I edited the origanal care sheet because after switching to the new forums some characters were wrong and the icon was an angry face, but it said it was too long to repost. Hmm. So here is the rest...
Uh oh, my baby boa regurgitated its meal. What now?:
First of all, see if you can find a reason for why the boa regurgitated. Check the temperatures in it's enclosure, be sure that you're thawing frozen rodents completely, and that you're buying the rodents from a reliable source. Think about when the boa ate, and if you handled it after the meal. Think about where the boa's cage is at, and if there is a lot of outside stress, like people or other pets passing by frequently, loud noise causing vibrations, etc.
Now give your boa plenty of rest. Do not handle it AT ALL. Do not attempt to feed your boa again for at least 3 weeks. When you do feed your boa again, you want to feed it a TINY prey item (we're talking pinky mouse). In plain and simple terms, you need to slowly get your boa's stomach used to food, without shocking it again. Feed the boa the small prey item, give it plenty of rest, make sure your temperatures are where they are supposed to be, and hope for the best. Do not handle the boa, and cover it's cage (even if it's a tub) as an extra measure. If the boa holds down this meal, wait about two weeks, and then feed it another tiny meal. If it holds down that meal, wait another 10-12 days and feed a slightly larger (but still small for the boa) meal. Continute to wait 10-12 days between meals. Should all go well, you'll gradually be able to increase the prey size with every meal, you're boa will begin to digest properly, and will be able to be fed on its regular schedule again.
Now, should the boa continue to regurgitate, you need to bring it to a vet, along with a stool sample if available, to test for any parasites. An experienced vet (check out Herp Vet Connection for vet listings in your area) should be able to assist you further in treating chronic regurgitation. And always continue to take all precautions, such as no handling, tiny meals, and cage covering.
HANDLING
Newborn boas can be nippy, but most calm down completely with frequent, gentle handling. As mentioned above, avoid handling your boa right before a meal, and for at least 4 days after a meal. This is absolutely necessary, and you MUST avoid the urge to over-handle your pet. Exposure to stress, room temperatures, and moving around more than necessary can all easily cause a boa to regurgitate!
I use snake hooks to remove my boas from their cages. This prevents a bite due to any feeding response (boas that are fed in their cages may expect food whenever the cage is opened, and could mistake a fast moving human hand for a meal. Many choose to feed their smaller boas in separate containers or cardboard boxes to help eliminate in-cage feeding responses.) These are also handy tools when "taming" an aggressive snake, as hooks don't flinch or pull away when struck at!
Babies can be handled a couple days a week, 15-30 minutes at a time. Some will say you should not handle baby
BCC boas that often at all, but it's my opinion that a healthy baby that is eating regularly will benefit more from regular handling. Boas will learn quickly what is a threat, what is not, what's safe, and what's normal, if exposed to every day situations during handling regularly. Knowing what to expect when out of its cage, and becoming familiar with it's surroundings, will greatly reduce stress levels during handling. Babies that are handled less frequently are understandably more nervous around humans and in new situations. It also takes much longer for a boa to adjust to handling when it just doesn't happen that often. Of course, if your baby boa is sick, regurgitates, or has regurgitated in the past, you should eliminate handling all together until the boa is well.
As your pet grows and becomes more comfortable with being handled and with it's surroundings, you can have it out for longer periods of time. Never leave a boa unattended, in a car, or outside. Never expose a boa to cold temperatures below 70°, and never take a boa out in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
SHEDDING
As your boa grows, it will shed it's skin. The first signs of a shed-cycle are usually darkening of color, and "cloudy" bluish eyes. Your boa's eyes will remain cloudy for 3 - 10 days, give or take. The eyes will then clear, and your boa will shed within another 1 - 7 days, again.. give or take a day or two. Humidity is essential to proper shedding, and should be raised to 70 - 80% as soon as the boas eyes begin to cloud. There should be a "rough" object (it's hide, a fake plant, or rock) in your boa's cage to help it break the skin and begin the shedding process. Baby and juvenile boas will shed every 3-8 weeks on average, and sub-adults and adults will shed less frequently.
HEALTH ISSUES
Take your boa to a vet with reptile experience (again, check out Herp Vet Connection for vet listings in your area) if you notice any of the following symptoms:
Respiratory Infection: (if noticed, increase cage temperatures by 3 - 5° and lower the humidity)
-Mucus or bubbles in the nose or mouth.
-Popping and wheezing noises when the boa breathes.
-Open-mouth gaping/breathing.
Mouth Rot:
-Open mouth breathing.
-A white or yellowish "cheese" like substance in the mouth.
-Sores in and around the mouth.
Internal Parasites / Digestive System Problems:
-Runny or discolored stools (white "poop" is actually a urate, which is solid urine and completely normal).
-Complete loss of appetite for more than 4 - 6 weeks.
-Chronic regurgiation.
Neurological Diseases / Poisoning: (if noticed, get your boa to a vet immediately)
-Twitching and convulsing.
-Loss of body control, laying on it's back or side.
-Apparent "confusion".
-Inability to coil around or strike accurately at prey.
-Inability to right it's body if placed on it's back.
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