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PROBLEM: on my hand...

M

mugsydugsy04

New member
i was handling my snake last night and he was very active and calm. he seeemed to be doing fine. i was examining his skin and his jaw to see if their were any lacerations or mites, everything looked clean. a few minutes later he rested his head on the palm of my hand and he started opening his mouth very wide, i thought he felt threatened and was warning me that he'd snap. i sat still, not really nervous just concerned because i'd never seen this behavior. he seemed to be in pain...his mouth opened wider and out came the mouse that i fed him two days before...into my hand. now, when i picked him up i looked to see if his stomach was still a little chubby, i wasn't gonna handle him if he didn't digest, it appeared that nothing was left in his stomach, but i can't say i saw a dropping anywhere in his viv either. this experience was quite upsetting, my snake has never regurgitated before. after putting him back in his enclosure he moved over to the cool side of his cage and i noted that his head was falling to the side and his mouth continued opening. i'm not really sure what to do. i'm not sure if many snake owners often get to see the regurgitation process. i'm gonna do a search, but if anyone has any suggestions i'd appreciate them. my major concern is that he will die.

:awcrap:
 
I saw one of my females regurgitate, it was an awful looking site. This experience happened after I introduced her to a male for breeding earlier this year when she had eaten too recently and was too stressed by the male.

I don't know what to tell you if your snake is still not looking right, other than to take it to a vet.

Other than that, leave it alone, don't keep getting it out to look at it. All that's doing is stressing it out more. I know you mean well, but every time you get it out, your doing more harm than good right now.

Let it chill out for about 10-12 days and then offer it a very small meal. You didn't say what size your snake was, but if it's a hatchling, feed it only half a pinky (i.e. just the head), or if it's an older snake a whole pinky or fuzzy. Then again leave it alone until it digests this. Keep the next few meals small and he should be okay.

The reason your snake regurgitated in the first place was probably because you handled him too soon after eating. Even if they've eaten a while ago, they can still regurgitate if they are stressed out too much.

You picking it up to examine it the day after it regurged, may have made him try to regurg a second time, any left over contents in it's stomach. This may account for why his "head was falling to the side and his mouth continued opening."
 
There have been many post about regurgitations on this board. You can do a search and can get more information on it that should help you. For the next feeding you should wait atleast 10 days.

I am curious to know what are your temperatures in your viv?

Perhaps your snake did not digest fully and picking the snake up and handling was the cause of regurge.

I usually wait 3 days before I pick up my snake after eating because I have heard about people who waited 48 hours and the same thing happend to them. More so when the food size has been changed.

If the regurging continues over several feedings then I would take him to the vet asap.

But if this is the first time it sounds like a stress related issue. However I am not an expert, and I am sure folks on this board will respond to your post and can give you more added information.

Good luck on your snake, I hope he feels better.
 
hi...my snake...

is not a hatchling, but he is quite young, i'm not sure exactly how old. he's a little over a foot in length and rather slender. i thank you guys for responding quickly, you put my mind at ease a bit...

i house norbert in a twenty gallon tank and during the day the temperature is between 80 and 85 degrees. i have a heating pad and i spray the substrate with water daily. he ate two pinks between friday and sunday of last weekend. the first was alive, the second was thawed. after feeding him i briefly picked him up to put him back in his regular enclosure.

how long does it usually take a snake to digest? i waited over 48 hours to handle him and the entire mouse came up. i'm going to take your advice and wait to feed him again and i will not handle him for a while. i can understand that stress may have caused the upchuck, but i would have thought that there was nothing left to come back up. i'm gonna do a search, thank you again.
 
Like I said in another thread of yours, if Norbert wasn't used to eating 2 mice, then it would have taken him a bit longer to digest 2. A lot of people recommend waiting 3 days after feeding before handling, and it is probably better to wait longer if you've just raised the amount of food you give him. Hope he's doing well!
 
Why do you spray your substrate daily? A cornsnake is pretty comfortable in a 50% humidity.

Also feeding your snake on friday and then on Sunday? If your going to feed 2 pinkies it should be in one feeding. Your just about feeding every other day, and that is not good either. Feeding your corn every 5-7 days is more healthy then every other day. Your snake did not have time to digest the first one.
 
yea...i called an....

animal hospital today and explained what happened. the doctor told me to keep an eye on him for a week or so then attempt to feed him again and let him be for a few days after that. if he upchucks again i will bring him in for a check up. thanks for the advice. i think he'll be fine.
 
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