Ooof... Snake vomit. Help?

[200xth]

Ah, this. Minimum wait after a regurge is at least 14 days no matter how hungry they act. Their insides need time to recover.

Yea.

I just wanted to make sure I read her post correctly. I was thinking I read it wrong or missed something and have the timing wrong.

[Skiploder]

OK... Thank you everyone for your advice! I truly appreciate it. I do know it was vomit not poop. Yes, the smell, of course and the fact that back in the day I had a lot of snakes, so know what poop should be. After looking at all the factors, I believe we overfed her after being malnourished. Immediately after vomiting she was in hunt mode again. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. I waited until now to offer one small mouse which she took immediately. Will wait 5 or 7 days to offer the next which will be dusted with BeneBac. I am happy with her feed response. A sick reptile doesn't tend to want to eat. Will order rats next.

I doesn't matter if she's hungry or not she vomited up her last meal - which unlike a dog, or a cat or you - is a traumatic event for a snake. she can go a long time without a meal and your decision to feed he was a poorly calculated risk that your should not have taken. There was zero benefit to it and a whole host of things that could have gone wrong. Let me put it bluntly - your assessment of her condition based on her appetite was rash.

Just because she can eat, doesn't mean she should. If you feed her too soon and her digestive system does not have time to recuperate, she will vomit again.

At that point you have taken a mildly serious event and turned it into a potentially major event.

She vomited her meal - which means that it had begun the process of digestion. A regurge - or almost immediately ejection of the prey item - and involves no digestion.

It is this interrupted process of digestion that creates damage to the esophagus and the gastrointestinal system of the snake - as the stomach acids and digestive enzymes are fairly powerful. If you do not give the animal enough time to recuperate, more damage will be inflicted on that digestive system.

BTW, you have completely missed the point of the Benebac. You don't put it on the prey item immediately after the event, it is meant to assist in the replenishment of digestive enzymes and bacterial balance in the digestive system while the snake is healing over time - not as an additive to the next meal.

At this point, whether you decide to wait two weeks or two hours means diddly over squat to me. You were given solid advice by several forum members. However, if your snake vomits the next meal and it's health situation becomes more serious, you will probably find less people willing to take the time to help you.

[jaded]

You do not overfeed rescues. They can be very hungry, yes, but overfeeding them can cause serious harm. When snakes go to "feeding mode", they will eat, again and again, and it is your duty as keeper to think what is appropriate amount food at one time. Not to feed as much as they can take!

Fortunately your snake is not very emaciated, but looks like s/he is pretty dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious problem and can cause regurgitation if you start to feed too aggressively. If the snake vomits, you need to wait at least two weeks before next feed. Vomiting is not something to take lightly, especially when we are talking about animal in poor condition. Recovery takes time, you can't rush it.

[ballpythonluvr]

You know, I was going to post that you fed this poor snake way to early. If you really know as much as you say you do about ball pythons then you would have waited to feed this snake for at least the two weeks that like everyone has stated. If your snake regurges again please do not come here crying when your snake is no longer healthy or thriving. Not to be mean but you should really know better.

[SashasMom]

I apologize. I Was reading all of the advice as well as researching and asking questions elsewhere. I got a variety of answers and chose what I believed to be the right solution at this time. The mouse I fed is much smaller than the correct size for Sasha and I only fed the one and then will wait to see how it goes. So far she is alert and comfortable. I DO very much appreciate all the advice and help I have received since joining this forum. I certainly did not mean to upset anyone, just trying to do the best that I can by her.

[ladywhipple02]

Did anyone else pick up that this snake was fed four prey items at once? It's near impossible for a snake to digest that much at one time - the prey will just sit in the belly and rot (which may have led to the regurge/vomiting). Recommendation is to feed ONE prey item at a time - make a bigger one if you think she can take it, but multiples is not good, especially for a snake that hasn't been eating regularly as is.

[bcr229]

I apologize. I Was reading all of the advice as well as researching and asking questions elsewhere. I got a variety of answers and chose what I believed to be the right solution at this time. The mouse I fed is much smaller than the correct size for Sasha and I only fed the one and then will wait to see how it goes. So far she is alert and comfortable. I DO very much appreciate all the advice and help I have received since joining this forum. I certainly did not mean to upset anyone, just trying to do the best that I can by her.

Can I ask where you were advised to feed a snake that had regurged two days ago? Because every forum I've been on, every Facebook group for snake/reptile care and health, every Google search on it... the advice is consistent: 1) Wait at least two weeks before feeding again. 2) The next few meals should be half normal size and offered on a two-week interval, then slowly increase the meal size and shorten the duration between feedings if all goes well. 3) ReptiBAC/BeneBAC.

Did anyone else pick up that this snake was fed four prey items at once? It's near impossible for a snake to digest that much at one time - the prey will just sit in the belly and rot (which may have led to the regurge/vomiting). Recommendation is to feed ONE prey item at a time - make a bigger one if you think she can take it, but multiples is not good, especially for a snake that hasn't been eating regularly as is.

Not necessarily. A lot of people won't touch a healthy "mouser" female BP that refuses rats, because as a 2000+ gram adult building follicles she could easily put away half a dozen grown mice each week - and look for more. Obviously that's not the case with the OP's little rescue though.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Did anyone else pick up that this snake was fed four prey items at once? It's near impossible for a snake to digest that much at one time - the prey will just sit in the belly and rot (which may have led to the regurge/vomiting). Recommendation is to feed ONE prey item at a time - make a bigger one if you think she can take it, but multiples is not good, especially for a snake that hasn't been eating regularly as is.

I have a 1500g male that will down 5 to 10 mice in one sitting. Does this weekly and hase for a couple years.

[bcr229]

I have a 1500g male that will down 5 to 10 mice in one sitting. Does this weekly and hase for a couple years.

Dang I wish my males ate that readily... but not so much that I'll convert them back to mice from rats.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I apologize. I Was reading all of the advice as well as researching and asking questions elsewhere. I got a variety of answers and chose what I believed to be the right solution at this time. The mouse I fed is much smaller than the correct size for Sasha and I only fed the one and then will wait to see how it goes. So far she is alert and comfortable. I DO very much appreciate all the advice and help I have received since joining this forum. I certainly did not mean to upset anyone, just trying to do the best that I can by her.

If you feed to son after a regurge and this result in the death of said animal because you do not leave enough time go by between feedings, thinking you did what was best will not matter

YOU were provided with solid advice YOU chose to dismiss them and disregard the possible outcomes.

YOU have a lot to learn and part of that learning experience is to listen to EXPERIENCED people especially when it comes to health issue, if you do not, what is the point of asking?

At this point you also do not know what caused this regurgitation.

Unproperly thawed prey
Stress
Improper temps
Internal parasites
etc

Bottom line this can be a SERIOUS situation, what YOU feel is best is really not.