Health Issues? Unsure need help!!!

[reptilovers]

Hi,
I have a Pastel Ball Python about a year an a half old. Is eating small rats, up to 3 in a week. He seems in excellent health, pretty social, and an all round awesome pet. How ever he has exhibited one behavior that worries my fiance and myself about him. It's only happened twice that we know of and it's scary when it does. Usually he hangs out in his cave, but tonight and on a previous occasion he has suddenly come out of his cave making very loud gag like sounds. When this is happening about half his body is coiled back and he almost seems to be trying to force something up. I had a Normal Ball with my ex and that snake never exhibited this behavior. Is it normal or something to be concerned about? Please if you have any knowledge about this please post. Thank you.

[llovelace]

to BP.net , fisrt off I will offer that 3 rats a week seems a little much.

Had he been drinking any water prior to the gagging?

[reptilovers]

No...now that you mention it I haven't noticed him drinking as much as he usually does. He's in shed rite now too if that might mean anything...

[angllady2]

Sounds to me like you are being a little too generous with the food, and he is verging on regurging food that has rotted before he could digest it.

One small rat per week is plenty of food.

Gale

[PitOnTheProwl]

I would have to agree that you are over feeding too.

[reptilovers]

We don't usually do 3. He usually gets 1 and a mouse or 2. But he did it about a week and a half after his last feeding which was about a week after the one before that.