Hunger strike help

I know this is always an ongoing topic discussed in the BP world. Just looking for some advice from experts.

My BP is a little over a year old, I had her eating F/T Rat every 5 days, about 10% of her body weight, nothing too big since I had the frequency up. My plan was to do that till she reached a year then go to 1/week. She was up around 750g, then mid winter she stopped eating for me (I don't know current weight). It's been quite some time though as I think the beginning of December was the last time she ate. She looks completely healthy, no wrinkles and definitely got much longer. The other day was the first time I saw a urate.

I change her water every few days and her husbandry is on point:
cold side: 79-81deg/70%hum
hot side: 86-88deg/60%hum
UTH regulated at 91deg, 86-88 deg on substrate (measured on glass with laser temp gun)

I've done a full cleaning recently. I've waited 2+ weeks between offering a meal for the last 3 attempts.

She has showed interest but then doesn't strike, she just seems to go back in her hide. I got mouse bedding and shook the rat up in that to add some scent to it before heating it up with a hair dryer.

Should I offer a live meal to maybe jump start her? I'm worried she wont take the FT anymore if I do so and I want her on Rats.



Any advice is more than welcome!

Thanks
Jared

My male has went off for months at a time. They wouldn't eat f/t anymore and I offered a small rat (way under what he can eat) and BAM! Been on live ever since, he only wants to eat a couple times a month and sometimes he goes off but I would try live and see if it jump starts him. If he does then maybe try sticking with live or transition back to f/t. As long as they don't lose any weight I'll typically wait them out and keep offering. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by bigSAK

I know this is always an ongoing topic discussed in the BP world. Just looking for some advice from experts.

My BP is a little over a year old, I had her eating F/T Rat every 5 days, about 10% of her body weight, nothing too big since I had the frequency up. My plan was to do that till she reached a year then go to 1/week. She was up around 750g, then mid winter she stopped eating for me (I don't know current weight). It's been quite some time though as I think the beginning of December was the last time she ate. She looks completely healthy, no wrinkles and definitely got much longer. The other day was the first time I saw a urate.

I change her water every few days and her husbandry is on point:
cold side: 79-81deg/70%hum
hot side: 86-88deg/60%hum
UTH regulated at 91deg, 86-88 deg on substrate (measured on glass with laser temp gun)

I've done a full cleaning recently. I've waited 2+ weeks between offering a meal for the last 3 attempts.

She has showed interest but then doesn't strike, she just seems to go back in her hide. I got mouse bedding and shook the rat up in that to add some scent to it before heating it up with a hair dryer.

Should I offer a live meal to maybe jump start her? I'm worried she wont take the FT anymore if I do so and I want her on Rats.



Any advice is more than welcome!

Thanks
Jared

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I had a 750 gram male go off feed from Dec to the beginning of May and just start eating again like nothing. Idk why he went off feed but it happens. I currently have a enchi pinstipe that decided to go off feed a few weeks ago.

My female ivory went off for a few months recently, lost abit of weight . Got back on and doing fine . . I wouldn't offer live until I had to . I have a couple it took a loooooong time to get back on to ft after they realized they loved to hunt . Then again some switch fine imo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bigSAK

I know this is always an ongoing topic discussed in the BP world. Just looking for some advice from experts.

My BP is a little over a year old, I had her eating F/T Rat every 5 days, about 10% of her body weight, nothing too big since I had the frequency up. My plan was to do that till she reached a year then go to 1/week. She was up around 750g, then mid winter she stopped eating for me (I don't know current weight). It's been quite some time though as I think the beginning of December was the last time she ate. She looks completely healthy, no wrinkles and definitely got much longer. The other day was the first time I saw a urate.

I change her water every few days and her husbandry is on point:
cold side: 79-81deg/70%hum
hot side: 86-88deg/60%hum
UTH regulated at 91deg, 86-88 deg on substrate (measured on glass with laser temp gun)

I've done a full cleaning recently. I've waited 2+ weeks between offering a meal for the last 3 attempts.

She has showed interest but then doesn't strike, she just seems to go back in her hide. I got mouse bedding and shook the rat up in that to add some scent to it before heating it up with a hair dryer.

Should I offer a live meal to maybe jump start her? I'm worried she wont take the FT anymore if I do so and I want her on Rats.



Any advice is more than welcome!

Thanks
Jared

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I'm in the EXACT situation and have presented the same question. He's been on hunger strike since November and was at 900grams but now is at 840. So I was debating about getting a live small rat to see because I've done everything. Tried feeding every 2 to 3 weeks. Raised the temps, changed the substrate. Left a f/t in there overnight multiple times. NOTHING CHANGED!

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Try live smaller than what he'd normally eat. F/t vs live is 100% preference. Just watch carefully. Be prepared to intervene if the mouse or rat gets some teeth in. Good luck!

its just waiting time, he'll eat eventually when hes ready

Same thing here - my ball hasn't eaten since the end of December but she seems fine. I've had her out numerous times, she shed about three weeks ago (as usual, a great job of it!) and her body seems to be in good shape. I attempt to feed her when it is time for the boa as I know he won't pass anything up that the ball won't eat (he grabs the rat in mid air and wrestles it down, you don't want to get in the way of him!), I'm sure that she will start up again (it's good to get confirmation of that on here as I've been freaking a bit about it).

My male was on and off eating. Sometimes he wouldnt eat for a month and sometimes it was 2-3 weeks but now he eats every week on schedule. He was on f/t also and I would feed him every night and I was giving a recommendation on here to try feeding during the day and ever since I started feeding during the day he has ate every meal. My last 8 feedings were successful and once was while he was in shed! I just turn off the room light and his day light while the rat thaws in water and then when its done thawing I heat the head pointing the electric heater (hair dryer works too) toward a crack in his door and he sticks his head out and waits. A couple times he wouldn't come out so I stuck the head of the rat into his hide slowly and he struck and ate it right in his hide. So maybe you can try feeding during day if you feed at night or vice versa and you could try sticking the f/t rodents head into the hide like I did those couple times.

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Our female eats about 3 times a year as of late. She just had her first meal of 2016 5 days ago.

There is a reason these are some of the longest living snakes in captivity. They regulate their food intake. That increases their longevity believe me.

Its nothing unusual and even a slight weight loss is not a concern. It is highly unlikely that yours or others will never eat again, but that doesn't help with your own frustration.

It is maybe the only reason why I would tell a newer keeper to try another snake to start with.

As keepers, feeding is fascinating, fun to watch for some of us, and it is a wonderful interaction between you and your pet.

I see the "My snake won't eat" thread pop up here almost weekly.

The experienced folks will tell you unless there are exigent circumstances, you should prepare to play the waiting game.

You are probably NOT doing anything wrong so just be patient. Live is an option, but I have found too many live animals going to my boa after the royal refuses. On the other end of the spectrum a boa will rarely refuse and it is entirely too easy to over feed one as they will eat year round (not good for them) and end up fat and lazy.

A friend of mine who used to breed them (royals) said he feeds them a bunch when they are eating because he knows they will eventually stop.

I suspect this is very much what they do in the wild.

Keep an eye on anything that doesn't look right, but also accept that this is how many of these critter are.