Help! Is this normal regurgitation?

[Coppertop]

Hello - We just got a beautiful, healthy baby corn. We're very cautious and easily worried, as we lost a baby once before from a massive mite infection he had contracted in the pet store. I just wanted to check with everyone on a couple of things, to make sure all is well.

He ate, quite enthusiastically, a rather large pinkie 4 days ago. Last night we were concerned that he was a little constipated, as he showed a visible bulge, so we gave him a warm bath and let him crawl around on some towels for exercise. At the beginning of his bath he took a very long drink -- and once again when he was returned to him tank, and we reminded him of where his water bowl is. We had yet to see him drink from his bowl on his own, so we concluded that he must have been somewhat dehydrated. He was somewhat lethargic and irritable, and his activity picked right up again after having a drink.

Over night he "deposited" the rather large pinkie in the bowl. At first we thought it was a defecation, until I removed it from the cage, and realized it was mostly in tact.

Is this normal for a baby? Was the mouse simply too big, and if so, is it normal to regurgitate days later? Should we give him some time, or try to feed him again tonight?

Thank you everyone for your help!

[diamondlil]

Regurgitation isn't normal and can result in the death of a hatchling. If you read this FAQ you can hopefully get your little one back on track
http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28342

[TWGarland]

If it only looks partially digested then its a regurge, another way to know is the terrible smell.

And no its not normal. Its a big deal for a hatchling to regurge, you shuold leave your snake laone for about 7-10 days now, this allows digestive fluids lost when it regurged to be replaced. So leave it alone and undisturbed.

I'd be very worried if this regurge was combined with the lathargic and listless behaviour you have described.

How are your temperatures? 4 days does seem a long time to go after eating to then regurge, low temperatures could cause this though,

All the best with your little one, i would keep a very close eye on him,

Tom

[Coppertop]

Thanks very much -- we've had a tougher time than normal with the temperatures, because we had a heat problem over the past couple of days in the building. We have, however, been very careful to make sure the tank is about 85 on one side, and about 70 on the other. He could have felt the effects nonetheless.

So, we'll let him alone for a week and let him relax. I read that FAQ [thank you!] and we'll try a much smaller food portion in 8 days.

Speaking of hatchlings - I believe him to be older than that... He is approximately 9 inches or so long. Does anyone have a guess on age?

[Coppertop]

Make that 10 inches.

[diamondlil]

If you don't know the hatch date, it's quite hard to guesstimate age, because each snake grows at it's own pace, dependent on feeding and genetics. At 9" I'd personally still call it a hatchling. (I weigh my snakes monthly to track their growth)

[Cam5]

Regarding the age:
As was said it is impossible to pinpoint without a hatch date.
Hatchlings are around 8-12" at "birth".
You cannot determine length by measuring the shed...it is usually longer than the snake by up to 40%.
A healthy snake will grow around 10-15"/yr for the first 2 years.

[Coppertop]

Thank you :)

[Cam5]

Regarding the age:
As was said it is impossible to pinpoint without a hatch date.
Hatchlings are around 8-12" at "birth".
You cannot determine length by measuring the shed...it is usually longer than the snake by up to 40%.
A healthy snake will grow around 10-15"/yr for the first 2 years.

Sorry, thought I hit "preview post"
The corn snake's growth will slow considerably after 2 years and is nearly full grown at 6 years old.

Most importantly I wanted to add that I hope everything goes well for your little one...best wishes:)

[Nanci]

So when you resume feeding, I would HIGHLY suggest obtaining Nutribac from Kathy Love and using that on the pink. http://www.cornutopia.com

When my hatchling Jasper regurged, his next meal was the smallest pink I could find, cut in half lengthwise (cut while frozen). He ate a half lengthwise pink for the following three meals. He got a smallest pink cut in half crosswise, both halves, for the next meal. He got a slightly larger pink, cut in thirds, all three pieces, for the next meal. So far, so good.

Do not discount a regurge as a minor occurance. It is a big deal if you don't stop at one and can EASILY kill a baby snake if you can't stop the regurgitation immediately. Feed your snake very, very conservatively for quite a while, only taking teeny steps up in size, and make sure, after you resume feeding whole pinks, that you slit the back of the pink four times, crosswise, with a small scissors or knife after thawing. I would continue to use a dash of Nutribac on the pinks for quite some time, too.