6 mth old corn regurging 4-7 days later - all the time.

[tracy0416]

Hi all:
I got a baby blizzard not too long ago. She ate fine the first week, kept it down. The last 4 weeks she's eaten, she's thrown up within 4-7 days each time.

I fed her last Monday. I've checked her every day to ensure she kept her meal down. She was moving from spot to spot, hide to hide, but not what I'd call, "on the go" at night (like my other corns and BP's). This is her "normal" M.O.

I was going to feed her today but when I went to check her, she had regurgetated. 7 days later??? Is it just too big for her? What would make a corn throw up 7 days after eating???

The bolus was almost fully digested. Looked like a skinny tube of "fleshy matter", tapered at both ends, unrecognizable as a pinkie and really small. Maybe half the size of the pinkie she was fed. It seems that a lot had been digested. Smelled like death.

She does pooh regularly, it's not runny. I've never actually seen her drink.
All her viv conditions are normal, she has multiple hides, a cool and warm side, fresh water, quiet area of the house good humidity, etc.

She's on aspen, as she was when she was with the breeder. I have fake plants in there, humidity is fine. She's not very active and has not grown much. I got a charcoal at the same tme and he's growing like crazy, eating fine, active and such. Got a UTH, glass viv.

Here's my plan. Let me know what y'all think.

- I moved her to a smaller sterile plastic tub with papertowel substrate and reduced it to a very simple set up in a room that gets almost no traffic. Used paper towel rolls for hides.
- Won't feed her for a week, will monitor activity levels and feces, etc.
- in a week, feed her again but cut the pinkie in half?

- if she throws up again, I'll take her to the vet but what can a vet actually DO? He'll tell me to buy some meds right? I hear many people buying a compound of some sort and curing snakes with sensitive tummes without taking them to the vet. Anyone know what that stuff is called? Probiotics I think? Where can I buy that?

Is there anything I can buy in Canada to regulate her digestive enzymes? I worry her electrolytes are screwy too.

She seems okay (in terms of activity). She exploring her temporary tub very slowly. She's always been rather calm.

I am concerned and think this is serious. Any advise and experiences you can share would be great.

Thanks for you time all,
Tracy

 

[Marcel Poots]

Your plan sounds real good. Except I would feed a pinky head. I have had this problem with several snakes. Everything you described I reconize. The one thing you should be affraid of is regurge syndrome. A regurge is the base for the next regurge. Snakes need time to rebuild their stomac fluids. In your case looks like she wants to keep the meal inside (because it takes sometimes 7 days) but there is just not enough fluid to digest the meal. Feeding heads of pinkies for two three weeks is the best thing to do to recover from the sytndrome. Good luck

 

[tracy0416]

She is a tiny thing and your idea of "not having enough fluids to digest the meal" makes a lot of sense. That's a good plan. 'll feed pinkie h eads for the next little bit then.

Would this "lack of fluids" make her behave in a slightly mellowed manner? What's your observations been on activity levels with snakes you've had with this syndrome? I know I am sluggish f I am dehydrated.

Thanks for your reply.
Sugar and Tracy

 

[Rich in KY]

I agree with Marcel.

But also, have you checked the temp range? What level is the "warm" side? This could effect the activity level as well if it is too hot.

 

[diamondlil]

Each time a snake regurges, it takes at least a week for the depleted gut flora and damaged lining to recover.Personally I'd wait atleast10 days before feeding, as per Kathy Love's regurge protocol. Kathy recommends nutri-bac or grapefruit seed extract to help in these cases.
I've used gse with good results. Others on here have used nutri-bac, which you can order on Kathy's website
This extract isfrom Moreptiles' site;
Regurgitation Problems
Although healthy corn snakes with proper feeding and temperature environment should not regurgitate, it sometimes happens. It is important to observe conditions in the snake’s enclosure to be aware if the snake regurgitates. Once a snake regurgitates, it is likely that it will regurgitate again at the next feeding if special precautions are not taken. Regurgitation rids the snake of the natural gastric fluids, and it takes nearly 2 weeks for the fluids to return to normal. A hatchling that regurgitates three consecutive meals may die. Regurgitation can be caused by too low temperatures, feeding during shedding, or bacterial infection. Snakes that frequently regurgitate can often be cured by giving one time dose of GSE (grapefruit seed extract) in the drinking water at a dose of 3 drops per cup of water. GSE can also be used routinely in the drinking water at a dose of 5 drops per gallon. If the snake regurgitates, it should not be fed again for at least 7 days, and then the meal should be much smaller than normal. If the problem persists, it may be necessary to consult a veterinarian.
(I get gse from the local health-food shop)

 

[ghosthousecorns]

I've also had good results with the grapefruit seed extract.
As has been said, Check your temps, give the snake 10 days to recover from the regurge before feeding again and use a smaller food item than normal. FWIW, nearly every regurge I have had has been a hatchling switching in food size to a larger pinky or fuzzy. Sometimes in our eagerness to get them to grow up we can overestimate their ability, and when I have animals that are ready to switch up in food size I try to go slow.

 

[JustineNYC]

I know from experience its hard to wait ten days to feed again, but after a regurge you have to do it otherwise you break into this pattern. The second third and 4th regurge is in result to the first.

 

[JustineNYC]

I've also had good results with the grapefruit seed extract.
As has been said, Check your temps, give the snake 10 days to recover from the regurge before feeding again and use a smaller food item than normal. FWIW, nearly every regurge I have had has been a hatchling switching in food size to a larger pinky or fuzzy. Sometimes in our eagerness to get them to grow up we can overestimate their ability, and when I have animals that are ready to switch up in food size I try to go slow.

Thats exactly when mine had hers....

 

[tracy0416]

Grapeseed extract huh? Sounds good to me. I'll go to the Health food store and get some.

If waiting 10 days is better, I'll do that the as well.

Thanks all. I'll let you know if it works : )

 

[diamondlil]

Tracy, could you wait 14 days? After multiple regurges it's more important to break the cycle and allow the snake to recover than to get it to eat right now. Having almost lost my lovely snow and having excellent support from here, I am only passing on the advice that helped us so much.
While your snake is recovering, go over every aspect of husbandry with a fine-toothed comb. Check your temperatures, because a regurge so late after feeding would seem to point to the food not digesting quickly enough, deteriorating inside the snake and then naturally being regurged.
Another thing to consider is parasites, if the temperature is spot-on, then it could be parasite load in the snake's gut causing the regurges. Could you take a fecal sample to a herp vet?
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/
This site I've linked above lists vets in Canada so might help you.
Finally, and regretfully, multiple regurges could point to crypto. I lost my MBK after intermittant regurging with the classic signs of crypto with thickened stomach areas. Unfortunately I didn't get him necropsied, so I'll never know for sure if his failure to thrive and eventual death was due to crypto, but I strongly suspect it was, and was on tenterhooks for a long time after, wondering if I'd lose all the rest of my herps too

 

[tracy0416]

Tracy, could you wait 14 days?

If you think a youngster can go that long without eating, I can do that.

So, that's 14 days after the last regurge NOT 14 days after the last meal, right?

Thanks for that link and your concern.
I'm grateful for the time and attention knowledgeable people like you put into their responses.

 

[diamondlil]

Yep, 14 days from the regurge.
If you have hours to spare, you could read Lil's blog about her problems and see just how much help I got from this forum!
http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30056&highlight=saga
In summary though I got from a snake I was sure would die, to a hefty, healthy sub-adult

 

[Double het]

I was going to feed her today but when I went to check her, she had regurgetated. 7 days later???

Take a fecal to the vet to check for parasites. You say she does still pooh. If not take the whole snake with you.