Help needed - not eaten in 13 months

Hi Robin. I tried a tub setup once (ages ago - long before he stopped eating) but couldn't keep up ambient temps, as I had no way of fitting a bulb. Heat mats were only warming surface temps and doing nothing for ambient.

Definitely give a live mouse a try. I bet that gets him back on feed.

It's not actually flexx watt - it's just an extra heat mat that I had just to boost temps a little at the warm end. There is another similar one underneath the warm side. Both mats are on one thermostat - the probe for which is inside the warm cave, directly over the underneath heat mat - if that makes sense.

Are you able to get hold of f/t gerbils as feeders or do you know someone who has a gerbil and will give you some bedding that you can roll an f/t mouse or rat in? Might be an idea before you try feeding live or take hom to the vet... My Royal female (8 yr old, CB) has gone 6 mnths without eating which was a bit worrying (she will often go 2 without eating...) but then one day she started to exhibit feeding behaviour, I offered her a f/t gerbil the next day and she ate it straight away. Just an idea.

I've just spoken to the reptile specialist I get my rats from and he has some frozen gerbils that I'm going to try. He also suggested I try a product called Avipro Plus. It's a probiotic that should stimulate appetite. Here's some info on it: https://www.thereptileroom.co.uk/cat...047f84dc866fd0

Has anybody heard of or used anything similar? Anyway, I'm heading in to pick up the Avipro and a gerbil or two.

I feed all of my ball pythons live rats. All eat without issue.

Hope this helps.

I wouldn't really want to give my snake supplements. It's either not feeding because I'm doing something wrong as a keeper or it does not feel like eating. If I feel uncomfortable about a fasting snake I will usually switch them to a smaller enclosure for a temporary period. Sometimes the sudden change will help trigger a feeding response.

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Originally Posted by jphealy

I've just spoken to the reptile specialist I get my rats from and he has some frozen gerbils that I'm going to try. He also suggested I try a product called Avipro Plus. It's a probiotic that should stimulate appetite. Here's some info on it: https://www.thereptileroom.co.uk/cat...047f84dc866fd0

Has anybody heard of or used anything similar? Anyway, I'm heading in to pick up the Avipro and a gerbil or two.

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Why would you want to get him on gerbils when he would more than likely take a live mouse with no problem? The supplement looks like a scam to me. I wouldn't waste my time or money on anything like that.

I don't think the Avipro is a scam. The reptile guy who I deal with is pretty well respected as one of the best herp guys in Ireland. So I'm going to give it a go. I have a gerbil in the freezer that I'll try after a week or so. If there's still no success with that I'll try live.

The Avipro sounds similar to NutriBac, which I have seen recommended by Kathy Love.

Here is a link to some of her personal experiences using NutriBac, as well as some info on how & why it works:
http://www.corn-utopia.com/Corn%20Ut...nformation.htm