actually and it's been 5 hrs same thing. I didn't read this information before I fed again or I'd waited the 2wks.

Posting photos of the prey, the snake, the enclosure, and details on all the enclosure parameters might help someone see something out of order that could be contributing.

Regardless, it would be a very good idea to set up a vet visit ASAP. Sounds like there's possibly some sort of obstruction or maybe a anatomical irregularity playing a role, and it would be well worth ruling out those or any other possible medical issues.

The OP of this thread didn't post anything on this forum after this thread. That suggests that maybe things did not go well with their snake.

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Originally Posted by Mel41605

This same this just happened to my BP I've got her a few months ago been feeding hoppers just fine
And then 30hrs went by mouse still visible in is mouth never got passed the head. Made my husband pick her up because she really acts uncomfortable with him in hopes she'd spit it out and she did thankfully.
So I waited only a week and fed a fuzzy today actually and it's been 5 hrs same thing. I didn't read this information before I fed again or I'd waited the 2wks.

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After 5+ hours, I suggest, as was suggested above, that you gently attempt to remove it. If you are unable to remove it, you should take it to the vet immediately. Even if you are able to remove it, you should take it to the vet before attempting to feed again. This is not something that you want to happen a third time.