Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can someone please tell me why my neonate Suriname female is vomiting? She eats, three days later she blows a partially digested mouse up in her water, repeat.
Anyone with red tail experience, please pitch in.
I don't know if this is husbandry, illness or what.
For what it's worth, she's in a 45 gallon rubbermaid container, small hidebox, water bowl and two crossed sticks, newspaper substrate. Temperature ranges from 81-86 degrees in the snake room and I'm not handling her at all.
First night she threw up a small mouse, waited a few days and now it's like clockwork. Eat, digest, puke.
None of my other god knows how many snakes are acting this way.
The fellow I purchased them from isn't much help, I'm afraid. He says to wait 10 days and then give her a pinky mouse. A German website on boa constrictors says the same thing. Maybe they're right?
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Steve Ford

Normally what cures this is time. If your boa has lost too much of its' body mass it's in trouble.
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The reasons these situations start are stress, dehydration, stress, excessive prey-size, stress, temperature extremes, stress, parasites, stress (you get the idea).
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Look closely at the boa if it has acceptable body weight and looks otherwise normal then you may have good results from simply waiting about ten days and feeding a very small meal (something OTHER than what it has been tossing up is a good idea also). make sure it has high humidity and can find it's water dish (refreshed at least daily).
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If your boa has lost so much of its' weight that it can no longer produce the enzymes and proteins to digest a meal then a vet trip (to a qualified vet) is in order.
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Hope that helps.
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Gus
A. Rentfro
RioBravoReptiles.com
www.riobravoreptiles.com

"Quality is not an accident. Perfectly healthy animals are a minimum requirement.. everything else is just salesmanship" gus

A few posts down someone else asked about their Suri. Please take the time to read the responses as I think they will help you out.

Thank you both, I saw the earlier post after I posted this one.
I've tried pretty much everything so if it's not medical I think it's stress from too much activity in the snake room in a container that's larger than what she's used to.
I've moved her into a secluded area and if she pukes again, will starve her for a bit and then try a large pinky mouse. Seems ridiculously undersized, though.
Wish me luck on this one, she has a really small hopper in her right now and is at about 82 degrees.
Steve Ford
P.S.
Heard really good things about Rio Bravo Reptiles from a local fellow who deals with you.

Rediculously undersized=good

Steve,

Unfortunately this is a common condition of Surinam/B.C.C.

It is mainly due to temps that are to cool,The food item to large,or to frequent feedings.

I have personally battled this syndrom several times.

With extreme PATIENCE I have been able to succeed.

I would wait 2/3 weeks before trying to feed her again.

I would raise the ambient temps 2 degrees from what you already have.So the cool end shoould be 83'- 85'.

I would place more hide boxes in the enclosure.For security.

I would feed a very small pinky mouse.Not rat,For some reason mice are easier to digest.

I would try again 3 weeks latter.

After successfully feeding small pinky mice 3 times in a row without incident.I would move up to fuzzies 3 times in a row.

She should be back to normal by then.

Remember the key here is EXTREME PATIENCE. Good Luck

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Ashley Lopez's Black Forest Constrictors.
blackforestconstrictors@gmail.com
website

Success, I think. I changed the water bowl from a small deep one to a large shallow one and she finally defecated (couple of mice worth) in the water and kept the mouse down.
I think that she was just stopped up and the food had nowhere to go other than up.