HELP!! Regurgitated mouse

Relayer · #1 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 02:49 PM

My baby rtb regurgitated a mouse last night that he had ate 5 days ago. It was very small. He defacated 3 days ago and seemed fine. He was also at the vet 3 days ago and the vet said he looked very healthy. I've had hin going on 2 weeks.

Should I attempt to feed him again today? His eyes clouded up last Fri., the vet said he was going into shed and that his eyes would cloud up for a few days, then clear up for a while then cloud up again with the shed. They have cleared up like he said. I've only seen him drink twice but then again I don't see what goes on at night.

What should I do?
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najaboy · #2 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 02:54 PM

No, do not attempt to refead it immediately following a vomiting episode. Wait about a week or two for gut flora to replenish themselves and for the esophagus to heal itself.

In the meantime, look for environmental factors that could have caused it to vomit. These include, but are not limited to: temperature and stress.
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Relayer · #3 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 03:04 PM

My daytime floor temp is around 90, NT about 82 on the warm side. Should I not handle him for awhile? I have been handling him 2-3 a day for 15 minutes. He always is under his hide on the warm side. I have UTH and a Redlight above that in a 20 gallon tank The humidity ranges from 50 - 70%.
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brandbrit · #4 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 03:44 PM

Hi! I have a question: Did you continue to handle your snake in the proceeding days after you fed him? If you did this might cause the regurgitation....It takes ~48 hours for the snake to digest it's food. During this time it is advisable not to handle your snake..Also, I agree w/Naja...your snake needs time to heal it's body therefore wait for ~ a week before re-feeding...
Good Luck

brandbrit
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Relayer · #5 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 04:22 PM

I waited 48 hours before handling. It has been 5 days since he last ate. Last night I placed the snake in my 3 yr olds hands, just the mid section of the snake. My son slightly squeezed him but not hard, I don't know if that had anything to do with it. What are signs of stress?
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morti · #6 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 05:55 PM

Signs of stress can include frequent urination, Hiding all the time (even at night) and regurge. There are other signs, but these are the easiest to see. I would avoid holding the snake for a week or so just to give it a chance to settle in.

Tell us more about your setup: What size enclosure, what kind of substrate, how many hides, where are they, how is it heated, ect. That info may help us give you some suggestions.

Ontop of what everyone else has said, I would also suggest feeding rats rather than mice. They are easier to digest and there is less a chance of regurge. Speaking of things, how big was the mouse in comparison to the rest of the snake? You want prey items to be slightly smaller than the girth of the snake at it's widest point.

-Your Sick Uncle Morti.
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Relayer · #7 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 07:36 PM

My encloser is a 20 gallon tank with indoor/ outdoor carpet as the substrate. I have a hide rock and water dish on the warm side and a hide log and water dish on the cool side. I have a UTH and a redlight in a clamplight sitting on top the wire/screen cover. I keep a wet towel over half the tank (cool side). The day temp on the warm side is 88-90 and 80-84 at night. Humidity varies from 50-70%.
He has only urated once right before he defacated, that was after a bath. He is showing signs of a shed, eyes clouded then cleared. He does seem to hide alot, but again I work nights so I can't monitor that.
The mouse he ate was a fuzzy f/t and didn't look too big, it was about the size of his girth maybe a little smaller. The snake is an Columbian Redtail 22" long and about 2 months according to the pet store.
Thanks everyone for your help, I want to make sure I do the right thing.
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Relayer · #8 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 09:07 PM

A freind of my wife who has had a Ball Python for 10 years ask how it could regurgatate 5 days after eating when it is digested in 2 ?
The regurg. looked like a mouse I guess, it didn't really have any odor. It seemed about 4-5 times smaller than the mouse itself and was shaped like a mouse less the legs. Olive green color and came to a point like a tail. When he defacated it smelled awful I'm pretty sure I'm not confusing the two (regurg./ defacate)
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#9 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 09:13 PM

if it didn't have any odor, it wasn't likely regurge, that stinks to high heaven! Wayyy worse than poop.

This does seem very odd. You husbandry sounds spot on, does he use one hide over another that you notice?

I assume his photoperiod is 12 on, 12 off?
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morti · #10 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 09:26 PM

I agree with Jay... Regurge is the foulest smelling thing ever! I sounds like off colored stool to me. I would wait until the next defication and take a stool sample to a vet for a fecal float. Offcolored stool is one sign of internal parasite infestation. What schedule to you feed on? Do you feed live or pre-killed?

Sorry to answer your question with more questions, but the more info we have, the better we can help you... And I still suggest rats... they are better on your baby's stomach.
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Relayer · #11 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 09:44 PM

He uses the hide rock on the warm side exclusivley, if you mean day/night by photoperiod yes is approx 12/12.

His feeding schedule is one fuzzy every 7 days, I've only had him for one feeding though and it was frozen/thawed. He ate live at the pet store.

Should I wait until defacation and stool sample before feeding again and treat it like a regurg.
I am going to rat next time per your suggestion. What about the 5 day thing, is that to long for a regurgation?
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morti · #12 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 10:07 PM

I am up in the air on the 5 days thing. If for whatever reason, the snakes digestive system were not working right, it could possibly take that long, but I tend to agree with your friend... Regurges usually happen more quickly than that.
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najaboy · #13 (**permalink**) 03-25-2002, 11:07 PM

If it was odorless, then it definitely wasn't a regurge. When a snake regurgitates, the odor is unmistakable.
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Relayer · #14 (**permalink**) 03-26-2002, 02:51 PM

Is there usually any liquid associated with a regurge, there was none present ?
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Relayer · #15 (**permalink**) 03-28-2002, 04:04 PM

My rtb defacated last night and I must admit it looked an awful like what I thought was a regurge. If I treat it like a regurge and wait 7 days that would be 12 days since last feeding. He is a baby and I was wondering if that was too long? I know I should have inspected the questionable regurge more closely but I didn't, his defacation last night still had a drab green color to it and it stunk.
But like I said before the questionable regurge was 5 days after feeding and didn't have an odor that I can distinctly remember. Has anyone else ever experieced a regurge 5 days after eating? He has shed since then and seems to fine. Still loves to be held and dislikes going back in the tank until he finds his hide.
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captainmorgan · #16 (**permalink**) 03-28-2002, 06:05 PM

Relayer, I've only had one regurge and it was regurged the very next day after feeding. You'll know if it's a regurge because it'll still have the shape of the food item i.e. rat, mouse, etc..., It will smell and your snake will get as far from it as he/she can. It smells worse than poop. On another note one of my kings pooped something like a green algae color but he was recieving shots of baytril. Hate to say it but, I'd need a pic. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
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