Please help me!

[Kururu]

So, I have a Ball Python who is almost 2 years old and hasn't eaten in over a month. Not a big deal, right? But, he's losing weight!

I've been recording his weight throughout this month:

February 1st: 890g
February 7th: 875g + Shed cycle begins
February 15th: 885g + Still in shed
February 18th: 880g + Still in shed
February 19th: End of shed + Didn't eat
February 20th: 865g
February 22nd: 855g

He just isn't eating. When I first got him on September 26th 2015 he ate just 2 days after I got him. He was always such a good eater, but since late January when he was coming onto his 3rd shed (he was actually in shed when I got him) he just isn't wanting to eat. I've tried feeding him at night and in a dark room and he still doesn't care. I live in the UK, which means it would be illegal to feed him live food - and I wouldn't attempt it anyway. He only seems to like eating mice, which means he was always fed a little more frequent than if he was on rats. It just seems to keep going downhill since he starting shedding and since I bumped up the humidity to 70%. Since he finished shedding I changed the humidity and overall temperature back to how it's always been: 50% humidity and a temperature gradient of 75-85. Nothing has changed in his vivarium. I clean it out ever 3 weeks, I give him fresh water every other day, he has two hides on either side of his vivarium, I give him a soak every 2 weeks, I check his heat and humidity twice a day, and I've recently checked him for mites, RSI and mouth rot and he's perfectly healthy!

I've been told it's breeding season, but it's almost March.

[Kokorobosoi]

I would stop the soaking and most if not all of the handling at this point. Clutter up the viv more. Until he eats he is on a little island of solitude.

Its illegal to feed live. But it isn't illegal to get some dirty bedding from the pet store and rub it on your feeder. The con to that is you may be stuck doing that forever. But if he is losing weight and still refusing...

before you go that route, let's get some more info. How do you measure your temps?

[Galaxygirl]

Sounds like you may be messing with him too much. Soaks are not needed and only remove essential oils from his scales. He doesn't need to be weighed so often. It's almost March but my males are also still not eating as they're breeding. For a snake that size I wouldn't worry. Give him a week of solitude and then try.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

A snake isn't going to simply loose 45 grams in a month. Your snake must have just peed or pooped in that time.

[Kokorobosoi]

One of Mine likes to poop while shedding- with the poop getting wrapped up in the shed. Perhaps there was a heavy, kinda smelly shed?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Make sure your husbandry is optimum and make sure the animal is well hydrated, downsize the enclosure size if necessary, STOP messing with your snake, no handling, not bath, NOTHING.

BP routinely go off feed especially during the winter and breeding season and in most cases it's about PATIENCE

As for 35 grams it's nothing a bowel movement can be as much, a month is not the end of the world either

As for live if you want to go that route know that it is not illegal (that is what animal activist would like people to believe) it is however very difficult to do so and frowned upon, under the current Animal Welfare Act, you cannot feed live as part of a public event/exhibit, or if it cause unnecessary suffering however at the same time 3(iv)(c), covers the need to be able to exhibit normal behavior patterns which apply to animals such as snakes who feed live.

A word of caution however switching prey type is rarely the solution especially for an animal that has only been refusing food for a month), I would only consider switching prey type as a LAST RESORT and if you do so you must be prepared and be willing to feed the same prey type for weeks or months to come which will without a doubt be an issue.

[Smitty33]

I wouldn't worry too much. My almost 2 yr old male is going on 2 months of not eating as well. He went from 951 grms late December to 931 grams the other day I don't think that an amount to be concerned about. He was always a great eater until first part of January. I changed him to a every other week schedule until spring and he gets going again.
Thought for sure he'd eat last night. At least he was interested in his f/t rat but wouldn't strike for all my trying. I left it in his cage overnight but it was still there. Couple hours after I left it I checked and he was crawling all over his cage but no dice.

[Sauzo]

Like others have said, make sure your husbandry is good(temps, humidity, security) and then just wait it out offering food every week or 2. Don't offer too often as this can scare the snake and put him off of food for even longer. My girl hasn't eaten since Oct or Nov and I don't even weigh her. I just eyeball her to make sure she still looks good. She did give me a surprise poop about 1.5 months ago which amazed me considering she did eat anything for a few months before that so that should give you an idea of how conservative these little guys are about food and energy lol. I offer her a rat every 2-3 weeks when its my boas feeding time so if she doesn't want it, my garbage disposal boas will eat it haha.

[se7en]

welcome to owning ball pythons.

i have some snakes that can't seem to get enough rats, and some that won't eat for months. can't really seem to find a pattern.