Still wont eat

[mischevious21]

As some of you may remember, I posted awhile ago about one of my females not eating. Oh yea, and so that there is no confusion- it is NOT the female that I'm breeding right now.

Well, it's been a little over three months now, and she has visible lost weight. Before she went off feed, she was as big around as my wrist, and able to take a small/med rat comfortably. Now she's a little over half of that size, and I wouldent even want to feed her a small rat. I would say she's lost about 80g's.

I'm getting very worried, so I'm trying to look at other options. I would rather not force feed her, because I feel like it would put too much stress on her. But I did see one thread about someone kind of 'half-force feeding' their snakes. Like, just kinda put the mouses head into the snakes mouth, to kind of help them out and give them a head start... Should I try it?

Some help, please...

[Snakeman]

I'm getting very worried, so I'm trying to look at other options. I would rather not force feed her, because I feel like it would put too much stress on her. But I did see one thread about someone kind of 'half-force feeding' their snakes. Like, just kinda put the mouses head into the snakes mouth, to kind of help them out and give them a head start... Should I try it?

Some help, please...

sounds like the thread i started when i baby blood refused to eat and doing that got her started eating again. if you're that worried, i say go for it.

[k1ingdomKaa]

i may have to do that too... got my snake dec 2 and hase eaten 1 smale 8g mice scince i got her.
got more questions but i don wanna highjack"

[Aric]

What have you been trying to feed to her, Frozen, live, pre-killed, mice, or rats? I had a wild caught male go 9 months without touching a thing, all it took to get him eating again was a live small adult mouse.

[MelissaFlipski]

What have you been trying to feed to her, Frozen, live, pre-killed, mice, or rats? I had a wild caught male go 9 months without touching a thing, all it took to get him eating again was a live small adult mouse.

Good idea. Try live adult mouse? Might be more appealing than F/T. If you already tried that, provide more details.

[Aric]

Good idea. Try live adult mouse? Might be more appealing than F/T. If you already tried that, provide more details.

For any snake in my collection that goes off feed, sometimes it just takes a change of prey to get them going again.

[mischevious21]

Good idea. Try live adult mouse? Might be more appealing than F/T. If you already tried that, provide more details.

I was feeding her small/med rats, and now I've been offering her adult mice. And I feed live, all the time. She's always taken F/T though- when Ive offerd it two her three or four time, but she wont take those either right now. She seems afraid of the rats now, and acts like the mice arnt there... I just dont kno what to do with her.

[Aric]

Has anything recently changed with your husbandry, ie. temps, enclosure, etc...?

[k1ingdomKaa]

GOod luck with your eating problem. hope everything turns out well.

[MelissaFlipski]

I was feeding her small/med rats, and now I've been offering her adult mice. And I feed live, all the time. She's always taken F/T though- when Ive offerd it two her three or four time, but she wont take those either right now. She seems afraid of the rats now, and acts like the mice arnt there... I just dont kno what to do with her.

Would a rat pup be more enticing, left in her enclosure over night for privacy? Our girl recently decided she won't eat for show anymore - only in her tank in the dark.

Or you could go with opening her mouth and placing just the nose of the rat pup in - I'm no expert, but I've heard it done before to provoke the feeding response.

She's not breathing hard is she? Like with her whole body? I haven't read your other threads, I don't think; but has her behavior changed at all?

My only other thought is that maybe she is sick. Refusing to eat could be a symptom. IMO, you should take her to a good herp vet if she doesn't eat soon and continues to lose weight.