What the hell?

I have had my ball python for over a year, nothing has change in his husbandry. Now he hasn't eaten in over a month. the only thing that has change i switch him over from mice to rats, he has eaten two rats and now he doesn't want to eat niether. what the hell?

When you switched, were the rats big? Maybe he is just full.

they were small rats, but he has lost a significant amount of weight

how often were you feeding???

Oh, are there any signs of him maybe being sick? Did you get the small rats from the same place you were getting the mice? If not maybe there was a bug or parasite. I don't want you to worry about what I am saying, I don't truthfully know. I'm just throwing out ideas.

once a week

yeah, i get the rats from the same place, but as far as being sick you might be on to something, for the last couple of days he hasn't been coming out his hide. i thought maybe he was starting his shed. But when i got him out he wasn,t in shed

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Originally Posted by catalystsupreme

they were small rats, but he has lost a significant amount of weight

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He lost a significant amount of weight in only a month of fasting? That seems kind of odd as they have such a slow metabolism that it usually takes a few months before they lose much weight. Have you ever had him checked by a vet or a fecal done for him?

Male or Female

Sounds like he/she wants to breed! And shut down like some do this time of year...

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Originally Posted by JASBALLS

Sounds like he/she wants to breed! And shut down like some do this time of year...

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he's only a year old, would he be ready to breed already?


Xdeus never had him at the vet he was always my best, never had odd behavior until now..male

my two guesses.... #1 hes in shed... just bc you dont see blue eyes or nasty looking skin doesnt mean they arnt in shed... When i got my clown about a month ago she was just about to be in shed and was nasty as hell... striking at me like 5 times when i tried to get her out... im like damn this girl has a real attitude... I never saw blue or would have expected shed but sure enough a couple days later she shed and now shes as sweet as can be.

guess #2... jas called it out... breeding time... My 1 yr old female hasnt eaten in 3-4 weeks and im leaning towards breeding season. Nothings changes in husbandry she just wont eat... Acts normal and everything just doesnt want to eat... ill keep offering to her every week like normal and hopefully shell eat soon bc she needs to gain some weight be4 next yr breeding

What do you do with the mouse if the snake doesn't want it? I know it's off topic, I was just dieing to know.

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

What do you do with the mouse if the snake doesn't want it? I know it's off topic, I was just dieing to know.

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You eat it..

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

What do you do with the mouse if the snake doesn't want it? I know it's off topic, I was just dieing to know.

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I eat it, lol
No i have a little terrarium for them, i used to breed them

Oh, well what if you don't breed them?

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

What do you do with the mouse if the snake doesn't want it? I know it's off topic, I was just dieing to know.

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I have a spare 5 gallon tank that I've used to "keep" the feeder mice in if my corns didn't want to eat them on their feeding day. It gives me a chance to feed the mouse myself for a week and make sure it has nutritional value for the snake. And when the mouse gets fed, I disinfect the cage for the next time.

Sounds like a good idea, thanks. Mine hasn't refused any food, YET. I'm sure she will at some point. She has been fed 3-4 times now, and it only takes about 15-30 seconds for her to take it, even when she had her cloudy eyes, which really surprised me. I expected her to refuse it.

yeah, he used to eat with cloudy eyes and milky skin never refuse until now. thats why it so bizarre to me

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Originally Posted by catalystsupreme

I have had my ball python for over a year, nothing has change in his husbandry. Now he hasn't eaten in over a month. the only thing that has change i switch him over from mice to rats, he has eaten two rats and now he doesn't want to eat niether. what the hell?

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Couple of thing here can you elaborate on your setup

Temps, Humidity, type of thermometer/hygrometer, type of hides, size of enclosure etc

While nothing has change sometimes husbandry issues will cause problems overtime.

How much weight has you BP lost exactly? How much did he weight before going of feed how much does he weight now, and when was his last meal?

I can tell you that every single one of my BP that are a year and over are eating right now!

As an owner the first thing to do is to try to find out if there is anything that can be done so your BP resume feeding.

if its not of breeding weight and female. try getting some of the mouse bedding from the place you buy your rats and scent them like mice.. maybe he imprinted a bit on mice

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Originally Posted by GA_Ball_Pythons

Couple of thing here can you elaborate on your setup

Temps, Humidity, type of thermometer/hygrometer, type of hides, size of enclosure etc

While nothing has change sometimes husbandry issues will cause problems overtime.

How much weight has you BP lost exactly? How much did he weight before going of feed how much does he weight now, and when was his last meal?

I can tell you that every single one of my BP that are a year and over are eating right now!

As an owner the first thing to do is to try to find out if there is anything that can be done so your BP resume feeding.

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TEMP 95 WARM SIDE 85 COLD. HUMIDITY AROUND 50 USING ACURITE. HE ALSO HAS TWO IDENTICAL HIDES. AND THE ENCLOSURE IS A 30 GALLON GLASS AQURIUMI HAVE THE WEIGHTS WRITTEN DOWN AT HOME, I WILL POST THEM LATER. BUT THERE IS A BIG VISIUAL DIFFERENCE. AND HIS LAST MEAL WAS AROUND OCT. 31

If he's lost THAT much weight after only a month of fasting....I'd definitely be on the phone to a vet, setting up an appointment. And I would be trying to collect a stool sample as well, but that may or may not happen between now and the time you get in to see the vet.

It's not uncommon for them to suddenly stop eating. Husbandry issues are a very likely cause, but not the only. It could very well be seasonal, especially if you have a mature (or even a late juvi) female anywhere nearby that he might be smelling. Could be "teen angst" and he's just being difficult for reasons we won't ever figure out. Mine has done that.

The not eating for a month doesn't concern me all that much. The losing so much weight you can see it.....that's not right and needs to be looked into.

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Originally Posted by catalystsupreme

I WILL POST THEM LATER. BUT THERE IS A BIG VISIUAL DIFFERENCE. AND HIS LAST MEAL WAS AROUND OCT. 31

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The weight issue is definitely something that you need to be concern with; BP can go of feed for a month or 2 and barely lose any weight.

If the weight loss is such that it shows there must be something going on with you BP and the best thing to do is to make an appointment with an herp vet.

so do some bp's go off feed in the winter, if so for how long?

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Originally Posted by catalystsupreme

so do some bp's go off feed in the winter, if so for how long?

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Yes, sometimes they do. And how long really varies a lot. It depends on the snake in question and on the steps the keeper takes to try and get it eating again. There's really no way to say.

Again, as I've mentioned earlier...the fact that its stopped eating is much less of a concern than the fact that it has apparently lost so much weight in such a short time. Are you planning on taking him to a vet?

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Originally Posted by JLC

Yes, sometimes they do. And how long really varies a lot. It depends on the snake in question and on the steps the keeper takes to try and get it eating again. There's really no way to say.

Again, as I've mentioned earlier...the fact that its stopped eating is much less of a concern than the fact that it has apparently lost so much weight in such a short time. Are you planning on taking him to a vet?

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YEAH, I DEFINITELY WILL BE TAKING HIM TO THE VET THIS WEEK

How often are you handling him? I remember reading in the Barker's book that animals that are handled a lot and are fasting will lose weight far more quickly than those that are handled minimally.

I only had one snake fast for any significant period of time. He fasted for 8 months and lost about 50 grams in that time. I ceased all handling except what was necessary for enclosure maintenance.

If he lost the amout of weight you say yours has, he would have been at the vet last week!

My male fasts every winter since I have had him.( going on 5 yrs now ) I can tell by him being so active at night now he is about ready to go off feed. He will stay off until about April. Maybe eating a rat or two around the end of Jan.
But he doesn't lose very much weight. I can't really even tell until about March and then he just looks a tad thinner.

If yours has lost that much weight you need to get him to a vet asap like everyone is suggesting.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

How often are you handling him? I remember reading in the Barker's book that animals that are handled a lot and are fasting will lose weight far more quickly than those that are handled minimally.

I only had one snake fast for any significant period of time. He fasted for 8 months and lost about 50 grams in that time. I ceased all handling except what was necessary for enclosure maintenance.

If he lost the amout of weight you say yours has, he would have been at the vet last week!

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I HANDELED HIM AROUND THREE TIMES A WEEK BUT SINCE HE WENT OFF FEED I DONT TOUCH HIM UNTIL I MAKE ANOTHER FEEDING ATTEMPT ONCE A WEEK. AND I'LL BE MAKING THE APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE VET TODAY

Just out of curiosity for those who suggest he take the snake to the vet... other than a fecal float what will the vet be able to tell him about his snake??

The vet can do a cloacal swab to test for parasites if a fecal sample is not available (which it probably won't be). In addition, they can check for other diseases that may have to do with the drastic weight loss.

Although fasting is relatively common for Balls, drastic weight loss is not and the chances are that a qualified herp vet would be able to determine the cause.

I think the vet is in order too, my male fasted last year for 7 months; I documented weights big time during this because it was my first fast and I was paranoid. Over the 7 months he lost close to 70g. Not bad considering a small rat is usually 40g. He came out of the fast and was eating like a demon. Now he's fasting again and everyone else is eating. Gotta love it. You should not be seeing significant weight loss in one month that would worry me.

Have A Vet Visit On Sat. I Hope He's Ok, Because In The Last Week He Has Had A Lethargic Behavior. And No, He's Not In Shed