Vomitting up water

[Buggster]

As a general rule, I fill up my Stimson's tub of water once or twice a week and let it run dry. I was told as a desert species, constant water wasn't necessary a good thing.

Id seen him licking at his water bowl, so I filled it up and he finished it up in 10 mins. He'd gotten bit of the Kritter Krumble stuck in his mouth, and knowing he'd let me, I took him out and brushed them away.
As I was holding him he let his front go limp and was hanging- then his throat started to really swell with water. I panicked and levelled his head with his body and the swell went down. He then started to really spew up a fair bit of water and saliva (it was the consistency of saliva anyway) all over.


Could this be indicative of an underlying problem, or just because he's chugged down a bowl of water?

 

[pythoninfinite]

No underlying problem, you should NEVER handle a snake when it's just had a drink of water, because it will just run straight back out if you let the front end of the body drape lower than the rest of it. Your water management needs a bit of an upgrade. If the snake "finished" the water in its bowl, and drank so much at that time, clearly it was dehydrated. If you're a novice, which you are, leave water in the enclosure at all times, and change it every second day, washing the bowl when you do because the bowls develop a slimy biological film under the waterline.

As desert species in the bush, they have access to far more microclimate choices than you can offer in an enclosure. If you are unsure about water management, make it available all the time.

What do you mean you "let it run dry"? How much are you putting in the bowl? What's the temperature where the water is? My water bowls never run dry, even when I'm away for 2 weeks or more.

Jamie

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Never seen any snake empty a water bowl ever.
How big, or should I say small is the water bowl?

 

[pythoninfinite]

I should have mentioned that there is a danger of aspiration if they inhale water into their lung as it's running out of their mouth. This can either kill them within minutes or lead to pneumonia which will need treatment by a vet.

Jamie