Yeah, yeah, you all think I'm dealing with semantics here...but the words "regurgitation" (or regurge at it is wont to be called on the forums) and vomiting mean two very different things.
Short explanation: A regurge is the backflow of undigested food (food that has never reached the snake's stomach) up through the esophagus and out of the mouth. Vomiting is the forceful ejection of stomach contents through the same path of travel.
Long explanation and why it is important to differentiate between the two events:
A regurgitation most often occurs for reasons unrelated to health. A snake that has recently swallowed a meal may regurgitate it if stressed or annoyed in order to save the energy expenditure of digesting the food in favor of using it to escape. Many species of snake become vulnerable when digesting a meal, so the regurgitation of a prey item can allow it to gain an advantage in a fight or flight situation. The act of regurgitation does not carry a stiff health penalty, as digestion has not really begun and damage to the esophagus and gastric mucosa is unlikely.
On the other hand, an animal that vomits up a prey item days after ingestion often times has an underlying ailment. The inability to digest a prey item can indicate problems with the stomach, the kidney, the liver, the gall bladder or any other components of the digestive system. The problem can range from something benign (like improper husbandry) to dysfunction of the aforementioned organs, to internal parasites, viral or bacterial diseases.
Even in the case of a regurgitation, care should be taken in reintroducing food items. Snakes begin processing prey items fairly quickly so it's always a good idea to wait the requisite two weeks before feeding again. As the vast majority of captive snakes are overfed anyway, missing a couple of meals isn't going to compromise the health of an otherwise healthy animal.
In the case of a vomiting episode, not only should a minimum of two weeks pass before offering food,the keeper needs to keep an eye out for other signs of disease. Is the snake behaving normally or is it listless? Does it look dehydrated? Is it showing signs of discomfort (covered under a separate post)? If so, the animal should be taken in to see a qualified reptile veterinarian.
After a regurgitation or vomiting event, it is also a good idea to add Benebac or Reptibac to the animal's water. These supplements help restore the beneficial bacteria present in the animal's digestive system.
So humor me...let's start trying to use the right terms...
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