Weak Feeding response

Hi All,

Here I am, back again, complaining about my bp's eating habits. If anyone recalls any of my earlier posts, I have an adult male (about 7yrs) who decided to go on an excessive fast (13 months.) Good news is he's started eating a few mice here and there but I can't get him to accept rats anymore.

With much hassle, I've gotten him to eat about 4 adult mice in the last 3 weeks (so that's 4 mice in 14 months) - I realize this is not enough food but he just seems so disinterested in feeding now. I feed him FT and upon preparation he appears engaged but then as soon as I put it near him he just smells it a moment and turns his head in the other direction. He's coiled only one of the mice, the other 3 times, he just ate it at some point overnight when left inside a hide.

I'm getting really frustrated by this whole ordeal and I've started seriously considering trying feeding him live. He's never seen a live mouse before and, in my opinion, I think it would frighten him. Usually he shys away and wont come back near the FT if I even accidenty brush it against him during a feeding attempt.

I guess I'm just looking for some insight from someone whos dealt with such a long fast before...does it take some time for their feeding response to pick back up or to get a regular size appetite back? How long? It's been a month and he's not even eating adequate meals for a snake half his size.

Thanks!

I'd offer him small live rats. I would have offered him small live rats months ago actually.

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Originally Posted by Rickys_Reptiles

I'd offer him small live rats. I would have offered him small live rats months ago actually.

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I appreciate the response, but may I ask why your go to method would be a live rat? Not many people advise to feed live rats in general, but I'm especially curious why you would suggest to feed a live rat to a snake with such a week feeding response who is currently not even reacting to the scent of a rat...even minimal reaction to the scent of a mouse.

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Originally Posted by Darwin

I appreciate the response, but may I ask why your go to method would be a live rat? Not many people advise to feed live rats in general, but I'm especially curious why you would suggest to feed a live rat to a snake with such a week feeding response who is currently not even reacting to the scent of a rat...even minimal reaction to the scent of a mouse.

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I have had a few males over the years refuse food for months at a time. I toss a live rat in there and all of a sudden BAM feeding response is back. Some people just like thier steak rare and fresh ;) You hear about rats attacking snakes, butto be honest its 1 in a thousnd or more I'd guess. If the snake doesn't take the live rat in 2 or 3 minutes I'd take it out. But, it's worth a try.

There's a saying in the computer industry: When in doubt, reboot.

Likewise, with snakes, when in doubt, feed live. :)

My Pastel male also stop feeding for 13 Months. He Finally started to eat mice but refused to eat rats. I managed to switch him over to rats by scenting the rat with mice scent using a bag with both a frozen mouse and a rat so that the scent can mix.

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Originally Posted by elduki

My Pastel male also stop feeding for 13 Months. He Finally started to eat mice but refused to eat rats. I managed to switch him over to rats by scenting the rat with mice scent using a bag with both a frozen mouse and a rat so that the scent can mix.

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Yeah, I've tried that but he's not falling for it. It boggles my mind because despite usually eating rats, I'd give him mice every now and then if I had some on hand I wanted to get rid of and he would accept either interchangably. I thought he'd come back around but, I'm thinking this is going on too long to just consider it a weird 'phase'.

I might try a live mouse first just to test his reaction...I think I'm too nervous to put a rat in with him without knowing. I really don't like live feeding; had pet mice pre-entering the reptile world so I've always been adament about keeping him on FT.

When it comes down to it, if live feeding will enable me to get him back on a regular feeding schedule, I'll just have to learn to deal with it. Truth be told, I've had a couple teary eyed seshes seeing beardies be fed live - one of them was just completely torturous to the poor mice. Damn my sensitive side!

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Originally Posted by Darwin

Yeah, I've tried that but he's not falling for it. It boggles my mind because despite usually eating rats, I'd give him mice every now and then if I had some on hand I wanted to get rid of and he would accept either interchangably. I thought he'd come back around but, I'm thinking this is going on too long to just consider it a weird 'phase'.

I might try a live mouse first just to test his reaction...I think I'm too nervous to put a rat in with him without knowing. I really don't like live feeding; had pet mice pre-entering the reptile world so I've always been adament about keeping him on FT.

When it comes down to it, if live feeding will enable me to get him back on a regular feeding schedule, I'll just have to learn to deal with it. Truth be told, I've had a couple teary eyed seshes seeing beardies be fed live - one of them was just completely torturous to the poor mice. Damn my sensitive side!

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I'd stick with a small rat, they are liss nippy than mice.

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Originally Posted by Rickys_Reptiles

I'd stick with a small rat, they are liss nippy than mice.

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Really? Ok, I'll give that a go then. Maybe that wont tug on my heart strings so much either thinking about my precious little mouse colony I had back in the day. lol

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Originally Posted by Darwin

Really? Ok, I'll give that a go then. Maybe that wont tug on my heart strings so much either thinking about my precious little mouse colony I had back in the day. lol

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Unfortunatly, small rats are also absolutly adorable. :S sorry

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Originally Posted by Rickys_Reptiles

Unfortunatly, small rats are also absolutly adorable. :S sorry

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Yes that is the truth. I just have a soft spot for mice.

My story is this: I had 3 of them (supposed girls) back in uni (apartment pet options were limited to small caged animals) Anyway, one turned out to be a male and before I knew it everyone was pregnant and having babies back to back and I was left with a crazy number of mice on my hands.

Ironically, I kept them all and raised them up until they were big enough to give to the petstore without a sure fate that they would be fed to their snakes as pinkies. Yes, I do realize they more than likely ended up as feeders but I just choosing to be hopelessly niave at the time.

LOL...but hey, those were mice, not rats...LOL. So I'll give a try to your small live rat feeding suggestion.

Another quick question...might sound silly but I've never fed this way so I guess I'm clueless. If I am feeding a small live rat rather than FT mediums, Im assuming I'll have to feed 2-3 a week (depending on their size.)


Should I be trying to feed 2 on the same day or one on feeding day and another mid way through the week? Or does it not make any difference?

Thanks.

feed 1, then for the next 3 weeks try feeding f/t rats. Repeat if necessary. You don't want to switch your snake onto live, you just want it to get used to the taste/smell of rats.

So if I feed him a live one the first week and try ft the next week and he doesn't take it, do I feed another live one or should I not feed at all and just try again the next week?

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Originally Posted by Darwin

So if I feed him a live one the first week and try ft the next week and he doesn't take it, do I feed another live one or should I not feed at all and just try again the next week?

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I'd just try again next week, and the weeek after. The 1 live rat will provide enough nutrition for a few weeks.