bp still not eating.

are you feeding him in his eclosure? he may not feel secure.

my girl was "trained" to eat in a seperate container from the one she lives in ( her substate could be eaten and cause problems which is why i feed her in a different container ). if i've EVER had issues getting her to eat (shes on F/T ) its either because

1. the rodent is not warm enough

or

2. she dosent feel secure enough. i feed her in the bathroom (no carpet ) and put the rat in, close the lid on her feeding container, turn the lights off and close the door. she always takes them for me.

you could try covering 3 sides of the tank with dark paper, to help him feel more secure. i'd also highly suggest getting a fecal float done.

also, i've heard it is advised against to feed gerbils, hampsters and chicks.no gerbils because they're expensive and difficult to find and balls can imprint on them, meaning if you start feeding them it will be VERY difficult to switch them to something else which if you ever need to get rid of your animal, could make it very difficult. no hampsters because they're high in fat (?) and no chicks because they arent very nutritional for balls and they can cause their stools to be very runny. again, this is all hearsay, i wouldnt quote this directly. but i'd definately do some research before switching the prey item.

good luck with him!

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Originally Posted by clockwork

are you feeding him in his eclosure? he may not feel secure.

my girl was "trained" to eat in a seperate container from the one she lives in ( her substate could be eaten and cause problems which is why i feed her in a different container ).

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Well, I have tried feeding him in and out of his enclosure, the same ones he has always fed in. He has been feeding in a separate enclosure since I have gotten him. I generally tried outside his enclosure.

I don't know why he just magically took it at the store, and not at home, I changed nothing, he ate in the same box as always, I thought the travel would stress him out, but did the exact opposite.

I will grab some construction paper and put it on his tank..

Just like when you go to the mechanic and the car is fine.

Glad he ate for you.
What did you bring him to the store in? The box?
Maybe being in a small enclosure made him feel secure enough for his appetite to get his attention.

The reality is if the ambient temps dip below lower 80's in the winter, many will go off feed or eat sparingly. In a tank security, temps and humidity(also important) can be real difficult to control especially come winter time.

I remember reading somewhere that a person had had success with more than one of their balls, of when they go off feed, take them for a car ride, and then they'd eat. They said something about the stimulation of the new experience triggering a feeding response, I think.

I do not remember where I saw this, so I have no idea if it is good advice or not. Maybe one of the more experienced members can comment?

I have normally fed my BP in his enclosure but he hasn't eaten in months and hasn't even shown much interest. I tried something different and put him in a small rubbermaid container and left him there for a little bit while cleaning out his cage and then offered him a warm thawed mouse and he finally took it. I was getting worried because he hadn't eaten in so long, although he didn't lose much weight. He spent the rest of the night cruising around his cage, probably looking for another mouse. I don't know if the change of scenery stimulated him to eat or not but it is worth a try.

Just thought I would give everyone an update on my ball.

I bought 2 Female Mice today from petco, put the snake in his feed box, threw in one of the mice, didn't take it, so, I thought I would bring him in the basement as thats were I used to do my live feeding. Threw the mouse back in the box, took it like a pro. Swallowed it, and threw in the next and took that one too. :D
Maybe the basement made a difference? Possibly because its cooler and drier?

I have since start of this post, put black construction paper on three sides, and part of the front, and raised the temps by 2*F.

Thanks for everyone's help since this has all started back in October. I am sure he will regain his lost weight after this meal, and start growing again. :snake:

Do you stimulate him before you feed? I would lean towards him smelling the mouse getting him into feedind mode and thats why he took it. Just something to think about.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Do you stimulate him before you feed? I would lean towards him smelling the mouse getting him into feedind mode and thats why he took it. Just something to think about.

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I do, I leave the container of the mice on top of his cage for 30 minutes or so, and he usually pops his head out in a few minutes.

I recently purchased a new baby ball from a PETCO. Id hadn't eaten for a week and I started to worry. It was marked down which can be a sign that the store was trying to get rid of a sick animal. Anyway, being somewhat experinced in herp raising ( I currently own a healthy three foot nile monitor which is about five that i raised from a baby) , I decided the snake would have a better chance with me than being returned to the store. After considering time of year and husbandry issues, I decide to force feed a week into owenership. Now had I owned the snake for a while and saw it eating and drinking, I would have held off of force feeding. But it being anew acquisition and not knowing when it last ate or drank, I decided to go for it. I took the flat end aof aforks handle and GENTLY pried open the mouth and worked a fuzzy into its mouth. It didnt take much and when it was about half way in its relfexes took over and it took the mouse down. Ive been watching it and it has kept it down, which had it ben sick I dont think it would have done. Daily I have given it water by dropper mixed with a good herp vitamin. I feel better that it has eaten and may wait a week and if need be force feed one more time before taking it to a vet. With a couple of meals in and it being properly hydrated, I would expect it to strat eating on its own in the near future. I welcome feedback on my take on things and appreciate any suggestions.