RCReptiles.com

[ajcole]

Hello,
I have a young (3 month old) ball python who is only 72 grams... He has been eating GREAT for the last month or so. Anyway..
I fed him a "African Soft Hair" rat for the first time (he usually eats hopper mice)
Today I noticed a foul smell in his cage so I looked and he had regurgitated the rodent and was acting VERY jumpy. Now he has diarrhea . he was fine before this and hasn't been subjected to any new snakes. Is it possible that he just didn't like the soft hair rat?

[deborahbroadus]

Hello, we would love to help...but more information is needed.

You haven't mentioned:

What's different, what's been changed (substrate?) since the last feeding.
Setups or posted pics
Temps and pics of the thermometer numbers
Do you have a thermostat?

All things being equal, if temps are good and the rat wasn't "poisoned" (hadn't ingested something harmful), my first suggestion is to check the temps with a temp gun. Sometimes the digital thermometers "bonk" out (or if you have the stick ons at the top of the tank..they are virtually useless). If the temps are at either extreme, this could be a contributing factor to the regurge.

If your tank is perfect, the rat was perfect and nothing is changed..then I suggest a VET visit.

[a_green]

Where did you get the rat from? Pet store?

[ajcole]

I bought the soft fur at a pet store where they breed them (I buy all my snake food items there) never had a problem.
I have a spyder robotics thermostat set up on a rack system. The temps read 85 on the cool side and 89.6 on the warm side. I didn't change anything for him since the last feeding.. same type of substrate (from same bag) same enclosure and everything. I clean out their tubs 2 times a week (with maxima cleaner) and when they do their business in it. (I don't just scoop.. I disinfect)

The only thing that has changed was the type of food item. And I didn't think anything of it when he regurged... but the diarrhea added on to it makes me nervous. I am def. going to send him to the vet... but I thought I would ask around a lil' first.


The "rat" was about the size of a hopper mouse maybe a lil' bigger.