Well, one of my ball pythons vomited after feeding 2 days ago. What I found while cleaning her cage today was a pink goey mess. Nothing Solid, just a goey mess that looks like vomit or regurgitation. She looks ok physically and her temps and humidity are good - 90.4/82.2 and 70% humidity. I’ve had her for 9 months and have never had an issue with her. She’s a great eater of frozen thawed rats. I have not even opened her cage in 48 hours which is just what I do with my snakes unless I need to change/give them fresh water. I’m just planning on leaving her alone for 2 weeks, then offering a smaller rat. By the way, the one I fed her Friday was the same size she’s eaten for the past 3-4 meals. I did change her up from 1-2 rat pups to a weaned rat but they do not look too big for her at all and she has had 3-4 already without issues. Anyway, just wondering if there is anything else I should look into or do?
It sounds like vomit since a regurgitation would be the solid mass itself. Did anything change? New animal, food change, etc? Can you add a picture of the enclosure? I’m thinking it could be stress? Do you have other snakes in the same kind of enclosure that are doing good?
It’s a 20 L and blacked out on 3 sides and top. She’s been in there since I’ve had her - 8-1/2 months. She’s alone of course and nothing has changed. I’ve got 3 other Balls in identical set ups and am gradually moving my snakes to PVC enclosures as they outgrow their 20 L’s. She’s not even a year old yet.
It doesn’t sound stress related. Aside from recommending that you ask a herp vet I’ll let more experienced keepers chime in.
Ok thanks! I’m hoping it was just a one time thing. Maybe the rat didn’t sit right with her? She’s a good snake as are all of mine. Maybe I’m just lucky but I’ve got 6 snakes are just great. I hate seeing something wrong with one of them. Really hoping it’s nothing!
Take it to a vet. I generally have 75~ ball pythons not including hatchlings. They rarely regurgitate when healthy, but they never vomit.
I know I’m probably chiming in too late, but if you can, bring a picture of the ‘vomit’ to your vet appointment. There’s a slight (but unlikely) possibility that it might be something other than vomit, since you didn’t see her do it. Honestly, if you were headed to an appointment same-day, I’d even say to scoop it up in a disposable container & bring it with you.
I am not a herp vet, but that sounds much more like vomit than regurgitation, because it is partially digested. I know cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of vomiting in snakes 2-3 days after eating, but vomiting in reptiles is not very understood in general. Some other differentials would be stress/handling after eating, a GI/gastritis type of problem caused by something else, too large a meal, improper temperatures, rotting food, parasites, and even IBD or toxin ingestion, plus I’m sure others I’m not familiar with. Definitely treat this snake as if she were in quarantine & care for her the last of all your snakes.
At a vet visit, I would make sure you test for crypto. Other tests they might recommend include radiographs, blood work, and more specific testing I just don’t know enough about (I am only a dog/cat vet).
I’m going to make an appt. to bring her in tomorrow. We do have a hero vet close by although this will be the first time I’ve had to use them. I’m really hoping this was just a freak thing and not something serious. She seems fine otherwise. Healthy weight, great feeder, easy to handle, etc… Just a great little girl.
