Common question... i know. RI? Please help

Others with more experience will hopefully chime in...but I suspect once spring hits, you'll be able to get him back into his old routine. I think we stress more than our snakes do about "winter fasting!" But I do think a smaller prey item might help get you back on track until his appetite gets into full swing again. If it's mice that do it for him right now, why not? My boy was never a picky eater before winter (rats, mice, live, f/t, he ate anything that enters his tub) so I suspect he won't be afterwards. But if he is, that's okay, too. I'll get them whatever they want!

As far as the RI issue, I've never experienced one (rather new keeper), so I'm not familiar with any correlation between appetite and illness...sounds, to me, like he's just a little "frustrated!" LOL! My male, who never had a temper prior to breeding season (and this is his first) was pretty short with me...he hissed a couple of times as I was pulling him out of his tub but settled down shortly thereafter! I just chalked it up to "his situation"...ie. my female is nowhere near breeding age... ;)

I was assuming that once spring hits he would start to get his appetite back, I dont think its an RI, because the 1st BP i got was a big male from a show that came home from a reptile show. He kept refusing meals, I didnt really know what to do that well at all. My friends nicknamed him wheezy, I guess thats something that shouldve clued me in, or I shouldve read about. His huffing sound has happened that time, and once before, and under the same circumstances. He is using his head, and neck right behind his head to pull his big fat body up my arm or something, then he makes the huffing sound. That is the only time.
I guess its just me being worried, this is his first breeding season at size, he was hatched in august of 08, I got him christmas of 08, and he was only 100 grams, so this is his first season at the proper size, so hes fasting for that reason. It must be the combination of the 2 huffs, and the not eating that worried me.

But more input from people is 110% welcome!
Thanks to all that have answered my questions, and quickly too!

Matt

My 700g python was eating small rats, then started refusing. I put him back on adult mice. One per feeding. He's currently in full blue, I plan to still feed tomorrow.

Why were you told not to feed rats? Advice goes all over the place but he'll be fine on one large mouse weekly.

Pay close attention to the BP. If it is RI, it probably won't take long before it gets worse.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

I will pay close attention, I dont want anything to happen to him.'
I wasnt told to not feed rats, I was told not to feed small rats, to feed rat pup fuzzies, because they are smaller meals.

I tried to feed my 700g python today with a mouse that was a lot more manic than usual. Paradox is in shed but he's not refused in shed before tho he's refused about half his meals over the past 2 months.

Anyhow the mouse kept scurrying on top of him and Paradox "chuffed" a lot when he got ran over.

He showed interest when I let him smell the mouse container (strong urine smell) but still refused. This mouse wouldn't die by flicking it in the head, so now I know what other people are talking about there. :( So I killed it by another means and froze it (Paradox wouldn't take the pre-killed either). Poor mousie.