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help! my new corn just regurgitated

I

iamofthedesert

New member
I just got this new baby corn snake from the reptile store that had already successfully fed it dead pinkie mice. So, I gave her her first meal the day before yesterday, and this morning I find a half digested pinkie on the ground. I am going to move my snake from my room where the temperatures can vary greatly because the one wall has a giant window, and hopefully this will help her. But what is the procedure as far as feeding and handling? Is there anything in particular I should check or change or anything? I have no idea what to do, and Kathy Love's book doesn't really talk about regurgitation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Your snake could have a infection in her digestive track. Or she found the mouse to much. Dont try to feed her for a week, her stomach could be ripped by regurgitating the meal. Feed her the smallest pinkie you can find, pinkies come in three sizes so get the smallest one. Watch her very carefully look to see if she has any problems swallowing, look for bubbles around her mouth area. If thats the case take it to a reptile vet. Make sure she has temps in her viv where she could go and successfully digest her food. Maybe the temp you have made her feel stressed which caused her to regurgitate.
 
It is also possible that the regurg happened because of the stress associated with the move since you say that you only just got her, and I suspect that was the first meal you tried to give her. Also, snakes can regurg from temperatures that are either too high, or too low. It is good that you are moving her. Buy a digital thermometer and check out the temperatures in her cage during the day and night. This will help you make sure you have the right temperature range.
As for handling, I suggest no handling for the next few days, and then only minimal handling necessary before she is eating well again. Offer the next food item in 7 to 10 days to allow her to recover from the stress of the regurg. Don't be tempted to try offering food before this. Even snakes that small can go for many weeks without eating.

Skye
 
thanks so much. i will not bug her for a couple of days, and i will definitely wait a week to feed her. it was her first meal, so hopefully it was just stress. i will do all i can to monitor the temp and then just pray her next meal stays down! thanks again.
 
Yeah i can only agree with Skye. No stress for a couple of days at all. then the smallest food available. And especially no handling for 1 day or two after feeding. I never handle my corns until they digested the meal.

Acradon
 
It could easily be a temperature issue. Cold snakes will often regurgitate because they cannot digest their meal without a certain degree of heat. This causes stomach rot, which can cause some serious problems in your snake. For young snakes, however, regurgitation is quite common. Just try again in a week. Good luck.
 
GarterGuy,
What kind of Garter Snake is that under your name? Iv never seen one like that before its soo radical, very nice.
 
The breeder I purchased my snake from explained to me why the 10-day rule exists for snakes, which I haven't seen on this forum before. The snake, like you, has certain bacteria in it's gut which aid in the digestion process. During a regurge, the bacteria comes up with the food and this means that the snake will be unable to digest another meal for about 10 days after a regurge. After 10 days, the bacteria should have built back up enough for proper digestion. If you feed too early, the snake will very likely regurgitate again and loose even more bacteria and have more trouble.
I read a thread where someone suggested kneading a mouse to make it easier to digest as you would to tenderize meat for yourself. It's not scientific, but it seemed to work for them.
Good luck, and I hope it was just a stress thing. Definitely hold off for the 10 days though.
 
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