Not eating...any suggestions?

I know, I know...it's another one of those "not eating" threads. Difference is, mine has never had any issues with food. He's eating small (live) rats now, and I tried to feed him one like 3 wks ago...struck at it, missed and then didn't eat it. I figured he was stressed, so I tried again the next week....this time he just smelt it and didn't do anything. I left it in there for a good 20-25 min (supervised of course).

I then tried just this past week another rat and still nothing. What happened to him? The rats have not harmed in any way, so I'm confused. I've tried covering the tank, leaving the room, basically all the things I used to do when he was shy and still nothing. I'm confused...any ideas on what could be causing this?
Thanks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cubano07x

I know, I know...it's another one of those "not eating" threads. Difference is, mine has never had any issues with food. He's eating small (live) rats now, and I tried to feed him one like 3 wks ago...struck at it, missed and then didn't eat it. I figured he was stressed, so I tried again the next week....this time he just smelt it and didn't do anything. I left it in there for a good 20-25 min (supervised of course).
I then tried just this past week another rat and still nothing. What happened to him? The rats have not harmed in any way, so I'm confused. I've tried covering the tank, leaving the room, basically all the things I used to do when he was shy and still nothing. I'm confused...any ideas on what could be causing this?
Thanks!

---

BP do go off feed and it can be for various reasons such as overfeeding, breeding, husbandry, illness, stress, etc.

So if your BP go off feed what should you do?

First know that, as long as your BP does not loose too much weight he will be fine, second try to proceed by elimination to find out if there is anything that can be done so your BP resume feeding.

Here are couple of questions

How big is your BP?
How big is his enclosure?
What are your temps and how do you measure them (type of thermometer)?
What is your humidity?
Can you describe his hides? (Picture of the setup would be great)

What size prey and how often do you feed him when eating?

Hey guys,
Sorry it took me a while to reply but here are the answers to your questions:

How big is your BP? Roughly around 45 cm? Haven't measure him lately, but basically the same length as a 20 gal tank

How big is his enclosure? 20 gal tank

What are your temps and how do you measure them (type of thermometer)?
Cool side: 75F
Hot Side: 95F

What is your humidity?
Ranges between 50% - 75%(after a spray)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/IMG_0085.jpg

I posted a pic of the him coming out of his hide in the cool side....the hides are the bottoms of a big, black, plastic container...fits him perfectly. UTH is on the opposite side. Big water dish in the middle. Perfect set up in my opinion. Never had an issue with him eating before, except for when I first got him.

I also just tried last night but one of my smaller rats and he still didn't eat it. Didn't even look at it! So, I'm lost and don't know what to do. The ONLY difference is that his Infrared bulb burnt out and I switched it up for a Normal 50W lightbulb for the day...but besides that, same thing.

Any ideas on what's wrong?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cubano07x

What are your temps and how do you measure them (type of thermometer)?
Cool side: 75F
Hot Side: 95F

Any ideas on what's wrong?

---

what do you use to measure your temps? your cool side is too cool (should be 80-82 and your hot side is too hot (should be 90-92)

husbandry issues are often the reason a ball python goes off feed... and IMO from what you've shared... this would be the cause.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by recycling goddess

what do you use to measure your temps? your cool side is too cool (should be 80-82 and your hot side is too hot (should be 90-92)

husbandry issues are often the reason a ball python goes off feed... and IMO from what you've shared... this would be the cause.

---

Although it may seem like that, problem is, I have not changed a single thing since a month ago. Like I said, my infrared bulb burnt out but Ive been using a low wattage normal lightbulb during the day. Aside from that, I changed from coconut fiber to Aspen bedding...those have been the "major" changes.

I don't know what to do? I'm worried and it's honestly going to be a month since his last feeding in a few days. He usually eats every 5-7 days! What else can I do???

Should I try scenting a rat with soilde mouse bedding....even tho he hasn't eaten a mouse more than 2 months? I'm feeding live, so it's not like I can just kill it and *gasp*....expose the brain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cubano07x

I have not changed a single thing since a month ago. Like I said, my infrared bulb burnt out but Ive been using a low wattage normal lightbulb during the day. Aside from that, I changed from coconut fiber to Aspen bedding...those have been the "major" changes.

---

Well a month isn't that long at all really but I have a few Q's

You say the IR bulb burnt out and you'r using a normal lightbulb during the day - doesn't that mean that either you are keeping a white light on him 24 hours a day (known to cause stress which could cause refusals) or the temperatures are dropping at night when you turn it off - also known to cause refusals?

The bedding change might also knock him off food but it's far more likely to be the light/temp thing.

If you cannot get a new IR bulb then maybe you could substitute a red normal bulb ( or a blue one) as they are known to cause less disturbance?

That way they can be left on 24/7 with no problems.

Does this make any sense?


dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cubano07x

Although it may seem like that, problem is...

I don't know what to do? I'm worried...

---

get your husbandry issues resolved... and EVEN IF it doesn't resolve your feeding problem right now... it will benefit your snake in the long run.

Ok update:

So I did everything, changed a bunch of stuff and got my husbandry pretty solid. My hot side is now 90-95F and cool side 80-85. Also, my humidity (which has never been a problem) is a rock solid 50%-80%(after I spray it).

So I thought of a new theory why he might not be eating. Currently, I am breeding rats and their cage is in the same room as my bp's. As a matter of fact, it's literally like 5 meters away, except that the rat's are on the floor and my bp is up on a table. So I was thinking, could it be perhaps that he has gotten accustomed to the smell and doesn't associate them as food anymore? I handle the rats a lot, same with my bp (but not right after each other). IF that is the case, I know what I can do to change that issue...I could pick up some soiled mouse bedding and rub it on the rats for a bit. It's jsut a hastle going to get it. What do you guys think?

Also, he just shed last night (April 18) and it was yet another perfect shed. So he IS growing and gaining weight I guess. Just bothers me that he won't eat!

*bump* anyone?

My breeder rats are literally one step away from my rack and it doesn't affect the feeding response of my kiddos - so I don't think that's your issue.


What do you use to measure your temps? Can you get a picture of your entire set-up?

One other questions - how active is he? Is he active a lot or does he tend to spend a lot of time in one of his hides?

When are you feeding him day night? i usually feed at night time.

My bonez wouldnt eat this one rat i got him a while ago, tride for 2 or 3 weeks i think and he just didnt show any interest..sometimes i think they are just picky and say nah i dont like that one. try feeding him 2 mice that would equal the amount of 1 rat, one at a time. first let the mouse sit in a box with holes ontop of the tank for a couple min, then drop him in and see if he goes after it. sometimes they get iffy when switching food.

its hard to diagnose because you dont want to further stress out the snake if thats the problem..i also read somewhere, its kinda cruel, but pokeing the mouse once to draw a lil blood will help the snake get a smell of it. just some option, i would try the first one first though see if that works.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bonez

its hard to diagnose because you dont want to further stress out the snake if thats the problem..i also read somewhere, its kinda cruel, but pokeing the mouse once to draw a lil blood will help the snake get a smell of it. just some option, i would try the first one first though see if that works.

---

Please don't do this!

I'll second Robin's comment. Please do not do that to a living mouse. Not only is it cruel for the mouse but you are putting a stressed living rodent in with the snake and that is a recipe for a bite if ever I saw one.

I'm a bit confused on the whole mouse/rat thing. Can you clarify what your snake had been eating before the refusals as far as mouse or rat and what size the snake was taking? If you had recently switched prey type how many weeks had the snake been accepting the new prey before the refusals began?

Thanks for the replies guys:

As to your questions, he has been eating rats for more than a month and one day he struck at a rat, missed and never touched rats ever again. This was back on March 9th. I waited a week, tried to feed him again and still nothing....1 wk turned into 2, 3, and now we're closing in on the 2 month mark real soon.

I measured his last shed, and he is a healthy 38 inches long....dont know his exact age cuz I got him from a petstore like 6 months ago, but he has grown a lot and is extremely healthy. Right now is very active because he is hungry...he always comes out at night looking for food. Also, I try feeding at dusk/night, never during the day. I would say I'm knowledgable in what I am doing, I'm always trolling these forums reading what everyone writes and problems, etc.

Here is a pic of my set up:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/IMG_1710.jpg

It is a 20 gal tank, I'm using aspen as the bedding and measuring the hot side with a probe thermometer (youll see it). The cool side, I'm using a thermo/hygro-meter combo I bought from Rona (cost about $25). It's pretty accurate too. The paper on the left(cool side) is to keep the humidity up and under control. The waterbowl I have right now is just a temporary one because the current one cracked and has a leak.

I find it strange that he is being this picky because he has never been a picky eater even when I 1st got him. After the initial shyness, he would eat mice like theres no tomorrow, when I switched him to rats, he didn't even care it was different, he struck and ate right away.

One thing that you could try for now is to fill his enclosure with loosely crumbled newspaper, and I mean fill it. Leave it in there. It will make the entire enclosure feel much more secure to him.


After a week, drop in a 2 week old rat pup and walk away. Check back in about 30 minutes and see if it's gone.

Have you tried offering him mice again?

My very first ball python, Kashmire was kept in a 20 gallon tank, and went on an 8 month fast. It wasn't until I moved him into a tub set-up that he started to feed for me, and he's not missed a meal since. Some do well in display type enclosures, others prefer a lower ceiling and the secure feeling of a tub set-up.

Lights tend to really dry out the enclosure as well, and with tubs, you don't need lights.

I'll give that a try but don't you find it strange for a snake to take such a step BACK? His set up has been identical since I got him, except for minor differences and never had a prob eating. Now, all of a sudden he doesn't want to eat and I gotta treat him as if he was a new snake?

I just find that really odd??

It does seem odd, but Kashmire was eating pretty reliably for me before he went into his extended fast. He's still my most sensitive one, most likely to refuse one week, but he's never gone back into a fast - and he'll only eat mice, and only one a week.

just stick to plan and keep offering food once a week he'll pick back up. Balls are like the stock market when it comes to feeding sometimes there up and sometimes there down but over time they gradually move upwards.

UPDATE: Larry you were absolutely right along with everyone that offered similar ideas....he started eating again 3 days ago after almost a 2 month hunger strike! I fed him a small rat pup (about 2 wks old) and watched...within 10 secs he snatched it up, tried again with another one, same, plus a 3rd and same! I'm so happy right now and relieved!

Yea it may be normal to THEM to not eat for months at a time but to an owner, its the most stressful time ever! So yea, he's back to normal, thanks a lot to everyone that gave me ideas on how to possibly fix the problem. Oh and one last thing, I recently got it sexed and it's a male!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cubano07x

UPDATE: Larry you were absolutely right along with everyone that offered similar ideas....he started eating again 3 days ago after almost a 2 month hunger strike! I fed him a small rat pup (about 2 wks old) and watched...within 10 secs he snatched it up, tried again with another one, same, plus a 3rd and same! I'm so happy right now and relieved!

Yea it may be normal to THEM to not eat for months at a time but to an owner, its the most stressful time ever! So yea, he's back to normal, thanks a lot to everyone that gave me ideas on how to possibly fix the problem. Oh and one last thing, I recently got it sexed and it's a male!

---

Oh congrats good to hear he is doing well! I have 1 thats been on strike since 10.03.06 *sighs* I know how stressful these times can be...good to hear he is doing great! Here's to eating each and every time :D