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Help with snake regurging. Probiotics

HerpZillA Nov 29, 2007 01:07 AM

OK, I bought a bloodred over a month ago. She burbed her first feed. I waited 4 weeks and second feed, a small hopper for a 32" snake, she seem to be keeping it down and I got stupid and gave her a second smaller one in 6 days. Next day burbed the fresh one and a small part of first.

I spent $175 on her and got this feeling I bought a lemon, but been reading pros and cons on probiotics. I figure it's worth a try. I'm also going to give her pedialyte, and or a tiny bit of gatorade, on and off til her next feed which will be a pinky to a fuzzy, and I wait til it goes completely through her.

I can not find probiotics anywhere locally. Anyone know of a chain store that stocks it?

MANY thanks
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com
www.HerpHelp.com

Replies (10)

ameratsnake Nov 29, 2007 02:07 AM

a few of the big corn snake breeders sell it. try kathy love.

dustyrhoads Nov 29, 2007 03:57 PM

I got Bene-Bac (the paste/gel in a squeeze-tube) through my local exotic veterinarian. Had a gray-band baby that quit regurgitating after I fed her a tiny pink with a drop of this stuff. Not sure if it was the Bene-Bac that actually helped (I assume no one actually knows for sure, but that is the theory, anyway), but at least she stopped puking.

DR

Suboc.com

HerpZillA Nov 29, 2007 10:48 PM

>>I got Bene-Bac (the paste/gel in a squeeze-tube) through my local exotic veterinarian. Had a gray-band baby that quit regurgitating after I fed her a tiny pink with a drop of this stuff. Not sure if it was the Bene-Bac that actually helped (I assume no one actually knows for sure, but that is the theory, anyway), but at least she stopped puking.
>>
>>DR
>>
>>
>>Suboc.com
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com
www.HerpHelp.com

DMong Nov 29, 2007 11:47 PM

Some folks(Kathy Love included) recommend a few things like Grapefruit-seed extract(mixed with water), Nutri Bac which can replentish the small organisms/enzymes in the gut, and certainly last but NOT least, would be Flagyl(Metronidazole) given at a dose of 25-50 mg/per kg animal weight to kill problematic pathogens in the gut. Don't forget, if snakes are allowed to regurge more than a few times without being corrected, it can easily lead to the death of the snake, especially a young one because of the great depletion of acids/enzymes, and electrolyte balances used for digestion.

I personally have used Flagyl before in rare instances with GREAT success. I've had a few snakes in the past that have regurged several meals(no matter how small) and were then administered Flagyl at the higher dose(50mg/kg)(repeat in 14 days), as it is VERY well tollerated by snakes, and instantly STOP! regurging, and hold down EVERY meal from then on.

I would also highly recommend the snake's temp be boosted up to the mid to high 80's, as this will help allow the snake's own metabolism to speed up and help combat the problem. Make ABSOLUTELY SURE you wait approx. a week after administering any of these to attempt another feeding, and then only offer a VERY small meal. Once the snake has held down several smaller meals, you could then increase the size. If any of these DO NOT work, it is time to make a direct path to herp qualified vet, as by this time the problem has been allowed to continue for some time, and the snake would then be in great danger of dying.

hope this info helps you out!...good luck on the snakes speedy recovery!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

HerpZillA Nov 30, 2007 07:16 PM

Yea, temps up a bit. And not a baby, maybe an 06? hard to tell.

I brought home some flagyl yesterday. I've never used those kinds of meds on snakes. A lot on lizards. they work great. But not a regurge issue.

Funny thing is she wants to eat so bad. That lead to the last mistake. I down sized from her first feed which was a smaller mouse, to a hopper. After 5 days she was all over looking for food. I gave her a second. next day she up'd the new one and a very small portion of the other.

Next feeding is peach fuzzy or larger pinky.

I also have to get her off 3" of aspen so I can see a defecation.

Thanks for the help
Image
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com
www.HerpHelp.com

kathylove Nov 30, 2007 07:29 PM

if you are feeding f/t (or any prekilled mice), be sure to put cuts into it, especially if your snake is stressed for any reason (such as regurges or anything else). Snakes seem to digest more quickly and fully when the digestive juices can immediately get right to work.

HerpZillA Nov 30, 2007 07:45 PM

Kathy NO LIE, I heard this last month as a source as power feeding, and planned on doing it to teh pinkie just for ease of digestion.

PS all were live so far. She is so fiesty, I'm not sure if it is less stress to take teh killing away? or let what nature intented? Since a pinkish next feeding it will be dead.

Or as my customers ask for, pre killed. But they also ask for 5 meeses at times too.

Thanks much
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com
www.HerpHelp.com

kathylove Nov 30, 2007 08:31 PM

done by a corn snake breeding vet (Dr. Connie Hurley). She published the results in her corn snake newsletter a couple of years ago (can't remember when exactly).

She raised healthy baby corns, some on "cut", and some on undamaged pinks. The snakes on the cut pinks grew faster when eating the same amount of food. I have also found regurgers less likely to regurge when fed cut mice. So I routinely cut ALL mice (all sizes) now when feeding prekilled food to my snakes - why not?

Since your snake is not a baby, you are able to feed very small meals without having to cut. So a live mouse that is smaller than the prekilled, cut mouse you might have fed, will probably equal out in terms of digestion speed. OTOH, if she will accept prekilled, cut mice, she can get the most food for the least digestive effort.

HerpZillA Nov 30, 2007 08:35 PM

>>done by a corn snake breeding vet (Dr. Connie Hurley). She published the results in her corn snake newsletter a couple of years ago (can't remember when exactly).
>>
>>She raised healthy baby corns, some on "cut", and some on undamaged pinks. The snakes on the cut pinks grew faster when eating the same amount of food. I have also found regurgers less likely to regurge when fed cut mice. So I routinely cut ALL mice (all sizes) now when feeding prekilled food to my snakes - why not?
>>
>>Since your snake is not a baby, you are able to feed very small meals without having to cut. So a live mouse that is smaller than the prekilled, cut mouse you might have fed, will probably equal out in terms of digestion speed. OTOH, if she will accept prekilled, cut mice, she can get the most food for the least digestive effort.
>>
>>
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com
www.HerpHelp.com

CrotalusCo Dec 02, 2007 06:16 PM

learn something new every day. Thanks all
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Dan S.
Crotalus & Company-- Captive Bred Reptiles
Venom-Center -- Venomous Community
Wisconsin Reptile Community
Hybrid Herps-- Hybrid Community

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