Trip to a vet did not help my snake, please help

Hello everyone, I've browsed here for a while now ever since I got my BP about 5 months ago. I made an account tonight because I need some help or advice. I apologize in advance if this is long or rambling..
BACKSTORY:
I took my snake to a vet tonight that said they treated snakes when I first called and made an appointment. The reason for the appointment is because my snake is young (I got him from petsmart in june) and he hasn't eaten in 2 months. I checked most of the threads on here and have tried many of the steps (changing temp, humidity, warmer mouse, cooler mouse, smaller mouse, blanket over tank, blowdryer, etc.) and I still have had no luck. I know adult snakes can go for months and months without eating but I am concerned because my snake is still so young and it's been 8 weeks of me trying, sometimes up to 3 different mice a night just to see if the temperature of one wasn't ideal or whatever.
AT THE VET (main point of my post):
Even though I was told on the phone the vet treated snakes, he vet didn't seem like he knew too much about ball pythons at all. During the exam, he asked if I brought a stool sample and I had not (or been asked to) so he stuck a q-tip up my snake's cloaca and when pulling it out my snake urinated and there was a little blood, it looked like he had torn a little of the edge of the cloaca where it meets the scales and the cloaca was protruding slightly (after a few minutes it seemed to go back to normal but the skin above it seems a bit 'loose' for lack of better words). He acted like nothing was wrong but after a few minutes I asked if the blood was normal and he assured me it was but he'd "put some anti-septic cream there just to be safe". He then smeared the urine on a glass microscope slide and went to the back of the office "to check for parasites, etc". When he returned he didn't mention anything so I asked if he had found anything and he mumbled something about protozoa (because he mumbled through this I have no idea what he actually said) and that he didn't find anything but you would need advanced equipment to know for sure (this unasked for procedure tacked another 25 dollars on my bill). I'm honestly just worried about my snake at this point and if there's any risk of damage being done from the q-tip to my snakes cloaca or scales. I have held my snake and he seems happy (he trusts me and loves crawling around me - sticks his head between my fingers when he is scared instead of going into a ball) and alright but I am keeping him in his travel tub for now, I'm afraid of I put him in his tank he could get infected if the small particles of coconut husk (I use the eco earth powdery type) get lodged in there or bacteria from the mouse he refused to eat last night (the mouse is gone but I'm guessing bacteria can linger around the substrate).
VET'S RECOMMENDATIONS (2nd point of my post):
The vet recommended:
-buying a bird feeding syringe on ebay and using wet dog food like Purina or even egg yolk to give my snake nutrients.
-force feeding pinky or crawler mice
-getting a smaller hider box and avoiding contact or sight with snake.

My questions to the community:
Does anyone have advice on what to do regarding the potential harm from the q-tip procedure? Is this something normal that I just haven't heard of before?
Is dog food and egg yolk really a good idea? IMO snakes would require totally different nutrition than dogs and egg yolk just doesn't seem right to me.
Thoughts in general?

Pictures of my snake attached, only thing I notice is minor rips near cloaca and spurs which I had not noticed before now poke through (one more so than the other)
If I'm over-reacting, feel free to tell me, I would take that as a good thing :P
Different angles of affected area:
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq2.jpg
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq4.jpg
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq5.jpg
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq6.jpg
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq7.jpg
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq8.jpg
Post care instructions:
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kq9.jpg
My little buddy:
http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kqg.jpg

Few questions.

How often are you handling the animal?

Did the animal eat for 3 months for you (likely 10-12 times then stop?)

what set up is it in?

have you tried live prey? What have you been offering it?

how much weight has it lost?

Snake looks awfully thin to me. I suggest to stop handling and let’s figure the rest out.

How often are you handling the animal?
About once a week, sometimes once every week and a half.

Did the animal eat for 3 months for you (likely 10-12 times then stop?)
He (not sure if it's a male or female but they said male at petsmart) didn't eat for the first couple weeks for me. Petsmart employee told me he had just eaten a few days before I bought him (this wasn't true, went in to see logs later and he hadn't eaten from the day petsmart got him to the day I bought him (4 weeks). So he hadn't eaten for about 6 or 7 weeks until he was first ready to eat for me. After he ate for me the first time it was every week like a charm I thought I wouldn't have to worry about it again. 8 weeks ago he stopped and hasn't eaten since. He'll come out of his cave and look at the mouse and adjust his jaws and act like he might be interested but then he just lays his head down on the plate's edge (I put the mouse on a paper plate so substrate doesn't get caught on the mouse, though the last time he ate he pulled it off the plate and swallowed a very small amount of coco substrate (about a grain of rice worth)...wonder if that's related. A few days after he ate last time he had a mucus like hiccup that occurred whenever he moved a few inches. I accidentally cured this by putting him in his travel container with some wet paper towels, when he was in there he pooped (for the first time significantly since I began feeding him, before that it was very rare and small excrement) and held in in my hands to warm him up a little. When I put him back in his tank that night he was very active and the mucus hiccup was gone.


what set up is it in?
Here's a pic of current setup: http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kqr.jpg
I know it's not impressive but I've been learning what to do for his next setup which I've been getting stuff for: http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kqt.jpg
I was planning to move him over and change to cypress mulch as soon as he eats his next meal.

have you tried live prey? What have you been offering it?
No, I really want to stay away from live prey and not get him used to it. He was eating frozen/thawed on a weekly basis before he stopped eating altogether.

how much weight has it lost?
I'm not sure, I never weighed him when I got him. When the vet weighed him tonight I believe the scale said 2.6 (ounces I'm guessing)

Snake looks awfully thin to me. I suggest to stop handling and let’s figure the rest out.
Dang, that's what I thought too based on pics I've seen here. Vet said current weight was not concerning him at the moment.

73 ounces is way too small. Sorry. Based off the picture that seems about right. Has he been in the same enclosure the entire time? Also, if that snake continues not to eat you will have to throw the whole “I don’t want to get him used to live” stuff out the window. Remember it’s what’s best for the animal. At that weight and that age you need to get weight on him and worry about the FT later in my opinion. I have 4 month olds 4 times that size. They eat appropriately sized meals every week. Just to give you a comparison. Even the slow growers are 200+ grams at that size. Also. Stop handling it until it starts eating consistently. If it continues not to eat you will have to downsize the enclosure.

I've never had a vet use a Q-tip to obtain a stool sample from a snake, but that's typical for a dog if you can't or don't bring in a fresh stool sample. I can see how
that would irritate his cloaca & cause a little bleeding...shouldn't be a major problem & it was in the snake's best interest that his stool be checked, as parasites might
be part of his problem. Snakes can die from internal parasites (like protazoa, or various kinds of worms) or external parasites (like mites).

Since his cloaca is sore right now, you should change his cage substrate & use only clean paper towels to reduce debris sticking to his tail & causing infection. If the
vet didn't give you anything to put on his sore cloaca, you could get some Vetericyn (antiseptic water-based ointment designed for snake use), either online or from
a pet store...I think Petco carries it?

DO NOT feed a snake any moist dog food, or force-feed...there are many things to sort out & fix first, but if he still won't eat, I can PM you much better directions as
a last resort way to safely feed him. But that's NOT where you start...and even your vet mentioned giving the snake "hides" (for his sense of security) & leaving him
alone. Many snakes will refuse to eat (even to the point of dying) if they are handled excessively & not allowed to de-stress. Even if captive-bred, snakes are WILD
animals, not "domestic", so to be successful in keeping them, you must put their needs first. Eating is "job #1"...best to not handle any new snake until it's feeding
regularly at normal intervals on appropriate prey for at least 3 times before you handle them at all...otherwise, you interfere with their feeding instincts because a snake
that's afraid is not going to eat, & the only thing that picks up a snake in the wild is normally a predator about to EAT them. Snakes are stoic...it's not always obvious
that they are stressed when in fact, they are. But he was eating for you, for the first 3 months??? How often & what was he fed?

Another thing: trying to feed a snake too often will only stress them into refusing. When a snake refuses food, don't offer again for another WEEK. You said you were
trying 3 mice a night...? No wonder he wouldn't eat.

FYI- I'm not a fan of feeding live either, but I put the snake's needs first, & worry about switching later. He or she does need to eat.

Also, shoving mashed up dog food and egg yolks down a more than likely stressed snakes throat isn’t the greatest advice in my opinion. The fact that a snake that small hasn’t eaten in 2 months and the vet said nothing about live prey is kinda shocking to me. Are YOU willing to feed the animal live if it doesn’t eat? If so how long are you willing to wait? Questions you have to ask yourself. I’m just not a fan of hairdryers on different settings and trying the same thing over and over with no results. An 800 gram male you can wait out. A 75 gram underweight snake is not the one you can.

Wow, I didn't know how small he actually is to what he should be. You are right what's best for the snake comes first...if he doesn't eat very soon I will consider this.

He's been in his 10 gallon tank the you see ever since I got him, the last time he ate he did great he didn't even wait for me to close the lid before he snagged onto the mouse. I noticed he had been gaining a bit of weight since I got him until he stopped eating, but that progress seems to be reversing slowly.

I'll stop handling until he eats. He was actually up to petsmarts Arctic Mice "Small Mice" before he stopped eating. After a few weeks of refusing "small mice" size I downed it to "fuzzy mice" size and have been trying that since. Do you think trying a few pinkies on a plate is a good idea? Does his cloaca flap look normal enough to you not to worry about? I started this worried about the blood I saw but based on our discussion so far I'm realizing the weight problem is more serious than I realized.

OK, part of the problem is a total lack of security (privacy) in his current set-up as shown: http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kqr.jpg

Hides must have only ONE doorway, just big enough for the snake (with a meal) to fit thru. Yours are way too open, they offer nothing for him to feel safe.

Also, you should cover the back & sides of the glass tank with dark paper for privacy, or better yet & while you're at it, use something like corrugated cardboard or
black foam board to insulate the back & sides (tape on outside of glass) to add privacy.

Back to basics: what are you using to heat his cage? is it regulated? how? What are the low end & high end (max) temps. in cage (ON substrate where the snake is)?

Besides just the hides being inadequate, most here have better results with "clutter" in their BP cages: fake plants or driftwood & such things.

You haven't mentioned measuring his humidity either? Glass tanks need a modification to keep IN the humidity for a BP...you can just cover most of the screen top with
foil or plexi or most anything that doesn't allow air (& all the moisture) to escape.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

But he was eating for you, for the first 3 months??? How often & what was he fed?

Another thing: trying to feed a snake too often will only stress them into refusing. When a snake refuses food, don't offer again for another WEEK. You said you were
trying 3 mice a night...? No wonder he wouldn't eat.

FYI- I'm not a fan of feeding live either, but I put the snake's needs first, & worry about switching later. He or she does need to eat.

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Yes, he was eating well after I got him started. First was pinkies (petsmarts suggestion) then after a few weeks I moved up to fuzzies and then right before he stopped he had 1 or 2 weeks of "small mice" (all the mice are petsmart arctic mice brand).
Thanks for the info, I thought perhaps offering different temperature mice might help that's why I was doing 3 in a night (one normal temp, slightly cooler, slightly warmer, all thawed in room temp water then warmed up at around 100 degrees before feeding). Sounds like he needs to destress big time, I'll get the substrate removed from his tank tonight and put paper towels down.

The q-tip in the vent is the least of my worries. All the prey you just mentioned is too small. My snakes might get a pinkie or two before they are on to fuzzy rats and then pups. Most of the live mice you get at the store if that’s the only place you have are 15-20 grams. Snake should have no issues with that. We can’t be inside your husbandry all the time. Live prey especially a mouse is a good indicator in my opinion if something is truly off. I have rarely if ever had a BP refuse a live mouse. I’d also try smaller hides. Those open air hides have never seemed to work when people post on here. My concern is it sounds like you are looking at that as a last resort (live mouse...) I would say if you try shoving mashed up dog food down it’s throat it will only make things worse. Same with force feeding. You have no experience in either. Sorry just being honest.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Back to basics: what are you using to heat his cage? is is regulated? how? What are the low end & high end (max) temps. in cage (ON substrate where the snake is)?

Besides just the hides being inadequate, most here have better results with "clutter" in their BP cages: fake plants or driftwood & such things.

You haven't mentioned measuring his humidity either? Glass tanks need a modification to keep IN the humidity for a BP...you can just cover most of the screen top with
foil or plexi or most anything that doesn't allow air (& all the moisture) to escape.

---

A UTH, its regulated but I have the thermometer taped to the glass underneath since my current tank has no wire-holes. I set the thermostat to 92-94 because when measuring with my infrared heat gun the substrate on his warm side stays stable between 87-92 degrees. I had a humidity meter on the wall but reading some posts here saw some horror stories with having them come loose and sticking to snakes skin. My snake kept climbing on it so I took it off to avoid it being pulled off the wall accidentally. Currently I'm misting every few days. I try to cover the top tomorrow, it's a bit difficult because it slides in grooves in the tank instead of being placed and attached from the top down and the tolerances are pretty tight because it "locks" in place. I'll have to think of something creative to cover the screen with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lifesong

Yes, he was eating well after I got him started. First was pinkies (petsmarts suggestion) then after a few weeks I moved up to fuzzies and then right before he stopped he had 1 or 2 weeks of "small mice" (all the mice are petsmart arctic mice brand).
Thanks for the info, I thought perhaps offering different temperature mice might help that's why I was doing 3 in a night (one normal temp, slightly cooler, slightly warmer, all thawed in room temp water then warmed up at around 100 degrees before feeding). Sounds like he needs to destress big time, I'll get the substrate removed from his tank tonight and put paper towels down.

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Pet stores are well-known for giving lousy advice, & telling you to start a BP on pinkies was totally wrong. "Baby" BPs normally eat at least fuzzies but many are started on hoppers (very young mice with eyes open).* BPs have heat-sensing pits & you can bank on them wanting life-like WARMTH from their prey, if not fed live. Many here have success by blow-drying (briefly) the f/t prey after thawing & immediately before offering, if you continue only offering f/t. (they cool off fast, do this right next to the cage)

*as far as prey, BPs could also be safely** fed live baby rats of a size equal to the mice & it might be worth trying if you can get them, just because some snakes have taste preferences. A rat pink is roughly = to a mouse fuzzy, a rat fuzzy is roughly = to a mouse hopper. **mice or rats with eyes still closed will never bite a snake, they don't fight back until their eyes are open, & even then, hopper mice aren't very skilled yet at self-defense.

As far as hides to make him comfortable now (!) don't wait to order/buy another...you can modify cardboard boxes for the time being...he needs to feel safe & secure. Reptile Basics is one place to get good inexpensive plastic hides, fyi. If you get a hide that's bigger than your snake is now (to grow into) you can make it 'cozy' for him by crumpling some paper & stuffing it inside until he grows bigger...BPs like "back pressure"- feeling snug in hides so that nothing can sneak up behind them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

As far as hides to make him comfortable now (!) don't wait to order/buy another...you can modify cardboard boxes for the time being...he needs to feel safe & secure. Reptile Basics is one place to get good inexpensive plastic hides, fyi. If you get a hide that's bigger than your snake is now (to grow into) you can make it 'cozy' for him by crumpling some paper & stuffing it inside until he grows bigger...BPs like "back pressure"- feeling snug in hides so that nothing can sneak up behind them.

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Replacing the substrate with paper towels and crafting a cardboard hide right now. I've been waiting and hoping for the best for too long. Thanks for all the tips, I will update this thread when I make some progress on his setup, clutter, and humidity. Waiting at least few days before I try feeding again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lifesong

A UTH, its regulated but I have the thermometer taped to the glass underneath since my current tank has no wire-holes. I set the thermostat to 92-94 because when measuring with my infrared heat gun the substrate on his warm side stays stable between 87-92 degrees. I had a humidity meter on the wall but reading some posts here saw some horror stories with having them come loose and sticking to snakes skin. My snake kept climbing on it so I took it off to avoid it being pulled off the wall accidentally. Currently I'm misting every few days. I try to cover the top tomorrow, it's a bit difficult because it slides in grooves in the tank instead of being placed and attached from the top down and the tolerances are pretty tight because it "locks" in place. I'll have to think of something creative to cover the screen with.

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You want his warm side (on substrate) not over 90*, so tweak that down a bit for safety to 88-89*.

Those inexpensive stick-on humidity gauges are very inaccurate, & yes, the heat + humidity makes them come loose & stick to the nearest snake going by.

Misting doesn't do much for raising humidity...you might try making him a "humid hide". Get a plastic food container, cut a door-way in the top, & fill it with moist moss,
leaving enough room for your snake inside too. My snakes love to use them...they can smell the humidity & are drawn to it. You'll need to refresh the moisture at least
once a week, maybe twice. This will really help him for shedding too.

As far as covering the screen, you need to leave a little space for air to flow, but by laying something on top covering most of it, it doesn't have to fasten to the screen or
cage, nor does it need to be perfectly fancy...just so it does the job for now 'til you figure out a more attractive option. (you could cover a piece of cardboard with some
plastic coated "Contac" paper to keep the cardboard from absorbing moisture...anything like that will work fine)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moose84

The q-tip in the vent is the least of my worries. All the prey you just mentioned is too small. My snakes might get a pinkie or two before they are on to fuzzy rats and then pups. Most of the live mice you get at the store if that’s the only place you have are 15-20 grams. Snake should have no issues with that. We can’t be inside your husbandry all the time. Live prey especially a mouse is a good indicator in my opinion if something is truly off. I have rarely if ever had a BP refuse a live mouse. I’d also try smaller hides. Those open air hides have never seemed to work when people post on here. My concern is it sounds like you are looking at that as a last resort (live mouse...) I would say if you try shoving mashed up dog food down it’s throat it will only make things worse. Same with force feeding. You have no experience in either. Sorry just being honest.

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No worries at all, thank you for the honesty and advice. I want this snake to get better.

The reason that your well-intentioned vet trip didn't help much is because most vets really don't specialize in basic snake-keeping skills...they are trained to practice
medicine, & like all doctors, are usually pressed for time. As you may have noticed, discussing the "how-to-care-for" stuff takes time...it's not where their focus is, &
many really don't know that much about non-medical care, but it's this stuff that's usually the best place to start...it's most likely the issue, or at least a big part of it.

There are some vets that are really knowledgeable snake-keepers too, but they're hard to find...takes luck to be near one. ;) Even if your snake has some issues
(they get exposed to other sick snakes in the pet trade), by offering the best environment & reducing their stress, their immune system can often fight off things
they were exposed to.

I agree with the others about security being the number one reason your snake isn't eating. If you haven't yet you need to cover the sides and back with at the very least paper. But you can also use Styrofoam, or R-21 insulation.(Lowes or Home Depot) R 21 insulates really, really well (better than Styrofoam) and can be cut with a scissors. You can put the R-21 or Styrofoam over the paper even.

Sounds like you have got the uth and it's temp right. You can get the black hides from ReptileBasics dot com and even Amazon sells small black hides by Pangea for 8 dollars a hide )small. 8.50 for medium.

My next question is how is your ambient temp. A low ambient temp can cause a snake to quit eating. I like to have mine up around 80 or 82(even better) Can you use a dome and night bulb (Zilla black light)-Petco or che on a thermostat to help keep the ambient heat in the low 80's Amazon sell thermostats as well. As far as cheaper but lesser dependability than say a Herpstat go you can buy a Vivosun. There a LOTS of low end thermostats. The best high end thermostat is Herpstat which costs more but is high quality. and there is also the VE which reptilebasics sells which is good quality as well.

The VE 300 which sells for a decent price on Reptile Basics runs 3 devices which might be good if you end up using that larger front open tank you pictured but that will need to be way down the road once your snake is eating and a lot bigger. But you could still get the ve-300 now. And run your uth and a heat bulb or che. with it. plus one other device.

And I agree with Moose after you get the security and (maybe) ambient temp straighten out you should get you a live mouse from Petco or another store. There I said it. That store (Petco) sells live feeders and other local pet stores do too. God Bless Em. And I think it is more cruel to starve a snake or any animal then to have a mouse die in less than a minute in the way nature has worked out. Not too many snakes getting frozen thawed feeders delivered to them in the out doors. In the US or Africa, South America, or anywhere else for that matter.

Follow Deborah's sticky on how to get picky eaters to eat. You can find the link in the ball python section. It works. Offer live hopper.

Secondly, most chain stores suck when it comes to animal care, even a cat or a dog. Last weekend I argued with a Petsmart employee about their ball python who was very skinny, probably about 55g, with stuck shed covering his whole head, neck and eye caps, with no water bowl in the tank and drying the tank using aspen, covered in little translucent bugs. They dare say that snake was eating fine and dandy while it struggles to get comfortable and its spine protruding. So what I'm trying to say is: do your best and forget everything that they taught you.

Three words: Live Hopper Mouse.......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Three words: Live Hopper Mouse.......

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Or hit facebook,craigs list an the like for African Soft Furs!!!!!
Live hopper mice = good. Live hopper ASF = best.

You read everything posted. Your fixing the housing. Now, leave the snake warm an lights off for three days (darkened room or what ever). Then offer a hopper. The snake will eat. If not, not likely, wait three more days an try again.

I didn't see this posted so take a look.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ding-Guideline

Good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lifesong

How often are you handling the animal?
About once a week, sometimes once every week and a half.

Did the animal eat for 3 months for you (likely 10-12 times then stop?)
He (not sure if it's a male or female but they said male at petsmart) didn't eat for the first couple weeks for me. Petsmart employee told me he had just eaten a few days before I bought him (this wasn't true, went in to see logs later and he hadn't eaten from the day petsmart got him to the day I bought him (4 weeks). So he hadn't eaten for about 6 or 7 weeks until he was first ready to eat for me. After he ate for me the first time it was every week like a charm I thought I wouldn't have to worry about it again. 8 weeks ago he stopped and hasn't eaten since. He'll come out of his cave and look at the mouse and adjust his jaws and act like he might be interested but then he just lays his head down on the plate's edge (I put the mouse on a paper plate so substrate doesn't get caught on the mouse, though the last time he ate he pulled it off the plate and swallowed a very small amount of coco substrate (about a grain of rice worth)...wonder if that's related. A few days after he ate last time he had a mucus like hiccup that occurred whenever he moved a few inches. I accidentally cured this by putting him in his travel container with some wet paper towels, when he was in there he pooped (for the first time significantly since I began feeding him, before that it was very rare and small excrement) and held in in my hands to warm him up a little. When I put him back in his tank that night he was very active and the mucus hiccup was gone.


what set up is it in?
Here's a pic of current setup: http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kqr.jpg
I know it's not impressive but I've been learning what to do for his next setup which I've been getting stuff for: http://i.thinimg.com/img/9kqt.jpg
I was planning to move him over and change to cypress mulch as soon as he eats his next meal.

have you tried live prey? What have you been offering it?
No, I really want to stay away from live prey and not get him used to it. He was eating frozen/thawed on a weekly basis before he stopped eating altogether.

how much weight has it lost?
I'm not sure, I never weighed him when I got him. When the vet weighed him tonight I believe the scale said 2.6 (ounces I'm guessing)

Snake looks awfully thin to me. I suggest to stop handling and let’s figure the rest out.
Dang, that's what I thought too based on pics I've seen here. Vet said current weight was not concerning him at the moment.

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Do this to a T https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101 , an animal that small should never have been allowed to go that long without food at that age it becomes a viscous circle if the animal does not eat and sadly vets do not know how to get them to eat.

I just read through MOST of this thread, so if this has already been addressed please know I'm repeating because it's important...


NO TAPE EVER INSIDE THE ENCLOSURE!!! It can and eventually will end up stuck to the snake causing severe scale damage, injuries or even be fatal.

Based on where you explained where you "taped your thermometer"...
I'm assuming you meant thermostat probe???? If it's INSIDE the enclosure it needs to go OUTSIDE.

Also, if you're making cardboard hides make sure there's no tape on the cardboard.

Have you tried leaving the prey item at the entrance of the hide he is currently in and shutting off the lights and giving him and hour or so. I bet he eats it. One of mine lost his interest to strike months ago. Stopped eating for two weeks. Then I got so frustrated I just left it at the door to his hide got ready for bed and checked on him before going to sleep and it was gone . He has now down this for months . I offer. He shows interest,. Then nothing. Goes away. So I leave it and he eats in peace in the dark 🤣. Give that a try maybe ? God luck

Just my two cents -- Petsmart f/t mice and rats are undersized so if you don't have any other option (like a local herp shop), it would probably be a good idea to size up the ones you buy (as in getting a size bigger than you think you need), otherwise you are going to be wasting money if your baby won't eat.

My advice is the same as everyone has already said as far as handling and such. But petstores esp petco and petsmart get snakes from not great sources, they can be full of protozoa like cryptosporidium, giardia, or coccidea that can cause weight loss and poor appetite. The only way to test for this is to get a sample of stool (not urine) and look at it under a microscope or you can send it to a lab and do more in depth testing - so why they said they needed "special" equipment is BS in my opinion - you can see most parasites and protozoa on a slide.

Unfortunately the vet was not snake-savy and charged you money for it. I would never suggest someone untrained tube feed a snake, its too dangerous to the snake - if decreasing handling, temp and humidity changes, and any other husbandry changes does not improve his appetite then save a stool sample the next time he has one and find a real vet willing to send the sample out.

good luck with everything and I hope your little one starts to eat