New Hognose Feeding Help

Hi all! I purchased a normal western hognose about a month ago. I was keeping her in a 20 gal tank and the breeder told me she was feeding like a champ on unscented pinky mice. Since getting her, I got her to feed once by putting her in a small container and placing that in a brown paper bag. That pinky was also lightly scented with chicken broth (i know this might have been a step back). Since then, almost one month, she has not eaten and I have tried everything. I've tried live, f/t brained, scented with chicken broth, leaving the pinky in over night, placing her and a pinky in a brown bag and I recently moved her to much smaller home. I tried feeding again last night after about 6-7 days in her new enclosure by leaving the pinky in over night. She did not take it. The strange thing is that she seems like shes's grown an inch or two since getting her despite not really eating. I know snakes can go a long time without eating but I know hognoses have very high metabolism which is why I am worried. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Specs:
15q sterilite container
UTH that ranges with its heat but she has a 92 degree hotspot
A CHE running outside the tub on cold days to get the ambients up
Ambient around 78-80 degrees
Cool side sits around 75-78
Two Hides
half inch- 1 inch aspen shaving substrate
Humidity around 30%

I would put her in something even smaller for a while around 6 quarts, young hognose in my experience do better when you leave the food versus trying to feed them with tongs, I only start using tong with mine at around a year or so or about 50/75 grams.

While it is a step backward to scent once you have downsize the enclosure again if it still does not work try the following scent for pinkies

Try chicken again
Tuna
Anchovies
Toad scent if you can have access to that

Also try offering some hard boiled egg or use that as a scent either one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I would put her in something even smaller for a while around 6 quarts, young hognose in my experience do better when you leave the food versus trying to feed them with tongs, I only start using tong with mine at around a year or so or about 50/75 grams.

While it is a step backward to scent once you have downsize the enclosure again if it still does not work try the following scent for pinkies

Try chicken again
Tuna
Anchovies
Toad scent if you can have access to that

Also try offering some hard boiled egg or use that as a scent either one.

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thank you Deborah! I poured through all the threads and found your information to be incredibly useful. One last question for you, when should I start to really worry about her feeding strike? It's been roughly 4 weeks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cron14

thank you Deborah! I poured through all the threads and found your information to be incredibly useful. One last question for you, when should I start to really worry about her feeding strike? It's been roughly 4 weeks.

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It really depends on the size, some will even brumate them when they encounter young animals that persist in their refusal but generally with proper husbandry they should eat especially if they are good feeders in general and she was.

My guess if you downsize some more and change the scent it will work I would likely also bump the cool side a little to 80/82 if you can. If she was eating before there is no reason she is not eating now especially if your temperature reading are correct (taken with a digital thermometer and on the floor level of each side.)

Most issues I have ever encounter with young individual (Produced or bought) are usually with males not females.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

It really depends on the size, some will even brumate them when they encounter young animals that persist in their refusal but generally with proper husbandry they should eat especially if they are good feeders in general and she was.

My guess if you downsize some more and change the scent it will work I would likely also bump the cool side a little to 80/82 if you can. If she was eating before there is no reason she is not eating now especially if your temperature reading are correct (taken with a digital thermometer and on the floor level of each side.)

Most issues I have ever encounter with young individual (Produced or bought) are usually with males not females.

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Movinng her into a 6qt tonight. Thanks for all the help!

I apologize for reviving this thread but I'd like some more input from Deborah or anyone else for that matter. I had a tough time nailing the husbandry with the 6qt tub so I moved her back into my 20 gal with a uth running on the "cool side". So after attempting different methods Deborah suggested, I caved and used tuna scent. I moved her from her tank to the 6qt tub with the pinky inside and she took it within seconds. :taz: I was obviously very happy. Heres where I need more info. The pinky left a significant lump in her stomach. This was on 1/21. Since then, I've attempted twice to feed her with the same method but she has refused. Could it be that she was "stuffed" from her previous meal? I weighed her today and she is 9g and the pinkies are usually around 2. Temps are now spot on. She had a little bit of a stuck shed so I added moss to her two hides and removed the shed. She also has pooped twice. 9g seems really small if the breeder was telling the truth about her being born in July.