Corn Snake Regurgitation?

Table of Contents

Continuous vomiting or corn snake regurgitation can be a symptom of a large number of problems.

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First of all you should check that the temperature is correct inside the vivarium via your thermometer. A high temperature could cause some nausea for your corn snake. This would cause you snake to regurgitate it’s food.

Second of all, you should check that all food and prey items are in a suitable condition to be fed to your corn snake. Make sure prey had been fully thawed before a feed (if frozen prior), or that it hasn’t started to decay. Partially thawed prey can harbour some bacterial toxins which will up set a corn snakes stomach.

If no environment or habitat management cause can be found, then please seek advise from a professional, or take your snake to your veterinarian. Other possibilities can include, bacterial infection, foreign bodies, tumours, Cryptosporidiosis, and other harmful parasites. All of which you will not be able to detect yourself.

What is Cryptosporidiosis?

So what is Cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis, also known as Cryptosporidium Serpentis, is a protozoal parasite. The telling sign of this is a strangely abnormal swelling of the stomach wall.

Cryptosporidium can cause the regurgitation of food, and can stop your snake from eating. It causes extreme weight loss, depression, stress, mucus laden stools and an abdominal bulge, which you will be able to detect easily yourself.

Infection is cause by your corn snake being exposed to water containing infective cysts. Unfortunately there are no effective treatments. However there are some regimes which may help. If you think your corn snake has symptoms of this, please seek advise from a professional veterinarian.

If this does turn out to be the cause of your snakes distress, then you much disinfect the entire vivarium before putting your snake back in. To do this you’ll need to exposed your vivarium and all its equipment, to water above 65 degrees centigrade (for at least 2 minutes). This will kill the rest of the Cryptosporidium cysts may still be present in your snakes vivarium.

Bacterial Infections…

Bacterial infections are often secondary to other problems. So please note, there is usually another underlying factor that needs to be accounted for.

Most commonly, bacterial infections are a result of damaged skin, such as cuts or bites. A vivarium which is too damp can also lead to sores and blisters. Ventral dermal necrosis appears as blisters, and may quickly progress into septicaemia. Any sight of swelling, specially in the skin, should be considered as a possible abscess. Your veterinarian should provide some antibiotics to treat this.