Should i trade in?

If braining the feeder doesn't work, you may want to consider having a fecal done since it is not eating. It could be a problem that needs to be treated before he will eat.

a fecal? thanks guys ill give that a try the next time.

Try a lil russian hamster or a gerbil,thats what i did and she took it in a second.she took a few thawed mice but wont touch them anymore,then i fed a russian hamster and she snapped it up in a second,russians or gerbils might work if ypu can getg a regular supply.

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Originally Posted by hardball

a fecal? thanks guys ill give that a try the next time.

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Its either taking some of his poo to the vet or have a vet take a "fresh" sample to test for parasites inside of him.Since you got him from a pet store its a good chance he is a captive hatched baby and could have internal parasites.It never hurts just to get him checked over in the first place.The person who said to try to feed him every few hours needs to be slapped :mad:.If your snake does not eat then leave him alone for 7 days,then try again.The way you were told to feed him is only causing him unneeded stress and making matters worse for you and him.If you ever need the TRUTH on anything concerning ball pythons ask the members here first!;)

Don't handle or interact until he's eaten regularly four (or so) times. The only time you'd be doing anything would be to top off his water or clean the cage/tub. Anything other than that can wait until he's eating w/o any reluctance. The more you're messing with him, the more stressed he'll become. Also try a smaller than normal meal. Once fasting for a while, his body won't be able to handle a large meal right away.

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Originally Posted by hardball

how bout handling wise? After he didnt eat last week i didnt handle him from Monday to monday and the only handling of him was to move him into the tub and after he didnt eat there i decided to take him on the couch with me for a few minutes and thats the only handling in the past week.

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I assume from this that you are feeding in a separate tub? The most likely reason for a young bp to refuse meals is stress. Moving your snake from his "home" to a separate, foreign environment to feed him will cause stress. Try feeding him in his home next time.

Hope you get your little one eating soon!

Steve

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Originally Posted by hardball

ive been feeding at night typically after hes started cruising. Today was an exception ive been trying to feed him every couple hours like the guy said since about 1pm.

Is there anything else i can do for him? this is kind of a last resort.

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You are stressing this little guy out. Offer him food ONCE a week, not every couple of hours.

I suspect that your husbandry is likely the reason he's not eating, and you'll only experience the same problems with any other snake. You need to figure out what is wrong with your set-up and fix it.

Some questions to ask:

1) Is your enclosure small enough? For a 3 week old - 12 quarts max, 6 quarts would be ideal

2) Are your hides small and snug? Can he feel the hides touching him on all sides?

3) Are your temps correct and do they remain constant, 24 hours a day? 92-94 on the warm side, 82-84 on the cool side.

4) Is your thermometer reliable? Are you using a digital device and are you measuring at ground level?

5) Is your humidity consistently 50%? Are you using a digital device to measure that?

Figure out what's "broke" and fix it. Hint - it's not the snake.

Also feed him in his enclosure and leave the hides in with him.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

You are stressing this little guy out. Offer him food ONCE a week, not every couple of hours.

I suspect that your husbandry is likely the reason he's not eating, and you'll only experience the same problems with any other snake. You need to figure out what is wrong with your set-up and fix it.

Some questions to ask:

1) Is your enclosure small enough? For a 3 week old - 12 quarts max, 6 quarts would be ideal

2) Are your hides small and snug? Can he feel the hides touching him on all sides?

3) Are your temps correct and do they remain constant, 24 hours a day? 92-94 on the warm side, 82-84 on the cool side.

4) Is your thermometer reliable? Are you using a digital device and are you measuring at ground level?

5) Is your humidity consistently 50%? Are you using a digital device to measure that?

Figure out what's "broke" and fix it. Hint - it's not the snake.

Also feed him in his enclosure and leave the hides in with him.

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And i think some of yall think that this is how ive fed him by offering once every couple hours but that was only yesterday after i called up the guy at the snake store and took his advice. I did try to feed him once out of his cage but all the other offerings have been in his tank.
The only thing out of that that isnt right would probably be the hides, they are a little big. Im going to check some pet stores online to see if theres anything smaller.

What size is his enclosure?

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Originally Posted by hardball

And i think some of yall think that this is how ive fed him by offering once every couple hours but that was only yesterday after i called up the guy at the snake store and took his advice. I did try to feed him once out of his cage but all the other offerings have been in his tank.
The only thing out of that that isnt right would probably be the hides, they are a little big. Im going to check some pet stores online to see if theres anything smaller.

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You don't need to buy a fancy hide from a pet store. Any small container from around the house will work, provided it's small enough for the snake to feel secure. Tupperware, microwave meal bowls (wash well, obviously), small flowerpot saucers...just make sure it's small and snug and dark.