Friend fed my snake an XXL rat...

[stephanbakir]

My snake has been eating 4-5 medium rats a week, sometimes more when I wasn't the one feeding her, she never took anything larger for me.
Anyway, her head is really small, even though her body is quite wide, and a friend fed her an XXL while I was in Ottawa yesterday, somehow she got it down, and her body is HUGE, almost double its normal size, and her belly is almost pink, instead of pearl white... I've got a vet appt for tomorrow, anyone know why the scales got pink? I'm hoping it isnt blood.

[Lankyrob]

I would guess that the pink is because the scales/skin is stretched so you can see the blood vessels easier - which snake was it?

[stephanbakir]

Kirana, my only current snake. Taiwan beauty snake, 3 inches shy of 8 feet. REALLY small head though lol, she has the head size of a 3-4 footer.

[Will0W783]

Can you post some pictures so we can better see what you mean? I would think if the prey item was too large, she would regurge it. My PRB regurged when I accidentally fed him a medium rat...it had gotten tossed in the small rat bucket and I was feeding quickly and didn't think anything of it. He looked like a balloon when he got it down and barfed it back up two days later. Now, a year later, he actually is large enough for mediums.

[shaunyboy]

diamonds blush while constricting

the white scales turn dark pink imo its down to the blood pressure excerted while constricting.them being white it shows a lot more (i'm sure all snakes will blush while constricting)

the size of the meal may be influencing the way you see her blood flowing through the body

i'm sure she would have attempted a regurge if the food was causing her problems mate

i personally would not put her through the hassle of a trip to the vets,i would call the vet and ask an opinion but i would be scared of inducing a regurge taking her on a journey

the above is just my opinion

could you post pictures mate ?

she's used to a lot of food if she's been taking 4 or 5 medium rats per feed.(look forward to the mother of all poo's though)

cheers shaun

[stephanbakir]

Shes more or less fine now, the bulge died down, but almost doubled in length, no more blushing and shes coiled on the floor, instead of in the branches.

I'll get photos tomorrow, going to pick up some cash and I'll get a mem card.

[SpOoKy]

i personally would not put her through the hassle of a trip to the vets,i would call the vet and ask an opinion but i would be scared of inducing a regurge taking her on a journey

I am with Shauny on this one. Movement will be stressful and remember an xxl rat in the belly means an xxl super smelly one coming out!

I don't know much about the beauties but would some belly heat for a few days to held digestion be useful?

[stephanbakir]

She has that, as I said earlier, her belly has gotten way smaller, but the bulge is almost twice as long as it was originally. She should be fine, the poo should be about the same size, considering I feed her 5-7 medium rats a week anyway.

[SpOoKy]

Sorry I missed that post.

[TeaNinja]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

She has that, as I said earlier, her belly has gotten way smaller, but the bulge is almost twice as long as it was originally. She should be fine, the poo should be about the same size, considering I feed her 5-7 medium rats a week anyway.

that seems crazy to me. why not just 1 big meal a week?

[stephanbakir]

Until now, she has never taken anything bigger then a medium, not sure why but she has refused every time.

She loves her medium rats though.

[TeaNinja]

that's strange.