just dont know what to do....

another feeding last night and once again she did not eat. I made sure it was super warm and even left it in there all night. We just dont know what to do. We have had her for 2 months and has refused to eat f/t except the day after coming home. She has gone weeks without eating and lost weight. She will only eat live and very shy at that. It takes her 5-10 minutes to even strike the live rats.....please we do not know what to do. We do not want to get rid of her, but we are running out options.

What were you told she was feeding on when you got her? imo if shes losing weight then its not important to switch to f/t just get food in her. as much as i hate feeding mice you may want to try a live mouse. some times that will jumpstart a slow or non feeder. good luck with her!

I see two realistic options... Feed her live or assist feed her.

Both have their downsides, but either way your snake will get a meal in her.

Try to look at it this way, What is worse to have...

A snake that could get bitten by its meal, but is eating.
A snake that is stressed out because you had to assist feed it, but is eating.
Or, a snake that is starving its self to death.

John

I think assist feedings need to be reserved for when it will not eat at all. If it will eat Live, then feed it live. I understand personal preferences and not wanting to feed off a live animal, but which one is more important to you? Your snake or the feeder mouse (that'll end up fed off to someone else's snake anyways).

I would feed it live a few times, to get her eating and back up to size then you can give F/T another shot.

my problem is not feeding live but having access to live. it is almost an hour away for 1 rat pup

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Originally Posted by jesst

my problem is not feeding live but having access to live. it is almost an hour away for 1 rat pup

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I would sell her if that is the case...What are you going to do if one of your other Balls stops eating F/T though? Balls change food items all the time...Some will never eat F/T...

Where are you that you are that far away from live feeders?
Doesn't have to be a rat pup...if you can't find those close by are there really no pet shops within an hour that have live mice? That seems a bit extreme...

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Originally Posted by Griffith

Where are you that you are that far away from live feeders?
Doesn't have to be a rat pup...if you can't find those close by are there really no pet shops within an hour that have live mice? That seems a bit extreme...

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i have one but runs out all of the time and other than people i find on craigslist....who are 45-60 minutes away no there is no one.

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Originally Posted by John Marker

I see two realistic options... Feed her live or assist feed her.

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You do not assist an animal that is eating on it's own, sorry but that advice is the wrong one to give.

To the OP not all snakes will eat F/T and as Jon mentioned even if they do, down the road there is no guarantee that all of the sudden at any given time one of your animal will not start to refuse f/t

Your options

Sell the animal in question.

Start breeding your own feeder to have your own supply of live and f/t. You breed your own feeder euthanize and freeze the surplus for those snakes eating f/t and use live for that specific advice.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

You do not assist an animal that is eating on it's own, sorry but that advice is the wrong one to give.

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With what the OP is willing to do for their snake, it is not eating on its own. Yes it may eat live, but the OP clearly is not willing to put forth the effort to feed the snake live rodents.

John