9 month fast

Ok this is getting quite frustrating/worrisome. I have a 2yo bp that is on his second fast. His first was 6 months, and I snapped him out of it with live mice. Now, his last meal was Aug 29/07. He won't eat p/k, f/t, live, nothing. I realize that it's normal for them to fast, but he's not nearly the size he should be for his age and he's not just some snake, he's my baby. He's had one or two sheds in that time, and all else seems normal. I just want him to eat again. I've tried everything I can think of. He's starting to look quite thin, and I'm beginning to see his spine now. He's never looked like this before. Is there anything I can do?

fyi, he's got a recent clean bill of health from my herp vet.

probed male bp
approx 3.5 ft
last weight was somewhere in the 600g range (months ago)
20gal long
75w red heat bulb
temps are 90/80
paper towel substrate
2 identical hides
large water dish, always clean/full

from what was his original weight before he stopped feeding and his weight now?

Have you tried the crumbled up newspaper trick?

You could aslo set up a smaller tub and switch him over to it, sometimes the change in scenery sparks something in them. If you prefer the glass tank, when you have him eating again you could switch him back and try your luck with it.

And then there is just the fact that sometimes they just don't eat. I would watch his weight and make sure he is still urinating and at least maintaining his muscle tone.

I'm unsure of his weight right now. He only gets weighed at the vet. I know it's gone down though simply by looking at him. I haven't got a scale at home for them.

What is the newspaper trick?

He's definetly urinating, just not a lot. He seems more flabby/loose skin than muscle.

Take sheets of newspaper and crush them into loose little balls, then you put them in your tank. The goal is to eliminate floor space and provide more security for your snake so use as many as you feel fit. If your snake responds to this and starts to eat you can remove a few of the balls every week until none are left.

my snake also looks like it has alot of loose skin. is this because he ate before i got him?

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Originally Posted by jenaero

I'm unsure of his weight right now. He only gets weighed at the vet. I know it's gone down though simply by looking at him. I haven't got a scale at home for them.

What is the newspaper trick?

He's definetly urinating, just not a lot. He seems more flabby/loose skin than muscle.

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Get a scale so you can keep track of his weight. A kitchen scale can be gotten at Wal-mart for about $25.

Newspaper trick: make balls of loosely crumpled newspaper, put enough in the enclosure that they cover the bottom. This can help reduce the stress a snake feels as they can feel secure and hidden even when not in a hide. Mostly it gets recommended to help a snake that is stressed by new surroundings, but it can't hurt to try it. If stress is the source of his eating troubles, it may do the trick. Once he is eating regularly, you can gradually reduce the amount of newspaper.

I'd also recommend you look for other ways to reduce stress. Is he in a low traffic area? Have you covered 3 sides (2 sides & back) of his enclosure with something dark colored? If you have, consider covering the front as well, at least until he starts eating regularly again. Are the hides the right size? They like them to be snug. Those are just some ideas to get you started.

I was actually wondering if the tank was too small. She hasn't got a lot of room in there. Hides, dish and a bit of wiggle room....

Sorry, I refer to him as a her sometimes because I named him before he was sexed and I can't always bring myself to admit 'Julia' is a boy lol

Can you give us a quick run down of the specs? Humidity, temps, how you measure them.

Most times, refusing feed is a symptom of another problem, whether that be physically (like breeding season), medically (an illness), or husbandry (self explanatory).

Humidity is pretty steady at 50-60%, 70% when in shed

Temps are 78-80/88-90 measured with digital thermometers

I just want to offer a word of encouragement to you. My BP just recently came off her own 9 month fast. I know how frustrated you are.

Definitely get a scale. They are cheap. And keeping track of weight was one of the stress relievers for me. A vet visit also made me feel better. My girl lost almost no weight over her fast.

She finally started eating again 3 weeks ago and I just fed her tonight. :)

I agree, if you don't have the sides covered, you should look into it. If you need an idea, here's how mine are set up. My two tanks.

http://www.schoolofdan.com/images/snake/tankupdate/

What are you offering? Mice or rats? My boy finally came out of a six-month fast last night! (SO EXCITED!!!) I had been offering him a mouse every week. So last night I put in a rat and he gobbled it right up! :D

Thanks everyone.

The tank has all 3 sides, and part of the 4th covered.

When he was eating, he was on small rats. When he would stop eating those, mice would always get him going again. I've been offering p/k small rats for about 6 months, and the last few months I've been offering live mice to no avail.

i would say try putting him in a small tub .. prescent for an hour or so .. put the mouse/rat in and cover the tub with a towel so all he can see is the heat of the mouse/rat. but dont leave it like that for to long if feeding live.

Was he eating prekilled rats before? or live? I'd try a live one and see what happens. It worked for me! :D