Not eating, don't know what to do...

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Originally Posted by rabernet

100% not true with ball pythons - all of mine are fed in their enclosures - none of them mistake me for food or are cage aggressive.

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i never said it was true. i feed mine in its cge and its fine. i was just stating that whats some people say and is probably what the guy above was referring too.

Alright, I am seriously running out of options. I have done a very good job of not panicking, but now I am starting to. I have had Crane for over a month and he had not eaten once. He has shown no signs of interest in the mouse or rat.

I have done two different thawing methods: Water and just letting it sit out and thaw. I have tried both wet and non-wet. I have blow-dryed it and not blowdryed it. I have given him seven days between attempted feedings. I have moved him from a 20 gallon tank into a 6 quart plastic container about three weeks ago, so he is definitely settled. And I waited over a week to try to feed him again after settling him in his new set up. I have also tried loosely crumpled newspaper and he tried to hide from them (wedged himself as far away from the newspaper as he could and hid behind his water dish), so I took that out after a few days. I have no held him (besides the necessary moving from cage and attempt at feeding) that entire time. His container is at 81 degrees on the cool side, 94 degrees on the hot side, and at 54% humidity. 3/4ths of his container is covered with black paper, so that it is more private and secure for him.

I have looked up a few tutorials online on how to assist feed a ball python, and I have read the one on this very site as well. I have researched it to the death to make sure I don't hurt him. I have given that a try twice, and he has shown no interest in trying to eat it. I'll only insert the head barely into the throat and then hold him and the rat still so that Crane has a moment to calm down and 'walk' his mouth up the rat to begin swallowing if he so chooses. Unfortunately, about 30 seconds after I let him relax, he'll struggle and spit the rat out. I don't want to force him into not spitting it out in fear that I'll hurt him.

I am seriously starting to get worried, because he is looking skinny (I have never really seen many baby ball pythons, so I am unsure how he is supposed to look, but it just seems that he is too thin. You can see his spinal cord easily).

I have no idea what I should do now. I am so worried that I might one day wake up and find him dead from starvation. I cannot be absolutely positive that he has eaten since birth (I have seen urates, so he is drinking water, but I do not see any feces yet.). If I recall correctly, he is around a month and three weeks. A month of that is without eating.

If the knowledgeable people on here have any ideas or suggestions, please tell me. I am trying to do everything I can to keep him happy and healthy and well kept. And other than his lack of appetite, he seems to be doing well. I have noticed no other health issues, so I am really at a loss of what to do now.

Any help would be wonderful right about now.

Have you tried live? Mouse hoppers, right?

I have tried live Rat Pinkies, since they were out of live fuzzies at the moment, then I tried live rat fuzzies. Should I try live mouse hoppers now, you think?

Well, mouse hoppers are one thing I've heard that are the right size for a snake that age. I'm not too familiar with rodent "sizes". I'm just thinking try live, appropriately sized prey. Cuz F/T's not working, y'know?

I don't have much experience, but I haven't yet heard of an assist feed failing.

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Originally Posted by quillian91

I have tried live Rat Pinkies, since they were out of live fuzzies at the moment, then I tried live rat fuzzies. Should I try live mouse hoppers now, you think?

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Alright this is what your going to do. Sounds like your snake has a serious dislike to f.t so I would stray away from that and stick to live prey. A live hopper is best, but go to petco sometimes they have some really small mice that will do as well. Pinks aren't typically fed to bp's, and I have never tried to do this once. My babies started on small mice, or hoppers.

Don't waste time/money on f.t anymore. Its not working. My pastel male hates f/t with a passion and would die before eating it, so live live live!!

Just hang in there man! I know your going nuts right now, but I promise hes fine. Sounds like your doing great otherwise, just stay positive and get that live mouse hopper asap. You want a prey item with fur and a lot of movement. Most bp's can't resist the aroma of a nasty mouse. I think that pinks and less furry items don't give off the scent as well, or move as good either. But good Luck, please let us know how it all goes!

Thank you! I'll get the live hopper tomorrow. It has been so damn stressful, because I really love my snake, and I don't want something to happen to him, which I am terrified it will. I guess I am a really big animal lover (I love my fair share of kittens, like any girl, but reptiles especially have a place in my heart...).

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I would have probably torn my hair out with stress if I hadn't had some place to turn to...

NP.

Keep me updated on this.

Good Luck :salute:

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Originally Posted by Animals As Leaders

NP.

Keep me updated on this.

Good Luck :salute:

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All of us, please. We'd really like to hear it turn out well.

Currently, Crane is lounging in his cage with a full belly! He ate, finally! I went to the local Reptile store, which is a wonderful place that really knows how to take care of reptiles, and I told the owner my problem with Crane. She led me to the back and gave me a live African Soft-furred Rat fuzzy, which she said is supposed to be pretty much a guaranteed feed. He didn't eat it, eve when I left it in his cage over night. In the morning, I found the baby rat CUDDLED up to Crane as they both shared the heated-side of his container! :confused: :confused:

Sooo, that was obviously a no go. Apparently, Crane thinks mice and rats are friendly stuffed animals. :rolleyes:

However, the woman at the Rep-store told me that if he didn't take it, that I should come back the next day, with Crane, and she would either assist-feed or force feed, and teach me how to do whichever one we had to do.

She tried a live pinky mouse, just to see if he would take it through assist-feed. One she got it in his mouth, and held it for a moment, he kinda started to coil and constrict (though he is really bad at it), and eventually killed it. He then did the walk-up and finally swallowed it. We did this three more times, so he ate four pinkies in total. We had to assist feed all four times, as he refused to strike at it, and he was horrible at constricting. He kept coiling around his neck, which made it a lot harder for him to swallow.

However, I have him on a feeding plan now, to get his weight up. She told me that after he defecates, that I should feed him again, five pinkies, so that his weight will go back to normal (he was so skinny, I was worried I would wake up and find him dead...). And apparently, he is older than I thought. He has apparently already gone through his first shed, since his 'belly button' is a slight yellowy, instead of vivid pink.

Anyways, thanks everyone for all the information and advice. I am so relieved that he has eaten, finally! He just doesn't seem to know how to eat without help. Thanks again!