To force feed or not...

So my baby ball python Calypso has refused to eat several times.. She doesn't exactly refuse... its more like she gets frightened and high tails it out of there. I have tried everything except force feeding and I'm sorta stressed about it. Its been about 12- 13 days since I got her. She looks alittle thin too and her poo isn't solid. if I could just get her to eat mabye she would bounce back.. I dunno. If force feeding is the option you would say to try How would I go about doing it. She is really sweet and shy and I am worried about her not trusting me anymore. Please help.

Since you only have had her for 12-13 days I would assume she refused twice, if she refused more than that you are probably offering food to often which stresses her and lead to more refusal

Force feeding should only be done as a last resort.

Put your BP in a 6 or 15 quarts tub if you have not already done so with one or two 6 inches plastic flower pot saucer for hides, provide proper temps and humidity and do not handle your BP.

After 7 days try to offer a live prey.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Since you only have had her for 12-13 days I would assume she refused twice, if she refused more than that you are probably offering food to often which stresses her and lead to more refusal

Force feeding should only be done as a last resort.

Put your BP in a 6 or 15 quarts tub if you have not already done so with one or two 6 inches plastic flower pot saucer for hides, provide proper temps and humidity and do not handle your BP.

After 7 days try to offer a live prey.

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... I have tried the smaller container and she does nothing but try to escape.....

i agree with deb. try housing it differently and leave it alone for a few days to let it calm down due to possibly being stressed a bit and i would only try to force feed if that is the last option that is available. (off topic) deb i love the scammer hunter title you have there. lol

have you tried both live and f/t ?

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

... I have tried the smaller container and she does nothing but try to escape.....

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You need to provide a small tight enclosure where your BP will feel secure and you need to let her adjust in it, no constant staring, no handling, just make sure the enclosure is secured and leave her alone.

Trust me on this the majority of new owners having BP with feeding issues, do so because of their husbandry!

I care for her the way I do all my pets. Not for my sake but for there sake and when I say I have tried everything. I mean it. I will keep letting her alone for another week and see how that goes. I may have only had ball pythons for a year and 10 months but I guarentee that my babies have the best care you could ever imagine. Its not husbandry related. Her temps and humidity are stable and perfect and soon she and Ki will be getting new enclosures so I have to get her to eat as soon as possible( when she is ready of course). I'm not stupid guys.

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

I care for her the way I do all my pets. Not for my sake but for there sake and when I say I have tried everything. I mean it. I will keep letting her alone for another week and see how that goes. I may have only had ball pythons for a year and 10 months but I guarentee that my babies have the best care you could ever imagine. Its not husbandry related. Her temps and humidity are stable and perfect and soon she and Ki will be getting new enclosures so I have to get her to eat as soon as possible( when she is ready of course). I'm not stupid guys.

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Not sure why you are being SO defensive no one said you did not properly care for your animals and no one called you stupid.

Now you said you tried everything? Is she currently house in a 6 quart tubs or 15 at the most with one or two 6 inches plastic flower pot saucers?

If not try that and if it still does not work after that there are other thing to try before force feeding.

You mentioned it has pooped for you. this makes me believe this snake has eaten recently. DO NOT FORCE FEED IT!

i know if you go to the 8 ball site adam has posted some feeding tips that might help.

I saw just leave it alone for a week and try feeding again. You don't want to keep moving it around a lot.

Snakes can go a long time without eating.... I am struggling with a woma python right now who hasnt eaten in about a month, so dont freak out especially since the snake is new. No wonder she is scared if you are shoving a mouse in her face every couple days....give her a break, wait a week, as has been advised before, and see how she does.

Force feeding is a very last resort and usually stresses out the animal to the max. A typical acclamation of new animal should be a week to two weeks in a small container to make them feel secure. Absolutely no handling during this two week period ! Only offer food every 7 days after the 1-2 week acclamation period. If he continues to refuse put him in a 6 qt container filled to the top with crumpled paper or paper towels. After a week put a mouse hopper in his tub overnight. This usally works well !

Sorry my friends but I stand on my soap box for everything. Its just how I am. I have tried everything you have suggested except give her more time.... which I will need more time to complete. I was just wondering if watery poo is a sign of illness that would cause her to not eat. she has not passed any urates since I got her and to tell you the truth I am just worried. I was getting defensive because I am the only one on this website that knows how hard I've tried to make my little calypso as happy and comfortable as she could possibly be. I'm tired of people thinking that I'm a two bit snake owner. I have done my fair share of research but this little girl is concerning me. I've also been on edge because of stocks lately. Sorry for being snappy.

as of up untill now the only even partial contact is when I'm changing her water or when i cleaned the one severely watery poo she made. I know the 2 week handleing deal I have another ball python that I have been playing with. The only stressful thing has been me putting her into a small container with a fuzzy over night. I read to do this with stubborn hatchlings and picky eaters. Yes I monitor the temps and humidity in the small container.

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

I was getting defensive because I am the only one on this website that knows how hard I've tried to make my little calypso as happy and comfortable as she could possibly be. I'm tired of people thinking that I'm a two bit snake owner. I have done my fair share of research but this little girl is concerning me. I've also been on edge because of stocks lately. Sorry for being snappy.

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That's just it, you ARE the only one who knows how hard you've tried. No one is attacking you personally, they're just trying to make sure all the bases are covered. They don't know what you have and haven't tried, so when someone asks for help, they get the usual beginner's husbandry suggestions first.

Has she eaten for you yet since you got her? I've got a stubborn hatchling right now that went close to a month before he decided he wanted to eat. Leaving a rat pink in overnight finally did the trick. It's low movement so it shouldn't scare her, and it's alive so it should keep the heat signature all through the night to get her interested in it.

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

Sorry my friends but I stand on my soap box for everything. Its just how I am. I have tried everything you have suggested except give her more time.... which I will need more time to complete. I was just wondering if watery poo is a sign of illness that would cause her to not eat. she has not passed any urates since I got her and to tell you the truth I am just worried. I was getting defensive because I am the only one on this website that knows how hard I've tried to make my little calypso as happy and comfortable as she could possibly be. I'm tired of people thinking that I'm a two bit snake owner. I have done my fair share of research but this little girl is concerning me. I've also been on edge because of stocks lately. Sorry for being snappy.

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You say you've tried everything, yet you came here and asked for help.

Here's my question - how long did you keep her housed in a six quart tub?

Did you allow her a week to acclimate in that small tub with a snug hide, and then offer an appropriately sized live prey item?

The people who have responded so far have experience with getting picky eaters to start feeding and are sharing proven methods that have worked for them. No one called you stupid.

I've been keeping ball pythons for over three years now and I'm STILL learning about them from those more experienced than myself. Once you think you know everything there is to know, that's when the snake shows you just how much you don't know.

If you truly want what's best for Calypso, you'll quit being so defensive and answer the questions that people are asking to HELP you, and not look at them as attacks. We have to ask questions in order to help you. We can't assume anything.

So - on that note, you also say your husbandry is perfect - can you please describe what you are housing her in, size, the exact temps, what you are using to measure temps? Can you post a picture of her enclosure?

Diarrhea ( watery poo ) is not normal in a healthy ball python and could be the result of a parasitic infection. This may or may not be the cause of her refusal to feed, but it is something that may have to be addressed with a vet visit.

If she is starting to get thin, then you could try assist feeding, but avoid full on force feeding as it is usually counter productive.

Was the Ball Python thin when you recieved it?

Watery stools and loss of body fat are not things that usually occur over a period of 12 to 13 days IMO.

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

Sorry my friends but I stand on my soap box for everything. Its just how I am.

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Well with that kind of ATTITUDE you are not helping your animal. If you think question and advice are insults than you will have a rough time in real life

Now let’s try this again, one last time

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I have tried everything

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I have a hard time thinking you've tried everything in 12 days and if so you probably have tried too many things in a too short of time.

So you first got your BP and had him in what kind of enclosure? How long did you leave him alone before offering food?

Once first feeding failed you housed him in a 6 quart tub? If so for how long? How long did you leave him along than?

Than you swtiched back to another enclosure? How long did you leave him alone before offering food again?

If you had it in a six quart tub and it did not eat after 7 days you should have wait another week, and than advise to see what you could do next keeping your BP in the same enclosure.

How is it house NOW?

What how the temps?

What is your humidity?

How do you measure them?

What kind of hides do you provide, are they tight and identical?

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

Sorry my friends but I stand on my soap box for everything. Its just how I am. I have tried everything you have suggested except give her more time.... which I will need more time to complete. I was just wondering if watery poo is a sign of illness that would cause her to not eat. she has not passed any urates since I got her and to tell you the truth I am just worried. I was getting defensive because I am the only one on this website that knows how hard I've tried to make my little calypso as happy and comfortable as she could possibly be. I'm tired of people thinking that I'm a two bit snake owner. I have done my fair share of research but this little girl is concerning me. I've also been on edge because of stocks lately. Sorry for being snappy.

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I don't understand. If you've tried "everything" in the 14 days you've had her, that's the problem right there.

Make up your mind about what your doing.

When I first came around to this site, the general consensus was to leave the BP completely and utterly starkly alone for 2 WHOLE WEEKS.

Now, a year or so later... people have cut that down to generally only 1 week, because so many can't handle not seeing the animal for 2.

If you believe the animal needs a vet visit. Take her to one. Don't wait for anyone online to diagnose your animals runny poo.


Then after wards from the vet, follow the gracious advice from Deborah and many others here. Put her in a tiny little scrunched, claustrophobic, perfect temps and humidity 6 or 12 qt sterilite tub and leave her alone for at least a full week.

Secure the tub... And for a FULL week....

No peeking, hovering, visiting, looking, opening, watching, staring....

anything for a full week. :gj:


12-14 days is a drop in the bucket.

Please list all the methods you have tried in a 13 day timeframe.

This animal is probably stressed for one. and should only be offered food once every week. Not several times a week.

Have you tried, FT, PK, Small Live, Brained PK, Brained FT, Different colored prey items? Different TYPES of prey? Gerbils, Hamsters and the like.
Have you tried scenting?

on the note with the watery poo..

Have you gotten a fecal float done?

That could hold the answer to all your problems as she may have a parasite. Watery poops are not the kind of bowel movements a healthy ball python produces.

JUST LEAVE THE GIRL ALONE.

Thats it.

Do not change ANYTHING once she has a secure environment.

Offer food ONCE a week, and check the cleanliness of her tank, ONCE a day.

Cover her enclosure COMPLETELY, and DONT even look at her.

Then wait.

If she hasn't eaten in another 2 weeks, come back.