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regurg question

G

guitrage

Ophidiophile
I fed my snake for the first time in my care on Wednesday night and I just found the pinkie in her cage today (Saturday). I don't know exactly when she threw it up, but it didn't look very digested at all. I found it under one of her hides and didn't discover it earlier because I was trying to adhere to the "2 days of no disturbances after feeding" rule. I'm concerned that it might have been in there since late Wednesday night or Thursday, and that seems dangerous.

So should I check under her hides every day after she's eaten to make sure she hasn't thrown up even if it means disturbing her? Now that I've found it, how long should I wait before I feed her again?

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Are you sure that she ate it? My Rat Snake usually drags his meal into his hide, normally he eats it but I always check the next day!
How long have you had your snake?
Sometimes, before they shed they will kill the prey but they don't eat it. :shrugs:
If she did regurge withhold food for at least couple of weeks- let the gut "rest", then try again, with a smaller than her normal mouse meal- make sure the temps are good, etc.
You also- might want to check for parasites, a vet check (with fecal) might be in order.
Hope this helps- Good Luck :)
 
She definitely ate it because I fed her in a second enclosure and watched her eat it. She's four months old and I've had her for one week today. The temps are good, possibly a bit cold at night.

Wait a couple of weeks? Isn't that a bit long?

I suppose I should take her in for a checkup. Thanks for the reply.
 
Can you give us a bit more detail of your husbandry conditions?
Exact temps,(daytime and night), number of hides and viv layout etc....
With more info. it's easier to help you.... :)
 
Some of the main causes of regurge :( are- parasites, stress, dehydration, over feeding, improper heating (hot or cold). When you purchased your snake did the breeder (previous owner) give you a history of your little one? Hatch date, how often they ate, defecated, shed etc...Sometimes this information gives you a clue of what's going on with them & what you can expect.

A couple of weeks isn't that long as long as they have plenty of fresh water and the cage temps etc. are in order. You have to give them a chance to recuperate. Think of it this way... when people get sick, they don't eat right away or they will get sick again! We eat 3 times per day so... if you wait 1-2 days taking only liquids this gives your system a chance to "settle down" so you can eventually eat solid food. Same with snakes except they eat less frequently (depending on the snake anywhere from 5 days to 10 days), so for a snake 2-3 weeks isn't that long! :)
 
Daytime temps stay at about 84. At night it drops to the low 70's (usually 73 or so in the early morning, but never below 70). I have a heat lamp hooked up to a timer that provides the extra heat for the day. It's a 15 gal tank (24 x 12 x 12), and she has 2 water dishes (I was worried that she might not find the water so I put another dish in there). I've never seen her drink, and this worries me, but I guess she must be drinking. Humidity is about 60 percent. There's a hide on both sides of the tank, and I'm using aspen shavings. I haven't been handling her much yet, as many people told me to wait until she acclimates (and no, I didn't handle her at all after she ate).

I bought her from a reptile store, but they're not like most pet shops (East Bay Vivarium; site is eastbayvivarium.com). They only work with reptiles and amphibians and they breed their own animals. From what I hear they're very reputable breeders, but the snake didn't come with any kind of records.

That's all I can think of, if you want more info just ask. Oh yeah she's about 15 inches and seems healthy in all other respects (she feels strong, clean eyes, nose, vent, etc).

Thanks for the help.

-Ari
 
The bottom of the cage should be approx 82-86 degrees, this would help digestion without burning the snake :)
I keep my temps at about 84 degrees (warm side) to 79 on the cool side. At night there is a drop to about 75 degrees, but the cage floor is still @ about 84 degrees. I use a thermostat as well as a temp gun & thermometer to try to be as accurate as possible.

You could also call EBV and ask them for some advice- you are right they have a good reputation.
 
I have a digital thermometer and I keep the probe on the cage floor (right on top of the substrate), so the temps I gave you are the cage floor readings.
 
I called East Bay Vivarium (where I purchased my snake) and the first thing he asked me was about the temps. The man I spoke to said that the reason my snake threw up was because the temperature on the warm side needs to be a constant 85 day and night. This was a bit of a shock to me. Everything I've read says that a night time temperature drop is a good thing. He told me to bring the snake to the store where they would keep it for a couple of weeks and try to feed it themselves. I asked him if I could just carry out the suggested temperature changes and try to feed her again in a couple of weeks, but he said he wants me to bring her in!

What do you all think about what he said? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Ari
 
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