Need Help! Daughters BRB

[stretcharmy]

So, my daughter really wanted a BRB so we picked one up. I read up on them first and thought I got everything setup but it has been vomiting it's meals about 48 hours in. It took the first meal fine but then things have gone down from there. it's in a 5-6qt rub with sphagnum moss on the bottom(damp not soaked). Cool side temp is 72 on top with the gun and the warm side is 78-82. Good amount of condensation on the tub. It has regurged it's last two meals. Since it ate the first meal fine it must be something with my setup. Unfortunately for BRB care sheets are all over the place with temps. Some say over 85 will kill them, some say hotspot of 90. Can someone guide me with proven setups? Any help will be greatly appreciated. I don't want a 7 year old with a broken heart. Also, I've read that you should wait after a vomit for 10+ days. Is that a good practice?

Signed,
Desperate dad

[bcr229]

Ok... warm side can go a touch higher higher. BRB's can have neurological damage if subjected to ambient temps over 85*F, but a hot spot at that temperature or even a bit higher with lower ambient is fine. As long as he can move to a cooler area he'll be ok.

After a regurgitation don't feed for three weeks and then offer a feeder a size smaller than it was taking. So, if it was eating mouse fuzzies then offer it a mouse pinky. Don't feed again for two weeks, then offer another smaller feeder if the first one stayed down. If that one stayed down then offer a regular-sized feeder two weeks later. Since he's regurgitated I wouldn't feed him more than every 10 days. Since BRB's are kept at lower temperatures they need more time to digest a meal, even my babies are on a ten day schedule, and the feeder only leaves a minimal lump. Putting them on a 5-7 day schedule like you do for a ball python gives them problems.

While you're waiting the three weeks before feeding again, go to thebeanfarm.com and get some NutriBAC, it's a reptile probiotic powder. Dust his feeder with a tiny bit of it for the next few months to help re-establish his gut flora.

[EL-Ziggy]

Hi stretch, I'm sorry you got off to a rough start with the new snake. I don't keep BRB's but let's troubleshoot the basics. What are you using for a heat source, and is it regulated by a thermostat? How old and how large is the snake? What are you feeding it and how often? Are you feeding live or f/t? I'd definitely suggest waiting 10-14 days after consecutive regurges. I hope you get him back on track soon. Keep us posted.

[stretcharmy]

Ok... warm side can go a touch higher higher. BRB's can have neurological damage if subjected to ambient temps over 85*F, but a hot spot at that temperature or even a bit higher with lower ambient is fine. As long as he can move to a cooler area he'll be ok.

After a regurgitation don't feed for three weeks and then offer a feeder a size smaller than it was taking. So, if it was eating mouse fuzzies then offer it a mouse pinky. Don't feed again for two weeks, then offer another smaller feeder if the first one stayed down. If that one stayed down then offer a regular-sized feeder two weeks later. Since he's regurgitated I wouldn't feed him more than every 10 days. Since BRB's are kept at lower temperatures they need more time to digest a meal, even my babies are on a ten day schedule, and the feeder only leaves a minimal lump. Putting them on a 5-7 day schedule like you do for a ball python gives them problems.

While you're waiting the three weeks before feeding again, go to thebeanfarm.com and get some NutriBAC, it's a reptile probiotic powder. Dust his feeder with a tiny bit of it for the next few months to help re-establish his gut flora.

This is great advice. I will move to a longer schedule, I was on a weekly like the rest of the snakes. I'll also wait, even though it's hard, three weeks with no food on top of three weeks of regurg for a baby is going to be tougher on me than it will probably be on them.

[stretcharmy]

Hi stretch, I'm sorry you got off to a rough start with the new snake. I don't keep BRB's but let's troubleshoot the basics. What are you using for a heat source, and is it regulated by a thermostat? How old and how large is the snake? What are you feeding it and how often? Are you feeding live or f/t? I'd definitely suggest waiting 10-14 days after consecutive regurges. I hope you get him back on track soon. Keep us posted.

I use heat tape with a term in a rack. It's a baby, got it at the Tinley expo. Mouse fuzzies every week. F/T, thankfully I only have one snake that refuses them. I warm them on spare heat tape to bring them to live temps.

[bcr229]

I use heat tape with a term in a rack. It's a baby, got it at the Tinley expo. Mouse fuzzies every week. F/T, thankfully I only have one snake that refuses them. I warm them on spare heat tape to bring them to live temps.

With his history I would hope he's isolated from your other reptiles if you have any. There are some diseases where regurgitation is a symptom.

[stretcharmy]

With his history I would hope he's isolated from your other reptiles if you have any. There are some diseases where regurgitation is a symptom.

It's in a quarantine rack for 3 months. I'm hoping to get a stool sample but without eating it's going to be hard, it went once but I cleaned it as she wasn't having issues yet.

I think that the second time I fed her the mouse wasn't totally up to temp and I'm hoping thats what spurred on this problem.

In the mean time what do you think about adding some probiotics to the water?

[bcr229]

In the mean time what do you think about adding some probiotics to the water?

I never have bothered, I just dust a damp f/t feeder with a bit of the powder. If you do try it then make sure there's another water bowl without the probiotic added to it, in case the water with it tastes off as you don't want her to stop drinking.

[stretcharmy]

Thanks everyone for your help. I held off on the feed and used the Nutriback. She ate was able to keep it down. All in all it was 6 weeks without food if you count the regurgs. She is very skinny and it's going to take a bit to nurse her back but I'm optimistic.

[bcr229]

Thanks everyone for your help. I held off on the feed and used the Nutriback. She ate was able to keep it down. All in all it was 6 weeks without food if you count the regurgs. She is very skinny and it's going to take a bit to nurse her back but I'm optimistic.

Awesome! I would keep her on a light meal every two weeks through this month, with the feeder dusted with NutriBAC each time.