more feeding difficulties

julius STILL won't eat..


it has been a week since my last attempted feeding of her - and she has not been touched or anything since.. i have left her tank pretty much covered around all sides to make her more comfortable - but when I put her in her feeding box with her food, she just moves around fast and tries to get out of the box

it has been 3 weeks of her doing this now.. why is this happening?

thanks,
barry

Try feeding her inside her own home???

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Originally Posted by bchapman

julius STILL won't eat..


it has been a week since my last attempted feeding of her - and she has not been touched or anything since.. i have left her tank pretty much covered around all sides to make her more comfortable - but when I put her in her feeding box with her food, she just moves around fast and tries to get out of the box

it has been 3 weeks of her doing this now.. why is this happening?

thanks,
barry

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Barry, if I remember correctly, you were feeding her an awful lot when you first got her (like every three days, right?).

And you were also trying to bump her up in prey size rather quickly (if I'm remembering the details correctly).

Sounds to me like she's finally decided to let her body "catch up" with all the food she received early on.

My recommendation would be not to handle her at all until she feeds for you again, and wait at least two weeks before offering any food to her again.

Once she starts eating again, get her on a routine of only being fed once every seven days, and remember that smaller meals really are better, and more than enough to sustain healthy growth (and avoid fasts).

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Barry, if I remember correctly, you were feeding her an awful lot when you first got her (like every three days, right?).

And you were also trying to bump her up in prey size rather quickly (if I'm remembering the details correctly).

Sounds to me like she's finally decided to let her body "catch up" with all the food she received early on.

My recommendation would be not to handle her at all until she feeds for you again, and wait at least two weeks before offering any food to her again.

Once she starts eating again, get her on a routine of only being fed once every seven days, and remember that smaller meals really are better, and more than enough to sustain healthy growth (and avoid fasts).

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Up until her first shed she was getting food about every 4-5 days yeah.. but after her first shed it was once every 7/8 days.. the last 3 feedings she has refused, with 7 days between each one. i have not held her at all, and I even kept a cloth around her tank in an effort to make her feel a bit more secure

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Originally Posted by JLC

Try feeding her inside her own home???

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ive tried feeding her inside her home and her feeding box, on alternating occasions.. first week tried in her box, then her home, then box, and home last night.. she just skitters away or coils up.. although it seemed like she did strike at the mouse but didnt bite it or anything

i dont know:confused:

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Originally Posted by bchapman

ive tried feeding her inside her home and her feeding box, on alternating occasions.. first week tried in her box, then her home, then box, and home last night.. she just skitters away or coils up.. although it seemed like she did strike at the mouse but didnt bite it or anything

i dont know:confused:

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Is that her in your avatar?

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Is that her in your avatar?

-adam

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yeah it is

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Originally Posted by bchapman

yeah it is

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Well since I can't see her or her setup in person, all I can do is guess ... if her environment is correct ( 82-84 on one side, 92-94 on the other, humidity 50% - 60%, all measured with a digital thermometer/hygrometer ... and she has ample small tight hides) ... based on that picture I would have to agree with Robin and suspect that she has been overfed (in my experience, that is a huge rat for a ball python that size) and her body is just "catching up" ... if it were me, I would wait about 3 weeks and then offer her either a chub or a small weaned rat.

Just my $.02

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Well since I can't see her or her setup in person, all I can do is guess ... if her environment is correct ( 82-84 on one side, 92-94 on the other, humidity 50% - 60%, all measured with a digital thermometer/hygrometer ... and she has ample small tight hides) ... based on that picture I would have to agree with Robin and suspect that she has been overfed (in my experience, that is a huge rat for a ball python that size) and her body is just "catching up" ... if it were me, I would wait about 3 weeks and then offer her either a chub or a small weaned rat.

Just my $.02

-adam

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The mouse in that picture looks much bigger than it actually is.. She was MUCH wider in girth than the mouse in that picture..

Her temps are 94.9 on warm side / 82.3 on cool.. she has two hides (half logs that are blocked off at one end.. if i pick the log up, she usually comes up with it - that is how tight she fits in them) her humidity is about 50-55% at any given time

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bchapman

Her temps are 94.9 on warm side / 82.3 on cool.. she has two hides (half logs that are blocked off at one end.. if i pick the log up, she usually comes up with it - that is how tight she fits in them) her humidity is about 50-55% at any given time

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Yup ... sounds like she's just catching up ... wait 3 weeks and offer her a hopper mouse.

-adam