Now, I'm really worried...

[sneak]

I posted on the topic of my BCC regurging when I first got her in January. The problem was that she keeps on regurging her food. I took her to the vet the first time it happened to make sure she was fine. The vet said she was fine, but I haven't had a fecal done since I've had her because she's only taken a dump once since, and it was in her water dish. I'm so frustrated right now. I don't think the problem is with the husbandry. Everything is fine.

Here's a little sheet on her:

1/10/04 purchased
1/12/04 f/t small rat
1/17/04 f/t small rat
1/19/04 REGURGE!!!
1/24/04 vet visit
1/30/04 shed
1/31/04 f/t mouse

2/10/04 f/t mouse
2/16/04 REGURGE!!!
2/19/04 pooped in water

3/02/04 f/t small mouse
3/11/04 REGURGE!!!
3/22/04 shed
3/25/04 f/t small mouse
TODAY regurged again....what is wrong!!???

I've been feeding her small items, but she doesn't want to keep it down. The regurge still had the shape of the mouse, and it didn't even look digested at all. ARrrggg...this sucks!!!

[JDouglas]

I would take her back to the vet and request that she be put on Flagyl with or without a fecal sample. Flagyl not only eliminates parasites it also seems to boost the digestive system a bit. 50 mg/per kg of boa everyday for 2 weeks would be a good start. If the boa isn't completely emaciated after treatment I would wait a couple more weeks and then feed something that doesn't have hair. Hair seems to irritate the stomach lining of small bcc babies. A fat pinky rat would be a good meal. Pinkies are easily digested. After a couple weeks of normal digestion move up to two per feeding for a few weeks and then three per feeding before moving to a rodent with hair. Also don't feed until the boa has deficated its last meal. Then get a fecal done. This feeding regimine may sound drastic but you would rather have you boa digest one pinky rat and get some nutrients vs. puking it all up and irritating it digestive tract even more. Its digestive system needs time to recover and feeding these rediculously small meals will help!

Also, avoid handling the boa as much as possible and if you have other animals make sure it is quarantined. I know you said your temps are perfect but what are they? I would check and recheck everything just to be sure and keep clean water available.

[Leviathan]

I agree with Jaremy for sure. I would try that first, however if it continues after a couple weeks of pinkies I would see if you can get the snake x-rayed. Sometimes snakes continuously regurge because there digestive tracts are not properly developed. It's not something that happens too often I'm sure so I would make sure it's clear of parasite and try feeding a less irratble food first.

Alecia

[Piers]

How big is the boa, though most baby boas can take an adult mouse the smaller babies can't and sometimes once an animal starts to regurge it can be an ongoing thing. Not enough humidity during digestion can cause this to.
The snake should have a hotspot of 90, I have some hot spot over 100 f and the snakes love it.
Good luck, Piers
P.S.
Is your vet qualified to treat herps. make sure he/she has experince in reptiles and not just trying to make more money or "trying a new thing"

[BoidKeeper]

You're not giving her enough time, you fed her too soon after getting her and then you fed her too often. The minimum weight time after a regure for a boa is at least 30 days for the first regerge. Everytime the snake regerges after that you increase the weight time even more.
When a snake pukes it brings up all it's digestive jucies with it's food. Those digestive juices take time to build up again to the level they need to be inorder to digest food. If you feed again too soon they aren't built back up again to where they need to be and the snake pukes again and is even farther behind then before the first time it puked.
As for the vet saying it is ok with performing a basic fecal float, I would get a new vet.
In the mean time crank up the temps and humidity and don't touch it for at least two months, that is my advice. When you do feed it, fed it a pinky rat, the smallest one you can find.
Good luck,
Trevor

[sneak]

Thanks for all the advice. Well, I had her hot spot at 90 before, but I bumped it up to 95 and the cool end in the low 80's. I didn't realize I was feeding her too soon after a regurge. I figured atleast 2 weeks would be fine. I'm also gonna increase the humidity a wee bit.

As for the vet who I took her too before, he didn't seem competent to me, but what do I know . Anyway, he told me to use a heat lamp for my snake, and keep it no lower than a 100 degrees. Maybe I should have listened to him, but I kept using a heat mat with a high of 90. He is the only herp vet close to me here. I suppose I could drive a little ways to find a better vet.

For the meantime, the hot spot is 95 now, with the humidity around 70. I was able to get a hold of some Panacur and Flagy. I gave her a little Panucur which she puked up after an hour. She still got what she needed from that. Also, I soaked her for an hour in some water mixed with .6mg of flagyl. I hope all turns out well.

[JDouglas]

Also, I soaked her for an hour in some water mixed with .6mg of flagyl. I hope all turns out well.

For Flagyl to be effective it would need to be given orally for at least 3-5 days. My vet prescribed 50 mg/per kg for two weeks for my friends bci that had similar problems.

Good luck

[BoidKeeper]

I gave her a little Panucur which she puked up after an hour.

If she can't hold food down she won't be able to hold meds down.
The best thing you can do for this snake right now is to leave it alone for one whole month. Don't even look at it.
Trevor