Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just fed my 2 year old Bullsnake a Large rat yesterday. I've been feeding her large for the last 6 months or so and she seems to have taken them fine, but this one seemed perhaps just a bit bigger. Anyway, I looked in her cage when she had about 1 inch of the hind end left to chow down then came back 3 min. later and she had regurged the whole thing. I immediately took the rat out but there are some things that I noted. The muzzle of the rat was covered with Blood (It was a F/T and clean when it went in) and there was a bit of blood about half way down it's body. In addition we've just discovered a lump/swelling 1/5th of the way down her body. It's on her underside and is about 2 inches long and protrudes about 1/2 inch. She's still acting normally but I'm starting to get concerned. Anyone else ever have something similar happen? Any suggestions short of vet and surgery?
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Amor et Lux,
Ron

"The gods tolerate the human race for no other reason than our talent for [bleep]. It's the only thing about us that doesn't bore them to tears" Tom Robbins "Villa Incognito"

It sounds like you are feeding the snake too large a food item. Trying to feed an oversized food item and then regurgitating it can cause internal injuries (I lost a Surinam Boa to this many years ago).

First of all, don't feed the snake for at least three weeks to give it time to heal in case there has been internal damage. Then feed it items that leave a barely noticeable lump in the body. When I feed my snakes, I usually have to look carefully to see if they have eaten as the food item doesn't cause much distension of the body.

You are much better off feeding a snake smaller food items twice as often than feeding it an oversized item infrequently.

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Chris Harrison