Not eating...

[Lillyponygirl]

My baby wont eat. The second time we've tried this week. It's not in the dirt, i think we're doing all right. It's on top of his hidebox, where he goes often, but the mouse(s) haven't been touched!
I need help! What's wrong?!?
(I checked the temp, the boiling and whatever, the mice and ect.!!!!)


BPs FOREVER
luff u spud

[Lillyponygirl]

My baby wont eat. The second time we've tried this week. It's not in the dirt, i think we're doing all right. It's on top of his hidebox, where he goes often, but the mouse(s) haven't been touched!
I need help! What's wrong?!?
(I checked the temp, the boiling and whatever, the mice and ect.!!!!)


BPs FOREVER
luff u spud

Guys? Anyone??

BPs FOREVER
luff u spud

[Patrick Long]

Im quite confused with your post.

Not in the dirt? WHAT?!?!?

You checked temp, the boiling and whatever, the mice and ect? What the hell does that even mean? LOL

[JayBP]

Yeah. . .I'm confused too.

[Sonya610]

I think she meant she checked the temp of the mice. But it sounds like she is laying them out on top of the hidebox, where the BP frequently visits, and expecting him to discover and eat them?

[BrucenBruce]

I'm guessing "in the dirt" might mean in the substrate, getting stuff stuck all over it.

Lillyponygirl - are you laying the mouse on Spud's hidebox and walking away? He may not recognize something unmoving at room temperature as food. I'd try using a hairdryer to warm the mouse pretty good, then using a pair of tongs (like overgrown tweezers) to move the mouse around where he can see it. Try doing this late in the evening, when ball pythons are naturally active. (And keep in mind that they lose weight much more slowly than us warmblooded folk!) Have patience, but if that doesn't work, try a live prey animal.

~Bruce

[edie]

f/t mice? My BPs will not even bother coming near a f/t rodent in their cage if I just lay it down somewhere. I pick them up in tongs and wave them around a little (not too much, because that seems to scare them), so its more like they are live prey. I only have one snake that will eat a prey item I leave in her cage, and she is a boa.

If you can't get it to take f/t consider live, make sure you are around to supervise and make sure the prey is appropriately sized for the snake.

Live is always a good option if you can't get them to take f/t, so at least they will eat (unless they don't take that either, then you have a problem) - but if you keep trying with f/t I'm sure you will be able to figure it out. I have had some real picky eaters and have gotten all of them to sooner or later accept f/t and now they are all eating regularly for me every week. My adult BP was a little harder to get to switch.

[RoyalGuardian]

Dirt? Boiling?? what?! Ok just tell us what you mean by dirt and boiling.. are you saying your using dirt for substrate and your boiling his prey? If you are stop this now. Pythons are built to eat prey raw not cooked!!! Dirt.. That just doesnt sound like a good thing to me... Listen to these people. Every word cause its for the good of the snake. Even if some of them are in shock or wonder at your post they are all here to help you in the end

[Lillyponygirl]

Dirt? Boiling?? what?! Ok just tell us what you mean by dirt and boiling.. are you saying your using dirt for substrate and your boiling his prey? If you are stop this now. Pythons are built to eat prey raw not cooked!!! Dirt.. That just doesnt sound like a good thing to me... Listen to these people. Every word cause its for the good of the snake. Even if some of them are in shock or wonder at your post they are all here to help you in the end

OK! I just found this out through looking through videos Here is what I WAS doing (hehhehehh, it's what my mom told me to do!): Leaving the baby mouse (which we boiled to un-freeze it) on the hide box. Now we know we need to take the mouse with the tongs, and after un-freezing it kinda jiggle it a little in front of the snake. So we tried. But he's not excepting the mouse!

Oh yes we are using tongs, and my mom told me to post that I am NOT an adult, so she doesn't really want me to stick my hand in there.

BPs FOREVER
Luff you Spud

[rabernet]

OK! I just found this out through looking through videos Here is what I WAS doing (hehhehehh, it's what my mom told me to do!): Leaving the baby mouse (which we boiled to un-freeze it) on the hide box. Now we know we need to take the mouse with the tongs, and after un-freezing it kinda jiggle it a little in front of the snake. So we tried. But he's not excepting the mouse!

Oh yes we are using tongs, and my mom told me to post that I am NOT an adult, so she doesn't really want me to stick my hand in there.

BPs FOREVER
Luff you Spud

OK - do NOT boil the mouse in the future - let it thaw at room temperature, then gently squeeze the mouse around the belly to see if it feels like it's thawed in the belly as well. THEN, put the mouse in a baggy in HOT tap water, not boiling water for about five minutes to give it a heat signature that your snake will see.

Your snake can NOT digest cooked (which boiling water does) prey.

Since you are not an adult, then one of your parents needs to assist you with feeding off the tongs and be willing to put their hands in the enclosure. When you take on the responsibility of a live animal, you are also responsible for making sure it is getting all its needs met.

One last thing, don't offer food again for another seven days. Offering food too often can also stress the animal out and cause refusals.

When all else fails, you may have to feed live.