Regurge?

[waldo]

I feed my adult snake too big of a meal, she got to the hips and couldn't get any more down so she spit the mouse back up. Is this considered a regurge? How long until I offer food again?

[Nanci]

This is my guess as to what the officials are going to say:

I wouldn't consider it a regurge. I would have fed a smaller prey item immediately. The stomach was never involved, so does not need time to rest and replenish flora and digestive enzymes.

Good thing she changed her mind if it was in fact too big. My only regurge so far, knock on wood, was an old reliable adult who ate a monster mouse, which I had a weird feeling about it being rather big, but fed anyway- and shouldn't have. She regurged three or four days later. And I followed the standard regurge protocol and she has been fine ever since.

Nanci

[waldo]

Thanks nanci, I had a feeling that the mouse may have been too big but tried anyways, now I feel stupid. I just picked up a small mouse and will offer it.

[Nanci]

At least you don't have Too Big Mouse guilt like I do! I felt TERRIBLE when she regurged, (and still do) after I had sort of thought it was big, but then fed her anyway. There's even a thread and picture with me boasting about how it was her first FT after going through a long period of her eating only FK...(And people saying the bulge didn't look that big!)

Nanci

[tyflier]

Thanks nanci, I had a feeling that the mouse may have been too big but tried anyways, now I feel stupid. I just picked up a small mouse and will offer it.
Don't feel so bad...I jumped my Sammi Snake up to fuzzies too soon, and she spit it out when she got stuck. I did the same thing you're doing..."Is this a regurge?" I fed her a peach fuzzy the next day and she has never suffered for it...

[Nanci]

My Eastern Hog that I have to assist feed upchucks them all the time if I let my guard down, and I certainly don't consider that regurging. My typical process is put one down as far into her throat as I can get it, then hold her mouth shut and massage her throat till is is way down. (She gets a total of three now.) But sometimes I think I can get away with chain feeding, and try to start another one down, and more often than not she puts things into reverse and both end up coming back out, with the furthest-in one passing up the newest one on the way out.

Nanci

[waldo]

That didn't go to well, she must be stressed because instead of trying to eat again all I got was a threat display, complete with tail rattle and multiple strikes.
I'll give her a few days and try again, for now on she gets small mice until she hits 300 grams.

[Nanci]

If I may ask, how do you feed her? What if you just put her in a feeding container and left her alone? She'd calm down. A few days off won't hurt her either, though.

Nanci

[waldo]

I've only had her for a couple weeks but so far I've been feeding in her cage due to the fact that she is aggressive and stresses really easy.
I'd like to feed in a tub but so far all she does is panic and start striking the tub when I try.

[Nanci]

Maybe "frightened" would be a better description, then.

Nanci

[kev1144]

Nanci,

Your snake regurged 4 days later without being handled the whole time?

[Nanci]

No, it was two days. The original thread is called Feeding Story. (If you want to see the bulge) I remembered it as longer. (But even though it seems like too long, experienced owners here will tell you that yes, a regurge after four days is possible.)

Nanci

[tyflier]

I've only had her for a couple weeks but so far I've been feeding in her cage due to the fact that she is aggressive and stresses really easy.
I'd like to feed in a tub but so far all she does is panic and start striking the tub when I try.
My MBK had quite a bit of "feeding anxiety" when I first got her. I think it was partly due to being fed in her enclosure at closing time in the shop. She was used to darkness, quiet, and live pinkies. It took some work, but she is getting over her "shyness", now...

Try putting your girl in a feeding tub, than either turn off ALL the lights and leave the room, or wrapping the tub with a towel to block out all light, and leaving her alone. I think you might find that this will help her to feel more secure and eventually overcome her anxieties associated with feeding...

It's worth a shot, no?

[waldo]

Yeah, it is worth a shot. I'll let you all know how it goes.