My BP hasn't eaten in 3 months - what's wrong?

[BPNewb]

Hey all -- I need some advice and/or feedback, my BP hasn't eaten since January - I've tried feeding her many times and she just shys away ... She's only ever refused food maybe twice in the 6 years I've had her, so this is out of the norm for her. Any idea as to why she won't eat?

Thank you for your help!

[rebelrachel13]

What are you feeding her? How do you thaw and are you using a heat lamp/hair dryer to warm it up before offering? Are you feeding in cage or out?

It's really nothing to worry about yet. Have there been any changes in her environment or health lately?

[BPNewb]

Nope, no changes to environment, everything is the same. I feel her live, always have, she's on medium sized rats, and they've all been her average size. And I feed her outside her cage in a separate box, always have.

She has just never gone this long with out eating, so it started to worry me .... if you say it's nothing to worry about yet .. when should I start to worry?

thank you for your quick reply!

What are you feeding her? How do you thaw and are you using a heat lamp/hair dryer to warm it up before offering? Are you feeding in cage or out?

It's really nothing to worry about yet. Have there been any changes in her environment or health lately?

[kitedemon]

did you check her temps? has there been any changes? It is fairly common for them to go off food for long periods of time it could be nothing more than a breeding season fast.

[AK907]

Yup, it is that time of year when a lot of breeding age balls go off feed. Three months off feed for a healthy ball isn't an issue. As long as she isn't losing heaps of weight I wouldn't worry. Just double check your husbandry and offer her every couple of weeks and she'll snap out of it. Spring is just around the corner and chances are when it starts to get warm she will resume feeding like normal.

[Inarikins]

Try offering in her enclosure next time. Cage aggression is a myth and ingesting a bit of substrate isn't an issue for them, they can handle it. She might suddenly be stressed by that.

[AK907]

Try offering in her enclosure next time. Cage aggression is a myth and ingesting a bit of substrate isn't an issue for them, they can handle it. She might suddenly be stressed by that.

This too. Ball pythons can be picky sometimes and change their minds without notice. This would also be worth a try I think.

[snake lab]

Throw a male in there. Bowchicka wow wow

[BPNewb]

Thank you everyone! I'll try to offer to the rat to her tmrw in her enclosure, see if she responds to that. I didn't even think of her coming into 'breeding age', and thus fasting for that, makes sense ... and everything else is normal, temps and all.

[SlitherinSisters]

I agree with feeding her in her enclosure to reduce stress. As far as the breeding age thing, as long as you keep the temps up and you are not breeding them, they should be eating. I haven't had one snake quit eating on me this year other than the girls that have eggs.