Small feeding concern.

Hello!
I've got a small problem with my BP, he won't go for the f/t I offer.
I know they can go on hunger strikes but I'm a bit worried for this baby, he's only 107 grams.
When I got him on the 23rd(11 days ago) the seller said he hadn't eaten in a while(1-2 weeks?),
but had previously had him on just live feedings.

So! My question is should I continue to offer f/t and hope? Or should I go try and get a small live feeder then try and continue the f/t, just so I know he's had something to eat recently?
Also he has struck and coiled a f/t last Sunday, but didn't eat it. I've even tried leaving two over night with no success.

His humidity and temperature are kept correct too. So how worried should I be for this little guy?
If not trying a live feeding, what if I just offer a f/t every day until he decides to try it?

Thank you! <3

This was a concern for me with one of my girls. I use a heat lamp to warm up the head any body a bit before I offer the f/t mouse/rat. Make sure you're feeding at night too at least around 8pm. With trouble feeders its good to make sure the room is nice and dark. It makes them feel much more confident. You can a table lamp or something fairly close so you can see though. Don't stand around gawking at the little guy either. If you want to monitor to see how its going try not to make too many sudden movements, and try to stay about five feet away.

To answer your original question, Don't worry about the last time he was fed. Try and wait a week to leave him be. Waiting will only make his feeding response stronger(from being hungry). While you wait keep an eye on his behavior. An active ball is a hungry ball. If he strikes make sure to tug on the tail of the f/t feeder, or any body part, without touching the snake. It'll help stimulate the feeding response too. Finally, don't get too worried!

At that size there is not much weight to lose, I would attempt live prey.


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only 107 grams?

hard to be relaxed in this case, the anxiety would kill me and i would try live or assist-feeding really soon, one of the two options, in no particular order.

Try live for a few feedings and then switch back to f/t.

Try live for a few feeding so you know he's getting some kind of meal, then try pre-killed for a few feedings, then try going to f/t. That's the way I've had to switch over a problem feeder to f/t. Also, I feed him smaller meals than he should be eating, so I know he's got food in him, but he's still a bit hungry.

EDIT: Also, definitely do not offer food every day. This will just stress him out even more, and it will make him fear feeding time. I only offer each feeding day, which is every five days.

I don't let them go more than a month without eating one way or another until they're over 250 grams or so. I would try a live feeding at this point. If you can't get a live rat of the right size, your snake should be able to take down a small mouse relatively safely. I would keep a pencil nearby in case the mouse is able to get its mouth to the snake.

Sometimes you definitely need to wait them out a bit on the F/T, so don't be afraid to let them go a while between feedings. I just personally wouldn't go more than a month or 5 weeks.

GL

As much as I prefer f/t, in this case I would try a live feeding just to make sure the snake eats. The adults can go for much longer without food, but this being a baby I would worry too much.

How are you thawing out the frozen food? Are you warming it up at all?
I bought a pair of axanthic babies last month, both were 60 grams when they arrived, and both were fed live. Their first feeding with me (both within a week of arrival) was f/t and they've been on f/t since. *So far* all of my snakes have been happy to take f/t, but I don't just thaw it out, I let it warm up under a heat lamp until it resembles the body temperature of a live rodent. My snakes also seem to have had a higher feeding response since I've moved them into the same room where I keep my pet rats and rabbits. Smelling "food" all the time really seems to help perk their appetites!

Alright thank you everyone!
Yes I have been thawing them out then heating them up to warm them, then tong dangling. When I've left them in with him over night I've left them on top of the UTH.
I'll go find a live feeder today, hoping my local pet shop carries them!
Thanks again!

Edit: also I've been using a heat gun to thaw them.

Sounds like you need to go live. also check your temps and use a small enclosure. Cool temps or large enclosures will make him fast as well.

Alright, I got a small feeder mouse for him today.
Should I offer it tonight, or wait another few days?
Im just all worried about him killing over, which I guess is over worrying?
He has been drinking and passing urine and urates.

His temps and humidity are normal from what I've read from care sheets. I did do 3 months of study before purchasing, so I'm not completely uninformed. :D

Also I do have a smaller black tub I could try to feed him in/move him over to. His current tub isn't too big, or so I thought, and it's cluttered with hides and his water bowl. I also drap a towel over that tub at night just in case, also have had it draped over every time I've tried feeding him, so I don't stand and watch.
I will be watching from afar with this live feeder though, of course.

Feed him in his enclosure. Moving them can just stress them out and make them not eat, which is not what you want right now. I wouldn't feed tonight. You last offered yesterday(?) so wait 5 days from then to offer again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Darkshadow1005

Alright, I got a small feeder mouse for him today.
Should I offer it tonight, or wait another few days?
Im just all worried about him killing over, which I guess is over worrying?
He has been drinking and passing urine and urates.

His temps and humidity are normal from what I've read from care sheets. I did do 3 months of study before purchasing, so I'm not completely uninformed. :D

Also I do have a smaller black tub I could try to feed him in/move him over to. His current tub isn't too big, or so I thought, and it's cluttered with hides and his water bowl. I also drap a towel over that tub at night just in case, also have had it draped over every time I've tried feeding him, so I don't stand and watch.
I will be watching from afar with this live feeder though, of course.

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Leave him in his enclosure to feed; moving them can sometimes increase stress and cause them to refuse food.

If it's been a week since you last offered him food, then offer him the mouse tonight. Otherwise, wait until it's been at least a week. I absolutely would NOT assist/force feed him yet, as you have not exhausted all other options. Forcefeeding is one of the most stressful things you can do to a snake, and should be an absolute last resort. Try the live mouse, and take it from there. I'm sure he'll snatch up the live mouse with no problem. :)

-Jen

Alright! Thank you so much!
Think I'll update this in a week then.

Quick update!
He snatched the live feeder up perfectly! First strike and everything(I heard some spider morphs have a hard time with that).
He got it down fine in a few minutes and then hung out in him warm hide for two days. Weighed him last night after letting him digest, he's now 133 grams, though of course that's because of the mouse but still, it's good!

Thanks again everyone!