Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm new to this form , hello to all , but not to reptiles.Havn't worked with boas for about 30 years , and recently acquired 4 Dbl. het BCI babies from this year , one of them regurgitated two weeks ago , and has refused to eat ever since , any and all help here will be greatly appreciated.

After a regurge its good to avoid feeding for 2-3 weeks. Wait another week then offer a meal that is about half the normal feeder size. Do you have any indication of what caused the regurge? Stress, parasites, temp fluctuations? Its always a good idea to try and pinpoint the cause and if parasites are a possible reason take the animal in and have it treated.

Good luck.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

Ask yourself what could have caused the regurge? Temperature differences for that one baby, too large a meal, to soon after its last meal?? All are possible for an otherwise healthy boa. What did you feed it, f/t, live, mouse or rat? Live could have parasites, f/t may be old. Some boas can't digest mouse hair well, while rats aren't a problem. In babies that fit this category you usually have to use pink rats (small meals due to regurge).

I had a baby that regurged hopper mice, it had previously eaten two since I had him without problems. So I attributed it to too frequent of feedings (the boa was on one hopper/week). So I waited three weeks and tried again, held down for two days, then regurge.

I waited three more weeks and allowed the boa to soak in a small plastic tub once a week for 15 minutes. To help with any dehydration from the regurge. After three weeks I fed the boa a pinky mouse, and fed it a pinky every two weeks until it could safely handle pink rats.
The negative side to pinks is that the stools from your boa may be runny, there is no hair to hold it together. As long as it isn't a wierd color, or has a wierd smell, it isn't a worry in a boa being fed hairless prey.

It is actually a good thing that your boa has refused food for two weeks following the regurge. Leave the snake alone for 3 weeks, and make sure it has plenty of fresh water available.

Boas are not designed to regurge, doing so can cause mucus or other fluids to get into the lungs (the trachea is in the mouth). I am sure you are aware of what can happen then.

Best of luck, and never treat a regurge lightly.