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Regurgitation, need help!

W

wthNick

New member
Hello everyone,

I received my first baby corn snake on Tuesday, December 2. When he arrived in the mail, it was evident they fed him before shipping (you could see the lump). Well, later that night on Tuesday I found what I assumed was a regurgitation and not poop in the tank (The pinkie was still solid at the front, and only the end of it was mushy and covered in a brown substance). I assumed it happened because of the shipping and new environment, that's a bit of stress to go through while digesting. I also noticed that a day or two later, his eyes got foggy and blue, and then he had a complete shed on Tuesday, December 9. So I read that it was a good idea to wait 10 days before trying to feed him again, so I took that time to make sure all my temperatures were correct. My digital thermometer reads exactly 84, I have the probe below the aspen substrate right above the glass where the UTH is located. The tank is in my room, which never drops below 68. There are 2 hides on the warm side, and 1 on the cool side, plus plenty of fake plants and a branch to assist him in hiding. He is very active in the cage at night, he is always exploring and climbing on the hides and plants! After 10 days of the first regurgitation, on Friday, December 12, I fed him a whole pinkie (it was about 1.5 times the size of his body) and I found what I assumed was another regurgitation (The mouse was still solid, only the end was semi mushy and covered in a brown substance) in his tank this morning, Sunday December 14th.

Thank you for reading this lengthy post, I'm just very concerned for my little guy. If you have any suggestions or need anymore information/pictures, please just ask for post it below.
 
Hello. I personally have never had my snake regurgitate however many members recommend using Kathy loves regurge guide if you run into this problem. I have posted it below. I am curious where you bought your snake? They should have known better than to feed a snake before shipping it. The snake was under a lot of stress and didn't have the proper temperature during transit to digest it's meal. It sounds like you have prepared it's cage properly. If the snake wasn't regurgitating I recommend feeding it immediately after it sheds because this is when it needs energy the most. It will have just spent so much energy shedding. As far as the regurge this guide is the best way to get back on the right track..

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - once a snake has regurged, especially twice or more, it is more likely to keep on regurging until it dies, unless something is changed about its care and feeding. It is very important NOT to let this continue. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW VERY CAREFULLY. This is from my FAQ on regurges:

I suspect your problem is probably not bad mice, but about handling too soon, feeding too soon or too large of a meal, a stomach "bug", or improper temps. If you make these mistakes once, or even twice, it is not usually a problem if you FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY. But remember, each time it regurges, the stomach acids are depleted, and the whole electrolyte balance is thrown off more and more each time, and it makes it MORE likely that it will continue to throw up until it dies. (those consequences are just my opinions - I do not know if science backs up my conclusions, but my experience certainly does!) That is why it is so important to NOT ALLOW another regurge.

The next month or two is crucial. DO NOT feed it for AT LEAST 8 days since the last regurge. NOT ANYTHING AT ALL! Then get a newborn frozen pinky and cut it in half (or cut off just the head) If she eats it, leave her alone for a whole week. (no handling). Repeat the partial pinkie feeding the following week. Then feed a whole newborn pinkie a week after that, if there has been no regurge. Leave alone for a whole week. If she regurges, wait a week and repeat 1/2 pinkie. If she keeps it down, wait a week and repeat whole pinkie. If she holds down a couple of meals, DO NOT rush back into larger meals and more handling. Treat this seriously. Go very slowly. After 3 successful meals, go to a newborn pink every 5 days. Go back to normal feedings only after 6 successful meals. Always wait to handle until after 3 or 4 days, but only AFTER 6 successful meals. No handling until then (causes stress, need to keep stress down). And NEVER feed again right after a regurge - ALWAYS wait AT LEAST 7 or 8 days, maybe even up to 10 days, and then only feed something that was about 1/2 the size (or less) of what she regurged..

Also, be sure that temps are not too warm or cool. Try to give an area of low to mid 80s on one side and 70s on the other. Too hot or cold will cause regurges.

Grapefruit seed extract can sometimes help if the snake has some sort of "stomach bug" (any microbial problem) as it is a natural remedy that is good against many kinds of pathogens, but not as strong as an antibiotic prescribed by a doctor. This product has been used in agriculture for many years and seems to be very safe, as long as you dilute it with enough water that the acidity does not burn the tissues. A vet has told me he feels that it may somewhat alter the pH of the animal and thus change the way medicines are absorbed. So if you use this product and then take the snake to a vet, mention the treatment so it can be taken into account if the vet decides to change the prescription because of it. It is best to mix it in a glass and taste it to make sure it is not so bitter that the snake refuses to drink it. I have used it on myself and so has my husband. I find it works better on stomach problems than for other symptoms (such as respiratory - I didn't have any luck treating colds or other respiratory problems).You can buy it at a local health food store or online. Please refer to the following website for more background info: http://www.nutriteam.com/index2.html

I have also had success with a probiotic called Nutri Bac, a fine powder containing seven different microflora that should be inhabiting the gut of reptiles, but may be absent due to stress, disease, antibiotic treatments, etc. Using the powder as a supplement will sometimes allow the reptile to get back the natural balance of microbes in its digestive tract, and then its own immune system can take over. See my website for more details, or go here:
http://www.cornutopia.com/Corn Ut...information.htm

The number of days and amounts of food, etc, suggested above are not set in stone. Other people may have success with slightly different formulas, but this is what I found works for me and many of my customers. If this protocol does not work when carefully followed, it is likely that the snake has some severe problems. Your only hope is a QUALIFIED herp vet, who may or may not be able to save your pet.

Please follow my care sheet for the first month or so when starting with new acquisitions (posted on my website for the first month's care of new corns).. The first month is crucial in getting the baby established. It is worth a little extra "coddling" for the first month in order to have a trouble free pet for the next 10 or 15 years or more.

Good luck!
Kathy Love
 
I agree that Kathy Love's regurge protocol is the way to go.

I would be very irritated if a company or person shipped me a snake that had just eaten. You may want to let them know that it really isn't a good idea.
 
Not good. You need to skip the next feeding, so he hasn't eaten for 8 days. Then feed him just a pinky head. If that stays down, next time give him 1/3 of a pink. Then 1/2. Then the other half. Then the other 2/3, cut in two pieces. If he's doing okay, then a whole, small pink, cut in thirds.

It's essential now that you get Nutribac, and put it on his meals. I wouldn't handle him at all until he has several successful feedings.

Also, I would make every effort not to feed him while he is blue. That means you're going to have to be very observant of his activity, or lack thereof. If you are weighing him, an unexpectedly large weight gain can signal blue before you can see it.

Good luck. I would contact the seller and advise them that if the baby doesn't make it, they are at fault and need to replace him.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice, I will definitely follow the regurge protocol. I'll try the pinky head next Friday, that should be about 10 days since he regurgitated.

I bought my snake from lllreptile, and I was definitely shocked when I noticed the lump in his stomach. This will be my first snake, but even I know a snake shouldn't go through the stress of shipping while trying to regurgitate his meal. Let alone not even having the heat to digest during the trip!
 
Sorry for such a bad experience... I bought a baby girl on the expo that had the lump.. he guy admitted that he had faulted the feeding and I took his info that in case this happened and she got issues from it he was ready to replace her. So I agree with Nanci, contact them let them know.. Good luck with the little baby hope things are going better!
 
I just had a regurge and this post was very helpful.

My amel was eating double pinks before the episode and i suspect it was because i went up in size too soon and we just got a cold snap so ive had to adjust temps. Should I start from the beginning of the above plan with 1 pinkie head or should i give two because she was on double pinks before.

Sorry to hijack this thread but it was super helpful!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hey folks,
I'm new (and havent yet figured out how to create a new thread, will figure that out shortly) and would like to join the discussion since it is the same topic. Thank you for understanding, and I promise not to make a habit of it.:bird:

I got a 10-12 weeks old cornsnake from a local shop where the owner is very experiences and breed and hatches all his snakes (and chameleons and other reptile friends). This guy is humble and helpful and pretty much lives reptiles, which is why I chose to buy there. I spent time with this one snake every week for 3 weeks before bringing her home.

I left her alone for the first week so she could get settled in.
I fed her a small pinky 7 days after her last feed.
No issues.

This week I fed her for the 2nd time, and the next day I found the pinky regurgitated.

I've been reading all sorts of threads and advice on here, but I have a few outstanding questions which I would like to put out there:

- I (mistakenly, now I know not to!) defrosted the pinky in boiling water, then cooled it off for a couple min and fed it. I know this is not the thing to do now, and I understand it can cause problems. Is there anyway to know whether this has hurt the snake or advice on how to help heal this mistake? Did it get scalded? :cry:

- It had become very very cold this week (In toronto, Canada) and our house has been much colder than usual (having some heating issues). Our room temperature has gone down to 16 degrees celcius or about 60-62F for the past 3 days! The snake is in a 20gallon aquarium with a heat pad on the bottom of one side. On the warm side of the enclosure, it has dropped down the 72 F, which I know is not warm enough (previously it was 82F in the warm area). I've been using a regular lamp and the snake is by a window (no heat lamp). (after seeing the regurgitation) I have now moved the snake away from the window, closer to the radiator and am working to fix my heating problems (landlords!)... Any advice on how to assess or remedy cold stress for my snake? Is this the cause of the regurgitation (seems likely!!)

- last question ; I read online that if the snake is feeling distressed and regurgitating, it can be helpful to put its tank temporarily in a low-traffic dark isolated area, such as a closet, in order for it to feel relaxed again. what do you think of this advice? Should i cover the tank with a light blanket to help keep the radiator heat in and help the snake feel less exposed? or is that a bad idea?

MUCH APPRECIATION FOR YOU INPUT!
Good luck to anyone and everyone dealing with regurgitation issues. I wish you well!
Thank you for letting me add my situation onto this thread.

brixia
 
Hello all, I figured out how to make a new thread and will post my previous post in a separate thread right now. :) thanks!
 
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