Need Help serious issue -- can't keep food down/visible lump

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Posted by Tim on September 03, 2001 at 12:48:13:

I definitely could use some input and assistance with a young red rat snake. I have had it for about 3 months (wild caught) and it ate very well right from the start (it really surprised me how readily this snake would take thawed mice right from my hand immediately after coming in from the wild).
Anyway, after this great start, the last 2 times I've fed this snake it regurgitated the mouse/mice after about 2 days. It also didn't just "settle down" after feeding -- continuing to crawl around the cage which I thought was unusual behaviour. As both of these last meals were large mice (this snake is only about 20 inches in length), I just tried feeding it only a single hopper mouse to see if it could digest a small meal. The snake is now too thin and I'm afraid it will become weak in the very near future. Due to the lack of normal weight, I just noticed a visible lump in the snake's body between halfway and 2/3 down towards its tail.
I've had snakes for many years but haven't had an issue like this in a long time and I forget if there are any "simple answers" to this problem (such as a medicine that will clean the digestive tract out). Also, this snake has been kept in a cage with only newspaper on the floor so I know its not corn cob or some other substrate causing this lump/obstuction.
Any help or guidance will be most definitely appreciated.

Follow Ups:

Cryptosporidia? Cross your fingers!!! Tribal Propagation 09/04/01 (2)
- Re: Cryptosporidia? Cross your fingers!!! Tim 09/04/01 (1)
  - Re: Cryptosporidia? Cross your fingers!!! Scott Garrett 09/07/01 (0)
Re: Need Help serious issue -- can't keep food down/visible lump Matt 09/04/01 (1)
- Internal parasite treatment Tim 09/04/01 (0)

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: I definitely could use some input and assistance with a young red rat snake. I have had it for about 3 months (wild caught) and it ate very well right from the start (it really surprised me how readily this snake would take thawed mice right from my hand immediately after coming in from the wild). : Anyway, after this great start, the last 2 times I've fed this snake it regurgitated the mouse/mice after about 2 days. It also didn't just "settle down" after feeding -- continuing to crawl around the cage which I thought was unusual behaviour. As both of these last meals were large mice (this snake is only about 20 inches in length), I just tried feeding it only a single hopper mouse to see if it could digest a small meal. The snake is now too thin and I'm afraid it will become weak in the very near future. Due to the lack of normal weight, I just noticed a visible lump in the snake's body between halfway and 2/3 down towards its tail. : I've had snakes for many years but haven't had an issue like this in a long time and I forget if there are any "simple answers" to this problem (such as a medicine that will clean the digestive tract out). Also, this snake has been kept in a cage with only newspaper on the floor so I know its not corn cob or some other substrate causing this lump/obstuction. : Any help or guidance will be most definitely appreciated.

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