This is stressing me out....

Hey all:

Been a while since I've been on here but I'm looking for some advice because I'm severely stressed out about a situation involving my herps.

On 11/08, I sold a 2013 1.0 Lesser baby to someone local (we met at a public location and exchanged). He was buying the Lesser as a gift to his girlfriend for her birthday (nothing better than a new snake for your birthday!)

I told him the baby had had at least 5 meals and had never been a problem feeder and that the last feeding was on 11/06 and that I was feeding adult live mice to all my hatchlings and they were slamming them down with ease.

So here we sit today: I just got a text from the girlfriend (new owner) that the Lesser boy has regurgitated. After asking the normal questions you do when encountered with this sort of problem, here's a quick overview of what she told me:

- They're keeping him in a 5 gallon glass tank (I keep all my snakes in a rack system)
- Tank setup is as follows: hide on warm side, water bowl on cool side, aspen shavings, branch across the cage, small uth
- She gave him a f/t adult mouse - not a live one like I had been offering
- She fed him in his enclosure and he went to his warm hide spot after eating (so she didn't disturb him)
- She fed him Wednesday evening (11/13) and he regurgitated Thursday afternoon (11/14)
- She owns other balls and has never had a regurge.

I'm at a complete loss. He was completely copacetic before he left my home and all of his brothers and sisters are doing completely fine as well. The only possible thing I can think of is she either tried to feed him too early, was handling him too much during the "de-stress week", his enclosure isn't correctly set up or the mouse that she fed him wasn't thawed properly.

I recommended that she move him to a 10 gallon, cover up all the sides (except one) with card stock or some thick paper, provide two hides, one on each side of the tank, add some foliage and leave him alone for 1.5-2 weeks. Absolutely NO handling or disturbing, unless changing water or spot cleaning and then when 1.5-2 weeks is up, feed him a LIVE small adult mouse.

Where should I go from here? What if he dies in her care (I read that sometimes death occurs with regurgitation)? I'm completely stressed out and having a panic attack. I'm just at a complete loss and hope that he is going to be okay.

Also, forgot to mention: she wasn't able to give me temps because she was at work at the time so no temps as of yet but she said she would give them to me when she got home. I know that sometimes BPs will regurge if the temps are too low...

I agree, Chelsea, I'd be freaked out too. In any case, a 5 gallon tank is woefully inadequate for even a hatchling ball python. The glass affords no insulation, and any heat the UTH is emitting will immediately be lost. I suggest telling her to buy a rubbermaid tub, a larger UTH, and putting the tub in the closet for a week with water. No hides are needed if the snake is kept in a dark environment. Keep the snake on paper towels. No disturbance. After a week, see if the snake has developed a wheeze. If so, the snake has a RI and needs antibiotics. If the snake seems okay, attempt feeding a very small live food item (a live mouse hopper would be perfect).

I have a feeling the tank is way too cold and the animal is too stressed.

There are a handful of reasons for regurges - prey item too large, handling, high/low temps, insufficiently thawed prey, "bad mouse".
You are basically on the right track with your recommendations; but I don't necessarily agree with you emphasizing live prey. While the possibility of issues with F/T isn't non-existent, there isn't much reason to insist that she feed live. I'd be more inclined to suggest feeding smaller prey for the next few feedings (after the delay you suggested).

As far as your stress level - relax. Help her troubleshoot as best you can. As for what happens if the snake dies - if you can't reasonably prove that it was her fault, replace it.

Hhmoore - the only reason I emphasized live in this situation is to make it less stressful on the animal. Because live adult mice is what I was feeding him before he left (and eating with vigor) I would think that it would be familiar to him and a little less stressful than getting a completly different type of meal.

I'm defintely not opposed to f/t but in the case of this baby, I just thought it might be less stressful to go with what he knows. I have informed her that when she does offer food again that it should be a hopper mouse.

I am curious how large this hatchling was after only 5 meals. Adult mice seem to be too big of a prey item to me. My hatchlings have fed numerous times and I still have them on f/t weaned-to-small mice.

How is she thawing out the mouse? Possibly it was not thawed enough and was cold on the inside. Or it may have been too hot (cooked) on the inside. My vote, whenever you get any new snake, start with a smaller than normal food item for the first few meals. They undergo enough stress just with the transistion to a new home.

I also do not feed new acquisitions for at least 7 days (give them time to settle in). You sold on the 8th. No telling when the gift exchange happened. She fed on the 13th. Could easily have been too much bouncing around to be fed that soon.

Keep in touch with them. Buyers like a concerned Seller. I have one customer (dad of two) that bought from me 2 years ago and he calls every month or two with updates, questions and just to chat. I am sure he will be a repeat customer just because I give him a little time occassionally. Honestly, I look forward to his calls.

Now before folks reply with the 'i do want to be bothered attitude' ... service sells. there is a ton of product out there so make your mark with service.

Merry Christmas!!!

doug vangorp