mites + stress = regurgitation? worried!

[Sophiax]

Hi everyone,

I’m a new ball python owner, new to these forums, and I’m having a bit of a problem. (Sorry in advance for the long post, but I know the forums like details, so…) I got my baby snake cbb from a very reputable local pet store; for the first month she’s been an angel – eating like a hog, had a picture-perfect shed, friendly and curious – and I just adore her.

I’ve been getting feeder rats from a different reptile specialty store because they’re much closer to where I live – enter big problem: I guess some mites hitched a ride home on the feeder, because a few days ago I discovered the dreaded things crawling on her.

I spent all day today with the de-miting process: cleaning the cage, baking/bleaching the hides and water bowl, bathed and put some Reptile Relief on the snake, and Provent-a-Mite-d the cage itself and carpet beneath, all according to instructions.

Then, several hours later, she vomited the rat she ate two days ago. I saw her writhing around, mouth open, and I flipped out; I thought she was dying until out came the little fuzzy rat (now slimy and smells disgusting.) Now she’s roaming/exploring her simplified cage (I’m doing paper towel substrate and basic hides, no water bowl until tomorrow due to the permethrin/PAM spray) and I just wish she would feel better.

Should I be worried? Is there anything more I should do (other than leave her alone, not feed her for 14 days, etc.)??

Do you think she regurg-ed because of the stress of the mites and the de-miting process? Or God forbid the chemicals??? She’d spent the past couple days stressing out in her water bowl instead of her nice toasty hide, so does that explain the ill digestion? Or maybe I should have waited another day to de-mite, but I saw them just getting worse by the hour, little bastards.

I’m awfully worried and even started to cry on her behalf (I’m such a girl) but seriously. I feel like a bad parent.

[frankykeno]

Mites have a life cycle of about 30 days so it's more likely she came home with them. Sounds like you've done the right thing getting she and her enclosure dealt with.

The soaking in her bowl was likely due to the discomfort of the mites. The regurge was probably due to a combination of the stress of the mites, the mite treatment, all the handling that took when she wasn't done digesting yet. You'll want to give her a couple of weeks to heal then offer a much smaller than normal feeding for the next couple of weeks, then just slowly work her back up to an appropriately sized prey item. Regurging is rough on a snake's insides. I wouldn't personally handle her much right now. Just let her heal and start to feed successfully again.

Keep an eye on her and it wouldn't hurt to have your vet do a fecal float next time she poops. That doesn't entail taking the snake in, just the poop. Bag and refridgerate it then take it to the clinic. Some vet clinics can do the fecal while you wait and it generally runs well under $50.00 (our vet used to charge me $22.00 for a fecal float).

It never hurts to doublecheck your husbandry too. Just to make sure the regurge wasn't due to an inability to digest due to incorrect temps.

[Sophiax]

Thanks for the reply - I guess she definitely could have come home with them. Suffice to say from now on, I'm ordering everything online (including my f/t feeders!) and not setting foot in any pet stores. + baking substrate before it goes in.

Her digestion up until now had been perfect, like clockwork, very healthy, so she must be happy with the temps... But then this is the first time she soaked in her water for days after eating, too.

I'll do what you said too & give her a good two weeks of rest and calm so she can get back to her old self.

I wish snakes could communicate (i.e. Harry Potter's parseltongue!) so we could explain to them what was going on, and they could tell us how they feel!!