Help, something is terribly wrong here!

[Coils]

Hey everyone,

I need some help from those with experience out there. I hatched out some babies in September and all, but one is now gone. Each were eating good and looking great. I have one left over who I am holding for a friend of mine, but something is going horribly wrong.

She was looking rather skinny to me and all I had were these puny fuzzies, I managed to get my hands on a smaller sized hopper that was about the same size as her middle. She ate it no problem, but about a day later I found it regurged inside her bin in the hatchling rack. I don't know why this happened as it was only a small lump and should have been digested just fine. I went about feeding her again though the next week...this time giving just two small fuzzies to see what would happen. She ate them and didn't regurge, but she swelled drastically.

She is very squishy and bloated right now. I assumed she would use the bathroom, but it's been two weeks and she has only proceeded to pee. I attempted to feed her another two small fuzzies last night and today I find the both of them regurged! I -know- those are not too big for her to digest and she took two of them before....what could be the problem here?

Is this some sort of impaction? I feel nothing solid inside her though and down near the base of her tail through a flash light it's all liquid nothing solid until you go higher up. I need to know what might be going on, she will go to a vet either way, but any ideas?

As a side note, she is getting ready to shed and it will be her second one out of the egg. No mites, clean water, good temps, misted for humidity, and was doing fine until recently (besides worrying me and looking a bit skinny).

Here are pictures...

[Kaorte]

The rodents might be bad, or you didn't thaw them properly. Size is not the only reason why a snake would regurg.

Generally, you should not offer food for 2 weeks after a regurg to let the digestive system recover.

Since you were feeding the same rodents and kept getting bad results, it leads me to believe that there is something wrong with them. I really don't know though. That is my best guess.

Take the snake to the vet tomorrow and maybe they can help determine what is up.

[dsmalex97]

Actually that looks like something else. I don't know the name off the top of my head, but I do know its not good. I believe it has to do w/ yolk absorption not getting digested and creating a block, which I believe is untreatable unfortunately. I'm not at my house, and don't have my Kevin McCurley book w/ me. But I do know it looks just like this. Not saying that this IS what the problem is, but it could be. I'm looking online now, but I'm having a hard time uncovering anything. Will let you know if I find anything useful! Good Luck!

[dsmalex97]

Theres no way that can be a problem with the rodent. They would regurg, and they wouldn't be bloated like that. What happens with the yolk getting impacted is that snake inevitibly starves because it can't digest a meal. Hence why its so skinny on the upper half of his body.

[Quiet Tempest]

Has she had regular bowel movements prior to this? What's the temp reading in your hatchling rack?

[Coils]

Theres no way that can be a problem with the rodent. They would regurg, and they wouldn't be bloated like that. What happens with the yolk getting impacted is that snake inevitibly starves because it can't digest a meal. Hence why its so skinny on the upper half of his body.

Yeah, I -know- it's not the rodents because I was feeding them all the same and even another one was able to easily digest two of these smaller fuzzies without a problem.

She WAS getting very skinny looking to me with her back bone showing way more so than her brother and sisters so I started wondering if she needed more and wasn't getting enough from one small fuzzy. If it's this yolk thing that is going to be a HORRIBLE problem since my friend is busy buying all she can for the setup ect ect and is nearly finished now. I don't have any other babies right now either so this will be awful news. Not to mention I fell so BAD for this little girl now if she is going to DIE! It's probably what you are decribing and what you have in your book.

Has she had regular bowel movements prior to this? What's the temp reading in your hatchling rack?

The temps are around 87 on the warm side and 80-82 overall on the cool inside of her bin. She did poop just ONCE a tiny little thing a long time ago, but no, now that you mention it nothing since then and she had been eating before she got all bloated. (peeing many times with those white build-ups)

What I don't understand is that she ate before, has BEEN eating but regurged a hopper and started to bloat after that, and now then regurged two weeks later when given two more fuzzies again.

I am calling the vet to try and get in tomorrow, but it will depend on whether or not my herp vet is in on that day. I am hoping so! T_T

[SatanicIntention]

Temperatures need to be a good bit higher. Try for 92-94(preferably 94) on hot side, and 10 degrees cooler on cool side. Low heat equals less than optimal digestion, which is what she's trying to tell you by regurgitating.

I would have a fecal done on her because she has that bloated, yet skeletal, look to her.

[Coils]

Temperatures need to be a good bit higher. Try for 92-94(preferably 94) on hot side, and 10 degrees cooler on cool side. Low heat equals less than optimal digestion, which is what she's trying to tell you by regurgitating.

I would have a fecal done on her because she has that bloated, yet skeletal, look to her.

She will not poop/has not for a fecal examine.

I am not sure either how to go about getting a very cool side if I turn the heat up, it just gets warm in there anyway, but I will turn it up and see what I can do to get it just right.

[Chocolate Muffin's]

I sure hope that little peanut is ok. I'm so sorry you are going through this.
Your in our thoughts

[SatanicIntention]

Don't you have thermostats? Just turn the thermostat up and it will regulate itself. Not too difficult.

If the room gets up to 85, it's fine. As long as they have a 10-degree difference, you don't need a "very" cool side. 70s is way too cool, especially for babies. I have kept mine at 95/85 since 2003 and they are doing great.

She doesn't have to have a BM for a fecal exam to be performed. The vet will take a fecal loup, insert it into the snake's vent and will perform the test on any material that is obtained. Just take the snake in and have it done. That way you can know if your other snakes could be infected as well.