Question about feeding too large prey

[NCtrickFL]

I understand it is dangerous to feed my bp food that is too large (I go by the widest point of the body), but I have never heard why.

What problems can result from feeding prey that is too large?

Are they actual health problems or is there a risk the bp will go off feed?

[2kdime]

Regurgitation

Broken ribs in some cases

Going off feed

[stratus_020202]

All of the above^^^ And, it's basically a race between digestion, and rotting. The snakes are slowly digesting the rat, but it's decomposing just as fast as if it were sitting on your counter. How long will it be before it gets unbearably stinky? Yeah, your snake isn't getting many nutrients from that. And, it's gross.

[NCtrickFL]

are you sure about the food rotting in the stomach? It seems unlikely that something would decompose in an anoxic, acidic environment like a stomach...but I don't know much about snake digestion so i might be wrong

[Exotic Ectotherms]

are you sure about the food rotting in the stomach? It seems unlikely that something would decompose in an anoxic, acidic environment like a stomach...but I don't know much about snake digestion so i might be wrong

I don't know about the rotting...but my BP went off feed after eating too big of a rat. That was 4 months ago and he is still off feed. I think he may of hurt his mouth or jaw in the process because for about a week after eating the rat he would open his mouth really wide every couple minutes...almost like he was trying to reset his jaw. I had a vet appointment scheduled for him, but by the time it came to take him he wasn't doing it anymore.