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Hatchlings at work
I work at Petsmart and we have two hatchling corn snakes there. They are in the same cage (temps and humidity are good though). Of course, Petsmart has dumb feeding rules. We have to take the corn snakes out of their cage, put them in the plastic critter keepers and feed them only f/t feeders. The method of warming the feeders is having them in little baggies and warming them up in boiling water. This tends to cook them and they are gross (no wonder they won't eat them)
Today I tried just thawing out a pinky (it is about the size of a 3 day old pinky, so a little too big for the smallest hatchling) but neither took one. I have to follow Petsmart rules and I can't bring in my own feeders, so how can I get these two to eat?
Do you think moving their entire cage to the back (we can't feed them "on the floor") and feed them in their cage will work? Any advice? Oh and they have been at the store for just around 2 weeks. They have attempted to feed 3x (today was try 3).
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny
I work at Petsmart and we have two hatchling corn snakes there. They are in the same cage (temps and humidity are good though). Of course, Petsmart has dumb feeding rules. We have to take the corn snakes out of their cage, put them in the plastic critter keepers and feed them only f/t feeders. The method of warming the feeders is having them in little baggies and warming them up in boiling water. This tends to cook them and they are gross (no wonder they won't eat them)
Today I tried just thawing out a pinky (it is about the size of a 3 day old pinky, so a little too big for the smallest hatchling) but neither took one. I have to follow Petsmart rules and I can't bring in my own feeders, so how can I get these two to eat?
Do you think moving their entire cage to the back (we can't feed them "on the floor") and feed them in their cage will work? Any advice? Oh and they have been at the store for just around 2 weeks. They have attempted to feed 3x (today was try 3).
Well have they had the first shed? If not they might not be hungry yet.You will be surprised what they can eat ;).I would be patient and try next week.Oh tell the manager you do not have to boil the pinky :rolleyes:
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Yea, I told them they didn't have to boil the pinkies. I'm not sure if they have shed yet. The bigger one, maybe, but the tiniest one is really small. I will try again next week.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Yeah, don't boil the pinkies. Just warm them up in how water from the tap. Might be time to try live.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Petsmart is against live feeding of any animal other than insects and fish so I could try and sneak some live pinkies to them but I don't want to risk getting fired.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
When I worked there, any snake that wouldnt eat I would set up in the iso room separately and lay the pinks under a basking light until thawed then offered. If refused I allowed 2-3 days before offering again.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
I havent fed the snakes at petsmart yet, the manager does it. but after a while they catch on, just dont boil them...
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Hmm, I might ask the manager if we could at least take one corn snake out of the display tank and set it up in the back and to and get it to feed. The thing is, I think they are more concerned with selling it than getting it to eat, though I wonder what the "pet parents" think when they take home a snake that won't eat. Ugh. Yea, I already have to talk with him about an employee who forgot to give the guinea pigs water overnight (I was livid when I got to work this morning and found them without water!), so I could just add this to the list of things to talk with him about.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
yea set it up in the back. customers should refuse to buy a non eating snake anyway unless they are well experienced. There are always ways to get around P&P (petty and pointless) at Petsmart. My store didnt have cameras which made things better too!:gj:
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Well if its against their policy to feed live, then just politely inform them that the snakes may die.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Do you guys have any Anoles at your store? If you have some little lizards, maybe you could try "scenting" the thawed pinks in their tank. Baby Corns really seem to like this smell. You could also try "braining" the pink....as the scent of the brain matter is also enticing to them. Hope something works for the poor little guys. Good luck!
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Re: Hatchlings at work
An update on these two hatchlings. I talked with the pet care manager and he says as much as he'd like to change how they are fed, there was not much I could do. We had to follow the rules, so I took the corn snakes out of their main cage and put them in separate kritter keepers like they normally do but I did a few things differently. I filled the two kritter keepers with balled up paper and put them in the new animal room with the lights off. I also thawed out the pinkies and put them on the lids of the kritter keepers to scent the enclosures. Then after about 20-30 min of this, I offered the pinkies. Neither took them, so I put the pinkies in the kritter keepers and left them alone with them with the lights off. The larger of the two ate, but the smaller one still refuses. But I at least got one to eat. I'm going to try again soon. The rules allow for feeding young snakes 2x per week, so I was thinking of trying again in 4 days or so. I'm trying the ball pythons tomorrow.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
At petsmart, if I snake refuses you can try again 3 days later. Also, try using one of the specimen containers instead because they are smaller and cover them. Put some of the bedding from one of the lizard cages in the bottom also helps. Petsmart also has a regional reptile vet (contact info is on the computer). If you email him he can give you a waiver to try different feeding techniques. Good luck.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny
Petsmart is against live feeding of any animal other than insects and fish so I could try and sneak some live pinkies to them but I don't want to risk getting fired.
This is one policy from Petsmart I DO NOT like at all. If you have a non-eater that may just only take live, then is the company just going to make the poor snake starve because it won't eat f/t? I could never figure that one out.....
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Re: Hatchlings at work
I'm not sure if they'd let it starve or not. The smallest corn has flat out refused both times I've tried to feed it. I'm going to try again the next time I'm at work and it the little corn does not eat, I'm going to approach the store manager about it. If he doesn't let me try another feeding technique, I'm going to ask him if I can pull the snake to the back since it is obviously "not well" and it will go to the sick room where I can feed it the way I want to.
Thanks for all your help :).
Oh and about the regional reptile vet. Am I allowed to contact them, or does it have to be a manager? My goal is to become pet care manager later on but I've only been at this job for a few weeks.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
Unfortunately the manager has to contact the veg but all the info is on fetch.
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Re: Hatchlings at work
If the whole pinkie is too big, can you just lop off the head and see if the small one will eat that? I imagine that's against the rules too though...
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Re: Hatchlings at work
No that is not against the rules but I doubt anyone but me and the pet care manager would be willing to do it. I go into work tonight so I'm going to try and see if I can't get the smaller one to eat.
Thanks for the advice everyone!
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