Won't Eat

[patrick76]

I have had my Bp for about 8 months now have had about 4 sheds all went great. Well he has not ate in a while now about a month. What should i do? I am feeding him medium mice right now. He acts scared of the mouse when i hang him in the cage and kinda put it in front of him. Sometimes he will go up and smell it and then just keep on going. Strange for 7 months straight he never missed a meal, was feeding him once a week. Please let me know anything or if i should not be worried about it and just keep trying every week. I don't know if he has lost weight or not don't have a scale.

[MelissaFlipski]

With cooling winter temperatures and decreased daylight, this is normal. Are you feeding F/T? You can try leaving it with him for longer, maybe even over night in his tank (only with F/T). Or you can try prescenting to get his interest up.

A digital scale that measures in grams, with single gram accuracy (not rounded to nearest 5 or 10), might be a good investment to ease your concern. These are readily available at places like WalMart and Target, etc. The food ones usually can't handle much weight, but a postage scale does.

How big/old is he? As long as he is not losing weight or becoming dehydrated, he will be fine.

I hope this helps. If you want more information, post more details. I'm sure they'll be other replies, too.

Good luck!

[Drew87]

how many hours of day light are you giving him

[Stewart_Reptiles]

As long as your BP does not loose too much weight he will be fine.

Try to proceed by elimination to find out if there is anything that can be done so your BP resume feeding.

Check your temperature and make sure they are 80-84 on the cool side, 90-94 on the warm side, of course this mean you need to have an accurate reading provided by a digital thermometer/hygrometer.

Check your humidity and make sure it is between 50%-60%

Make sure the enclosure is in a low traffic area.

Make sure your enclosure is the appropriated size, an enclosure that is too big can be overwhelming, and can cause stress overtime.

Make sure your hides are tight enough so your BP can snug in, all sides must be touching your BP's body (Avoid log hides as they do not really provide enough security for a BP).

If you handle your BP often, try to limit handling (Too much handling can cause stress).

[patrick76]

I don't really give him any day light sometimes i give him a little normal day light i will open my blinds in the room that i keep him in. He is in a non traffic room temps and everthing is fine. He is still not eating looks like he is losing weight because his skin is not really tight any more. When i try to feed him i hang the mouse in there and he will go up to it and smell it and then go on and just go back in his hide.

[vkahri]

I'm having similar problems so I'l post in hear as opposed to starting a new topic.. I just hope this still get's seen despite that.

I've had my python for 2 to 3 years now. I use a heat lamp that also provides the UV rays they need. Lamp is on when I am awake or not at home and off when I am asleep and has been that way since I got the snake. He always used to eat no problems up until about 2 weeks ago. [at two weeks ago, it had been almost 3 weeks since his last meal so it was time to feed him.. by now I'd say it's been at least a 5 weeks no food. maybe closer to 6. I'm loosing count.] I've been feeding medium live rats. Last time I tried to feed he not only didn't seem the least bit interested, but he seemed scared of the rat.

Tried again today with a slightly smaller rat, same effect. But he's wandering around his enclosure and tasting the air as if he might be hungry.. I'm taking the rat back and going to try a mouse.. maybe something much smaller will be less intimidating.

....I have made no significant changes to his bedding, lighting schedual or enclosure so I can not trace his lack of appetite to any of those things. He drinks water off and on still and does not appear to have lost too much weight though he is a little skinnier than he was a month ago. He's close to being ready to shed but I've fed him in the past when he was close to shedding with no problems...

I read that sometimes especially in the winter months they can go a long time without eating... How long before I should start worrying?
has anyone here ever taken their python to a vet before? I might have to do that if he doesn't eat I wonder what kind of cost I could expect for a general examination.....?

any advice welcome

[no pants man]

I've had some that have gone off feed for almost a year, and I've heard of one that didn't eat for a year and a half and was fine, so I wouldn't really worry unless your snake begins to lose weight. Try feeding differents prey, like a hamster or a gerbil, I've heard that sometimes they'll take those more readily than mice or rats. I dunno though. Sorry, I'mm not much of a help.

[vkahri]

if what you say about snakes not eating for a year or more, is true... then I guess I should stop worrying for now.. It's just really weird I've had him for about 3 years and never had anything like this happen before.. winter or not winter.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I'm having similar problems so I'l post in hear as opposed to starting a new topic.. I just hope this still get's seen despite that.

Would really be better if you were starting your own thread it would get more attention, I will answer here anyway.

I use a heat lamp that also provides the UV rays they need.

They don't need UV, so I am not sure why you provide UV and who recommended that but, I would bet it was a pet store!

Keep in mind you need to provide belly heat with a UTH.

Anyway know that, as long as your BP does not loose too much weight he will be fine, second try to proceed by elimination to find out if there is anything that can be done so your BP resume feeding.

Check your temperature and make sure they are 80-84 on the cool side, 90-94 on the warm side, of course this mean you need to have an accurate reading provided by a digital thermometer/hygrometer.

Check your humidity and make sure it is between 50%-60%

Make sure the enclosure is in a low traffic area.

Make sure your hides are tight enough so your BP can snug in, all sides must be touching your BP's body (Avoid log hides as they do not really provide enough security for a BP).

If you handle your BP often, try to limit handling (Too much handling can cause stress)

In my experience Ball Pythons eating smaller preys will eat with more consistency (I feed my adults a small rat 4 weeks old - 45-65 grams)

[vkahri]

well been another two weeks [I think] since my last post on here.. still haven't gotten snakey to eat. He shead a few days ago, it was a really good shead came off in mostly one large piece. Since then he's been really active almost always roaming around. I've had him out sometimes to try and give him some more exercise and freedom but there's only so much you can do indoors in the winter time.

Tried to feed again today a small rat [smaller than the usual even].. he was not only dissinterested but seemed almost frightened, shying away when the rat got near his face any. I'd try frozen but if he's not interested in a live I doubt he'l be interested in a frozen.

At this point I think he may be loosing weight.. he looks a little skinnier than he did before his shead, yet he's very active and seems to have been drinking water as the bowl gets empty over the course of a week....

Should I go to vet? or try something else?