Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a baby female BRB, less than a year old; she is about 29 inches long. About a month and half ago she regurgitated a f/t rat pink and hasn't eaten since. I waited for two weeks and tried to feed her a smaller meal-a f/t mouse pink, but she still won't eat. I tried a live peach fuzzy a week later and she still refused. It has now been a month and a half since her last meal. She definitely seems weaker and doesn't move very strongly. I have noticed that he has a 3 inch dark spot on here belly-not externally, but I can see it is darkened beneath the white belly. Can anyone offer any advice at all??? Please help!!

Up to this point she had eaten about 8 meals fine of f/t mouse fuzzies. I keep her in a rubbermaid with holes drilled in it. I keep the warm side at 85 and the cool at 78, with hides on both ends with a large H2o dish in the middle.

Sorry but I can't offer any advice other than to see a vet. Don't like the sound of the large dark spot.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

The dark spot could be a tumor or an infection in the digestive tract. It could also be a clump of internal parasites. It could also be the liver or gall bladder. They and the heart are even sometimes visible with no pathologic problem. The heart and gall bladder are too small to show a dark area that large though. Try palpating the dark area and see if you feel a lump or hard spot there. Your temperatures are right at the borderline of too warm and that can cause a BRB to go off feed.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>I have a baby female BRB, less than a year old; she is about 29 inches long. About a month and half ago she regurgitated a f/t rat pink and hasn't eaten since. I waited for two weeks and tried to feed her a smaller meal-a f/t mouse pink, but she still won't eat. I tried a live peach fuzzy a week later and she still refused. It has now been a month and a half since her last meal. She definitely seems weaker and doesn't move very strongly. I have noticed that he has a 3 inch dark spot on here belly-not externally, but I can see it is darkened beneath the white belly. Can anyone offer any advice at all??? Please help!!
>>
>>Up to this point she had eaten about 8 meals fine of f/t mouse fuzzies. I keep her in a rubbermaid with holes drilled in it. I keep the warm side at 85 and the cool at 78, with hides on both ends with a large H2o dish in the middle.

Thanks for the reply. I just don't understand why she was doing well and eating and then all of a sudden these problems. I didn't change anything besides what I fed her. I will adjust the temps in the meantime.

Do you think there could have been some problem with the rat pink? She did successfully eat one rat pink before she regurgitated.

Not likely there was anything wrong with the rat pink but is a possibility. That and the volume of snakes I care for is why I raise my own feeders.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I know you haven't seen my snake but do you think it has a chance for survival after the regurgitation and refusal? If you had to take your best guess.....?

The dark spot is the thing we do not know about. Can you palpate anything there? Can you post a PIC of it? If the dark spot is not a disease process then the regurge and refusal to eat are not serious issues. Little Brazilian Rainbow Boas are eating machines. When one does not feed it is usually because of something WE are doing wrong. Too hot or cold or too dry or too much light and commotion. Regurgitation can also be caused by OUR mistakes. Again either keeping too hot or cold or too dry or causing stress through too much light or commotion. We have not talked about substrate but the wrong substrate can cause problems including regurge and refusal to eat. An ortherwise healthy little BRB can go months without eating. Little BRB's prefer live hopper mice over anything else. Many times I have had them pass up other things including live pinky mice and then grab a live hopper mouse just as soon as they see it. You need to determine if the dark spot is a problem or not and then look carefully at ALL the husbandry issues.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>I know you haven't seen my snake but do you think it has a chance for survival after the regurgitation and refusal? If you had to take your best guess.....?

Hello,
Sorry your BRB isn't doing well. Any chance that the dark place is a fecolith? Has she been defecating normally? Does she act any differently than just not eating? Shedding in one piece?

I don't know what a "fecolith" is. Is it a backup of feces? She had two excellent sheds. She does seem slow to me, that is the only way she is acting different. Also, in the cage I have seen a lot white discards-is that urine? I have only seen one small poop since she stopped eating, but it has been a month and a half since she ate last.

Have you seen something like this before?

Thanks for the response.

A fecolith would just be a hardened clump of poop that is not mushy enough to pass. I'd lower the temps 4 to 5 degrees on both hot and cold side, increase humidity, don't feed again yet, doulble check your temps with a different method and increase the humidity again. ...so long as it doesn't have bubbles coming from it's nose. Going to a quailified veterinarian would be my first choice, but if you live somewhere like me with no access, it might be best to stay away.

I would take her to a vet asap, but don't waste your time on a normal vet, you have to find one that specializes in herps or avian. How is he otherwise, does he seem thin, lethargic, has he been passing urates and feces? what color are the urates? Can you post a pic of him and his spot? Good Luck!
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7.22 BRB
10.20 BCI
1.1 Mandarin Rat Snakes
0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
0.2 Corn Snakes
2.8 Leopard Geckos

Thanks for your reply

I am looking for a vet that specializes in reptiles, my regular vet gave me some bad advice that I am not taking. She is a young snake and appears to be getting somewhat thinner because she hasn't eaten in 7 weeks. And she definitely seems lethargic. She seems to passing a lot of urates and they are white.

I was told by the breeder not to pick her up so I don't want to try to take a picture.

Do you have any guesses as what it may be? Any advice??

>>I would take her to a vet asap, but don't waste your time on a normal vet, you have to find one that specializes in herps or avian. How is he otherwise, does he seem thin, lethargic, has he been passing urates and feces? what color are the urates? Can you post a pic of him and his spot? Good Luck!
>>-----
>>7.22 BRB
>>10.20 BCI
>>1.1 Mandarin Rat Snakes
>>0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
>>0.2 Corn Snakes
>>2.8 Leopard Geckos

In many areas it is impossible to find a vet who really knows much about reptiles. Feel the area of the dark spot to see if it is swollen or hard. Take some PICs of it and post them here. You have experienced breeders and a very good vet tech here trying to help you but without more information we are just guessing. BTW, Passing white or light yellow urates is a good sign.

>>Thanks for your reply
>>
>>I am looking for a vet that specializes in reptiles, my regular vet gave me some bad advice that I am not taking. She is a young snake and appears to be getting somewhat thinner because she hasn't eaten in 7 weeks. And she definitely seems lethargic. She seems to passing a lot of urates and they are white.
>>
>>I was told by the breeder not to pick her up so I don't want to try to take a picture.
>>
>>Do you have any guesses as what it may be? Any advice??
>>
>>
>>>>I would take her to a vet asap, but don't waste your time on a normal vet, you have to find one that specializes in herps or avian. How is he otherwise, does he seem thin, lethargic, has he been passing urates and feces? what color are the urates? Can you post a pic of him and his spot? Good Luck!
>>>>-----
>>>>7.22 BRB
>>>>10.20 BCI
>>>>1.1 Mandarin Rat Snakes
>>>>0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
>>>>0.2 Corn Snakes
>>>>2.8 Leopard Geckos

Any updates?