The owner of an 8-year-old, spayed female, captive-born corn snake (Elaphe guttata guttata) presented it to the Exotic Animal Medicine Department at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine because of a swelling in the midsection of the snake's body. The owner reported that the snake had last eaten one freshly killed adult mouse 2 weeks before presentation but had regurgitated the food 2 days later. Usually the snake ate a dead (recently killed or previously frozen) 20-g mouse every 4–5 days. Defecation was normal, and the owner had not observed other indicators of gastrointestinal problems aside from the regurgitation.
Six months previously, the snake had an ovariosalpingectomy to remove nine eggs that had been retained for over 3 months and were the cause of severe coelomitis. The snake recovered uneventfully and no further health problems had been observed until now.
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