Still worried about our baby Rosie Boa

[krstn]

I posted a few weeks ago about Cinders, my daughters new Rosie. She hasn't eaten now for 2 weeks and still no sign of shed or anything. She's not interested in the pinkies at all. How long can she go without eating? And any suggestions on what to do at this point? How soon do they shed after they are born? She was born August 24th, so she's going on 5 months old. I don't know if she shed before we got her or not.

The first 2 times we fed her in a separate enclosure and she ate right away. I tried putting her in a smaller plastic food storage container with a folded paper towel, thinking the other enclosure was too big. But it didn't do the trick. I've heard about putting the snake and the pinky in a paper bag, has anyone ever tried that?

Should I try to feed her every 3 days or so, or should I wait a week each time?

[lady_bug87]

5 days between attempts is the minimum I would use. As long as the snake isn't losing weight or becoming dehydrated I wouldn't worry about it. Also what kind of enclosure do you have it in? What are the temps and humidity?

Also this goes without saying that there should be no handling and limited interaction until the animal is eating consistently.

[millertime89]

I've had snakes off feed for 8 months. Quite exasperating. Your little one will be fine, just offer on a regular schedule and she will most likely eat again soon.

I'll add to what ladybug said. No handling very limited interaction, water changes and spot cleanings, this includes removal for feeding as that can stress them out as well.

[krstn]

Thanks for the advice...i'm going crazy! I fed her last night, which would have been almost 2 1/2 weeks from the last time she ate, and was relieved to see her eat finally...but unfortunately I found the pinky regurgitated this morning. So now what?
Wait another 7 days and try again?

The temps in her enclosure are as follows: 90-92 degrees on hot side (using thermostat) and anywhere from 78 - 87 on cool side (using lamp and digital thermometer). The humidity is 30 - 34 percent.

[TurboChris]

Sorry to hear about the regurgitation. I'm watching this so I can learn myself. I'm not sure if boas are the same as corn snakes when it comes to regurgitation protocols but if it's helpful I know there is tons of information about it for corns snakes out there on the web. I'm sure that info would be of some help either way but I don't want to make any recommendations and be wrong.

Like I said this is corn snake specific but I think it may help as well.
Health Issues/Feeding Problems FAQ - CornSnakes.com Forums (http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28342)

[TurboChris]

Also I wanted to add to what they said about feeding smaller for the first meal to help make it easier to digest while the stomachs fluids rebuild. If your currently feeding pinkies as a normal meal you can even try cutting them in half or even just feeding only a pinkie head I've seen done for very small corn snakes.
Best of luck keep us posted.

[Snakesitter]

^^ Agreed. Wait two weeks and offer a smaller meal.... If keeps that down, repeat.

BTW, check your temp and humidity settings, as if those are off that can cause regurg-level stress. If you have any other pets that might scare her (a cat?), that could also be a cause.

Good luck!

[nyx]

If temps and humidity are fine, I would wait seven days and try again with a day-old pinky (you can find these f/t). Rosies can develop regurgitation syndrome, which would lead the neonate to fail, so it's important to keep her free from stress and move slowly with her next few feedings.

As well, and I hate to mention this, but have you considered an infectious agent? Giardia, cryptosporidium... there are a few things that would involve regurgitation as a symptom. Unfortunately, they would require a fecal smear to investigate, and since she's not eating, she's not defecating...

I am sorry. I am quite fond of my rosy neonates and would be devastated to lose any of them. Normally they are hardy little creatures.

[krstn]

Thanks for all the responses. Another question, can I give her any water yet? It's been 4 days i think since the regurgitation. I will wait the full 2 weeks and try a smaller meal. We don't have any cats, but we do have dogs that bark, I don't think it would be too loud because she's behind closed doors in my daughters room. So i'm hoping that's not the reason, because I don't know what to do in that case. A dog's got to bark.

She also had water not too long before she ate (at least I'm thinking she did). I took the water out and fed her that evening. Could that cause a regurg?

[Terranaut]

Yes. Always supply water. 4 days without it can cause some snakes to develope kidney issues. Not sure about rosies but 4 days is a long time.

[krstn]

Thanks for the quick response. She went right for the water this morning. I have another question. Can water from your tap ( ours comes from a community well, so no added chemicals) be harmful to the snake? Should I use distiller or filtered water?

Thanks again for all the help,
Kristen

[Terranaut]

Tap water without added fluoride or chlorine is fine.

[krstn]

Well I'm hoping for the best now. I followed most peoples advice and waited 7 days (actually 8), and fed her 1/2 a pinky (gross process). That was Friday morning, and so far, so good. She's been hidden away since then and we are just completely leaving her alone...If she keeps it down, I'll repeat again in another 7 days.

I have a feeling that the pinkies are just too big for her to handle. Maybe I'll have to feed her 1/2's for awhile until she grows more.

Thanks so much for everyone's advice and feedback. You are so helpful to a newbie. I'm very grateful for this forum!

Keep your fingers crossed!

Kristen

[Snakesitter]

Great update, Kristen! Fingers crossed for you (and her)!