Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey i have a small problem i just bought a striped ball python baby ( approx 14 inches long. When i purchased the snake they told me he was eating fine... well i brought him home and waited for the first sign of hunger approx 8 days. he at 2 pinks and seemed fine. Low and behold the next day i return to find those pinkies floating in the water bowl... he seemed perfectly fine, responsive playful... so i gave him a few more days and fed him another pink.... unfortunately he regurgitated that one also. I have never been an owner of such a small boid. Any ideas, i figured i should take him to the vet but he acts as if nothing happened....
any info would really help thanks...
Mike d
2.0 ball pythons
1.0 cali kingsnake
1.0 albino corn
1.0 sumatra blood
1.0 hog island
1.0 western hognose
0.1 girlfriend

It probably has excessive amounts of "bad" protazoa/bacteria in the GI track from being stressed or dehydrated. Get it to the vets & on medication (probably Flagyl). Snakes are not playful, and handeling this animal until it's better will only do it more damage.

Are your temps good?
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Chad Bachman

You didn't mention the temps for the snakes enclosure. Make sure you have 90-95 degrees on the hot side to aid in digestion. Also make sure that you don't handle the snake for 3 days after feeding.

...check temps, but lean toward the mid to upper 90's rather than low 90's, at one end of the cage.

...the 'acting normal' is a good sign, but the suggestion of a microflora imbalance is quite possible. If after checking temps and feeding and getting further regurgitation, a course (one-time treatment) of Flagyl at 50 mg/lb by oral tubation might be indicated. Wait 3-4 days post treatment and then offer a similar food item.

Good luck!
Scott J. Michaels DVM
Serpent City