I usually like to show
pictures, but I think the creativity of the mind is enough.
The
following is what I have been told by one of the most reliable
sources out there.
Having a snake regurgitate is very serious, because with the
regurgitated food goes the bacteria that was supposed to help
break it down. With out that good bacteria, you snake will MOST
likely have feeding issues. If you choose to do nothing, your
snake will regurgitate each time, causing strenuous efforts to
digest the food. But without that bacteria, the food will just
keep rotting and keep coming back up. So here's what to do:
1. The
best thing to do is buy the powder with the bacteria in it. Wait
at least a week before using it, but once you do, Load it on the
food. It usually only sticks to a damp surface, but it turns
into a super glue-like substance after it dries again, so make
sure not to use too much or that the food is too wet. (i.e. get
the food wet then almost completely dry it off.)
2. If you
cannot get access to this powder, there is another option. It is
not 100% guaranteed it will work. Actually, I wouldn't give it a
50% chance of working, but it all depends on the snake. If it
was usually a good eater, you should be fine.
2a: (Your
snake will have to be able to eat pre killed or f/t food) Buy
the half-size food, the cut off it's head. (You might want to
freeze it first - just a thought) Then feed the head to the
snake. Wait a week. Then repeat. Do this for four weeks total.
2b: On the
fifth week, start to feed your snake the bodies to the frozen
rodents. Repeat for the next four weeks. By now, if your snake
has not regurgitated, I would say you're good to go!
Regurgitation can
be CAUSED
by a couple factors:
1.
The heat was too low: The proper
heat spot was not attained, and the reptile could not properly
digest their meal. Either this, or the snake does not feel
comfortable being on the heated area and you must find a way to
keep him/her there.
2.
It was fed a meal too large for it
to handle. I know, snakes are amazing and can eat food equal to
their body weight. But they should only do this in the wild,
where they may not find food again for up to a year. Even though they can,
they shouldn't. They are opportunistic eaters, so they eat when
they can, not when they should. If you really want to power feed
your snake, feed it two rodents half the weight of what you
usually feed it. (Or just less than the girth of the snake) That
way it increases the surface area but the volume stays about the
same to quicken digestion.
