Puzzling feeding issue(s)

I bought a spider ball python from a breeder in Wisconsin named Tim (the rest of the information on him would require digging on another site) he seemed reputable and the the snake seemed healthy and lively enough to purchase . It weighed 500 g when I bought it. Since then ( back in mid-summer) it has eaten about 2 or 3 times and I am becoming concerned. It won't eat live or f/t on paper towel or aspen or cypress mulch or coco fibers . The enclosure is covered on three sides and the hot side is roughly 90 degrees with a cold side of about 80. My remaining two ball pythons eat fine in similar environments. The only difference is this one has two hides instead of one ( in an attempt to make it more secure ) the only thing I have not tried is force feeding . And that is not an overstatement . Any suggestions ?


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Do you have a current weight? Has the snake lost any weight?

Did its previous keeper have it on mice or rats? (If you aren't sure, this would be the time to contact Tim.) And what size/type have you been offering?

Have you tried feeding outside the enclosure? I personally don't do it, but it may not be used to feeding inside the enclosure, depending on what its previous keeper did. One trick that I've heard works well on stubborn eaters is putting both the snake and the feeder in a paper bag, or, if too big, a shoebox, somewhere tight and dark, but still breatheable.

Other tips:
Thawing in warm chicken broth
Braining (use the search function here on the forums for an instruction manual)

Have you had a fecal done and/or treated him for parasites? Every now and then this seems to turn picky eaters around.

He had it on weaned rat pups. And it is still sitting at 500g .


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I have tried feeding it in various environments . No I have not checked for parasites. But I was just looking into it


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If its weight isn't fluctuating much, then it is probably just not hungry. As long as the weight remains relatively constant, the snake may go without food for a long time. Just be sure to keep its husbandry okay, and keep offering food on a regular basis.

Alright. I'll go on as usual. Thanks for the insight .


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Personally, I still think the fecal is a good idea. We run them on new additions before they leave QT, and on a random selection of animals in our collection once a year. Our vet is of the opinion that parasites are more common in CB collections than people think, and I figure random testing can't hurt.

Hmm. I'll have to look into that. And local vets do that ?


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Yes, any vet should be able to do it. They may or may not require an exam first...mine doesn't since she realizes we are dealing with a large collection. We just drop fecals off and she emails is the results.

Alright. Thanks


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by FireStorm

Have you had a fecal done and/or treated him for parasites? Every now and then this seems to turn picky eaters around.

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It worked for one of my girls, stress from shipping upset the bacterial balance in her gut and she slowly ate less and less and less. Two weeks of baytril injections and she was eating like a pig.

After an attempted f/t feeding last night my snake decided to eat... Should I capitalize on it's feeding response and try to feed it again in a day or 2?


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Any thoughts ?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Recreation

After an attempted f/t feeding last night my snake decided to eat... Should I capitalize on it's feeding response and try to feed it again in a day or 2?

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From what I understand, offering food too soon after a feeding attempt can cause stress for your snake, so it's best to wait until the next scheduled feeding day. I personally would wait 5-7 days before offering again. Keep in mind that the longer you wait, the more likely he is to be hungry when you offer next. This may have already been mentioned, but I probably wouldn't handle him for a while until he's eating more regularly.

Hope that helps :)