Frustrated Keeper

I am becoming more and more frustrated with Jack, my little pastel who is on strike.

He is down from around 725 to 618. I don't know if I need to take him to the vet, he seems fine other than the weight loss he doesn't have any obvious effects from the strike. If I did my math right he has only lost about 6.7% of his body weight, when I put it in a percentage it doesn't seem like alot. Am I just being a worry wart? Should I try to assist feed? I don't think I will hurt him by trying an assist if I am very gentle.

I've got a meal in with him now, hopefully he eats.

Mike

How long has he been on strike? And no - I wouldn't assist feed right now - my mojave just had his first meal in MONTHS, and he lost probably 100 grams as well.

He has been on strike since Oct.

It's just not natural for something to not eat for 6 months.

I just want to yell at him till he eats, not really but that is how I feel every time I take food back out of his tub.

I just don't want my snakes to be uncomfortable or be in some sort of pain because of me, I guess that is why it is bothering me is because I do not know whats wrong and am blaming myself.

Mike

almost 6 months and only 100grams is not bad at all.

How is he set up and how are you offering his food. His taste might of changed and wants some changes made.

are you feeding live?

I have yet to experience a strike, but I can only imagine how frustrating it is.

Have you exhausted all other options? Changing prey items (ASFs typically do the trick), switching to live (if you feed F/T), braining, pillow casing, etc.

I wouldn't consider assist/force feeding just yet. He might just be one of those stubborn males who insists on having a female to "bed" before they'll start eating again. :rolleyes:

Fill us in on what you're feeding him and what you've tried - we'll do our best to help you out. :gj:

Forgot to add that a good lone warm car ride sometimes kicks them back into gear.

I feed ASFs as a normal prey item

I have offered f/t ASF, live ASF pinkie hopper juvenile and adult. I have also offered 1 adult mouse and one medium rat, the rat was to big I bought her (Gladice, she now has a friend Gladices "friend") one day when I was put up fliers for work and she was just to big.

I have not put crumpled paper in with him but I did switch from paper back to aspen. I will put paper in with him tomorrow maybe that will help him. I even left a shed in with him this week. He did shed I guess that is a good thing, I thought they only shed when they were growing? Or is that just stupid thinking?

Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moofins07

I have yet to experience a strike, but I can only imagine how frustrating it is.

Have you exhausted all other options? Changing prey items (ASFs typically do the trick), switching to live (if you feed F/T), braining, pillow casing, etc.

I wouldn't consider assist/force feeding just yet. He might just be one of those stubborn males who insists on having a female to "bed" before they'll start eating again. :rolleyes:

Fill us in on what you're feeding him and what you've tried - we'll do our best to help you out. :gj:

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I do have a pastel that I was putting him with before he went on strike, your the second person to suggest that maybe I should put him in with her after she eats and digests.

Mike

Hm. Sounds like you've tried almost anything. I would give the pillow case a shot, however. Pre-kill an ASF and put both the snake and the prey inside a breathable pillow case. Leave within the enclosure overnight, and hopefully there will be no ASF in the morning.

If that still fails to work, I would just wait it out a little longer. Breeding season is pretty lengthy with these guys. Continue to pair them for a while longer and he should snap out of it.

First...yes it is fairly "normal" for a Ball Python not to eat for months.

Now BG is gonna give you some tough love. He may start doing this with everyone with this problem. This is what BG wants you to do.

SHUT UP AND WAIT!!!!!!!!:D

OK I took his ASF put it in the pillow case made three good loops and smaked him on a solid wood table, just to make sure the unfortunate deed was done and the poor little booger wasn't just knocked out (not cool for anyone involved) I gave him a couple more good whomps. I put them both in the pillow case if he doesn't eat by this evening I will remove the ASF and pillow case and fill up his tub with crumpled newspaper until next week and try again.

Thanks for the advice folks, I guess my noobness is getting the best of me, I do feel alot more comfortable. I will let you guys know how it goes.

On a great note my little mojo that I just got from Till ate 2 juvenile ASFs.

Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hoax

I am becoming more and more frustrated with Jack, my little pastel who is on strike.

He is down from around 725 to 618. If I did my math right he has only lost about 6.7% of his body weight, when I put it in a percentage it doesn't seem like alot.

I've got a meal in with him now, hopefully he eats.

Mike

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I'm no snake expert, but you didn't get your math right. He's lost about 14.8% of his body weight ( (725-618)/725 * 100 = 14.758). I'm no BP expert, I'm here to learn, so I don't know if a (roughly) 15% body weight loss should be a concern. I'm hoping he'll eat again soon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hoax

He has been on strike since Oct.

It's just not natural for something to not eat for 6 months.



Mike

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For most ball pythons it's very natural. One of my big girls would not eat for 11 months:rage:

Snakes going off feed from like oct-april-may can be common last year I had two or three that went off feed for 6+ months.

Ha Ha success!!!!!

He ate today! I am very excited.

Just had to be patient. Thanks guys and gals

Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hoax

Ha Ha success!!!!!

He ate today! I am very excited.

Just had to be patient. Thanks guys and gals

Mike

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Glad he finally ate for you, dude.

Yell all you want; they're deaf so they don't mind.;) I know the feeling mine goes on strike from Nov.-Mar. each year apparently. By late Feb I was getting seriously stressed about it. I'm not sure what is considered "drastic" weight loss, but I say just stay cool and wait 'em out. I know. Easier said than done. Good luck.

oh yeah I just knew I was the worst snake daddy of all time!

I was seriously disparaged.

Just keep your head up and wait them out, they will eat!

Mike

I have male that's been off feed all winter--no worries, they'll eat when they're ready. It's supposed to warm up again in a couple of days, and I'm planning to do rounds and offer them all food again then.

Good, glad he ate for you. One of my Lessers that didnt eat from 12/5 til last week. About 5 months. He was 1000g and dropped to about 900. No big deal. In most cases they wont starve themselves to death.
In my case he would always check out the (FT) item but just seemed not interested. Then the other day i offered, he seemed not interested,i moved on to the rest, then came back to him 2 min later and he nailed it. Thats not the first snake that needed a second chance.

I house adult males and females in the same rack, and when they smell the females during breeding season, it can sometimes put them off feed. I was told that they dont even have to be in the same room and they'll smell the girls.

Hey Hoax,

You mentioned that your snake finally ate - was it the pillow case trick that worked for you??