Ahhhhh!

Cyclone regurgetated he feeding today. He is currently shedding but I have fed him the last time when he was shedding. Did I do something wrong? The hopper wasn't that big so I think it can't be that. I am really confused. When should I try and feed him again? :eek:

I can't remember if he was in the blue when you fed him but that could be a reason since they tend to have a harder time sensing things. I'd wait 10 days and then try again. Since I don't have a BP maybe some other members can help me out, I am just going by what would happen if my corn had regurged. Once you wait the 10 days try a slightly smaller prey size and keep him in a place where he won't be disturbed. Hope that helps some!

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Originally Posted by ReptileQueen

Cyclone regurgetated he feeding today. He is currently shedding but I have fed him the last time when he was shedding. Did I do something wrong? The hopper wasn't that big so I think it can't be that. I am really confused. When should I try and feed him again? :eek:

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Ball Pythons will regurgitate for a variety of reasons, but most commonly it is due to stress or illness. It would be difficult for someone on a forum to say exactly why your snake may have regurged. We may be able to help determine some factors that may be stressing your snake if you describe his setup, but I would recommend a visit to the vet to get him thoroughly checked out.

In the mean time, try not to handle him at all and don't attempt to feed for at least a week, preferably two.

Good luck!

While we're on the subject, my BP is about a foot and a half, maybe closer to 2 feet. I'm having a hard time knowing how much to feed him. The past 2 feeds (which is once per week) i've fed him 2 adult mice. Before that, I was only on 1 per week. He's never refused a meal, never regurged, and will gobble those mice one after the other. Sometimes I think I just got lucky when it comes to feeding time, or maybe i'm just doing something right. But how do I know how much is to much?

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Ball Pythons will regurgitate for a variety of reasons, but most commonly it is due to stress or illness. It would be difficult for someone on a forum to say exactly why your snake may have regurged. We may be able to help determine some factors that may be stressing your snake if you describe his setup, but I would recommend a visit to the vet to get him thoroughly checked out.

In the mean time, try not to handle him at all and don't attempt to feed for at least a week, preferably two.

Good luck!

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I have Cyclone in a ten gallon for now with an undertank heater. I use aspen for bedding, plus a hiding log and he has a big water bowl to soak in. The temp stays around 90 for the basking/ warm side and around 80 on the cooler side. I feed him in a seperate container so I know that the bedding didn't play any part in this.

Thanks for the advice!

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Originally Posted by ReptileQueen

Cyclone regurgetated he feeding today. He is currently shedding but I have fed him the last time when he was shedding. Did I do something wrong? The hopper wasn't that big so I think it can't be that. I am really confused. When should I try and feed him again? :eek:

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When you say "he is currently shedding," do you mean that right now he has patches of skin coming off? Or, do you mean that he is just in blue and getting close to actually shedding skin?

If "he is currently shedding" means that he's got patches of skin still on him, what you actually have is a retained shed.

Ball pythons with lots of retained shed can become stressed to varying degrees as a result, or, that retained shed is a symptom that overall conditions aren't right, which may be the actual stressor.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

When you say "he is currently shedding," do you mean that right now he has patches of skin coming off? Or, do you mean that he is just in blue and getting close to actually shedding skin?

If "he is currently shedding" means that he's got patches of skin still on him, what you actually have is a retained shed.

Ball pythons with lots of retained shed can become stressed to varying degrees as a result, or, that retained shed is a symptom that overall conditions aren't right, which may be the actual stressor.

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The only patches that are left are by his head. But like I said before he has eaten for me the last time and had no problems during his shed to feed.

What I'm saying is that your snake is not "still shedding." Ideally, the actual shedding of the skin is a process that should take minutes, not weeks - given that the snake's environment is suitable to enable them to shed their entire skin in once piece.

Since your snake did not shed completely, you have what is called a retained shed. This is an indication that your humidity is too low.

Regurgs are not something to take lightly. It is very hard on a snake's system. My concern would be internal parasites. Have you ever had a fecal done on this bp? If not I think it would definitely be worth considering. You can collect a sample and take to your vet, by putting it in a baggie and refrigerating it until you can get it into the vet office. (hopefully by the following morning)

If you do not have a vet, this link may help you locate a good herp vet in your area. http://www.arav.org/USMembers.htm

Feeding in a seperate container means you have to handle the snake before and after feeding which can be stressful for the snake. You should not handle a snake for a couple of days after feeding because this can cause regurg. This may be your problem but a fecal test is cheap and could rule out parasites. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by ReptileQueen

I feed him in a seperate container so I know that the bedding didn't play any part in this.

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In addition to getting him thoroughly checked out by a vet, I would recommend that you stop feeding in a separate container. The process of moving a snake after it has eaten is very stressful. Snakes probably feel very vulnerable after eating because not only does it consume a lot of energy, but it also makes them less mobile. Quite often a wild snake will regurge its meal if it feels threatened, which may have been the case in this situation.

Many people are told that they should feed their snakes in a different container to prevent aggression and bites, but this is a myth. Balls in particular are ambush predators that feel most comfortable hunting from the safety of their hide and cage.

Fed Cyclone and no regurge! He is ok, yay! :clap: :fest:

What did the vet say when you took him to get looked at after his regurge?

This is just a personal preference of mine, and I don't want to start an argument, but I do not feed my snakes while they are in shed. I just think that logically, why beef them up and put more weight into them when they need to undergo the strenuous process of getting out of the old skin? I never have troubles with retained sheds nor regurges; but humidity plays a alrge part in it too..

I agree with not feeding during shed...I mean why risk it ya know?

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Originally Posted by ryandlf

I agree with not feeding during shed...I mean why risk it ya know?

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There's not a risk if you know your animal, which is what it boils down to. I can feed several of mine while in shed and there are a few I wouldn't even waste my time. So it's all about what works for you and your snake. :D

I have 2 that will eat in shed. Both of them gobbled up mice like there was no tomorrow. I also feed in a seperate container, so yes this means I have to handle them for a few seconds when they are done eating. Neither have appeared stressed at all after eating and I put them back in thier tanks, both of them slide on over to the hot side get in their hide and begin digesting away. Whether its a myth about being aggressive or injesting substrate, I wont take the chance to let any of my snakes injest aspen pieces. As far as being aggressive I'm not to worried about that.
I think its personal preferance as to how and where a person feeds. Thats like feeding live vs f/t p/k prey, its a personal choice.

All of mine are offered food once a week, regardless of if they are in shed or not. If they choose not to eat, that's fine, but they rarely refused. There's been no additional stress to them that I've been able to observe.