thinking I might have to forcefeed (with a vet?)

I have two '08s that are not eating. One of them constricts the mouse or rat every time, and then loses interest in it, seemingly. The other just won't eat. I have tried f/t and live mice and rats in all possible sizes.
So.. advice on assist-feeding? Do I simply take a prekilled prey item, gently open the snake's mouth, and insert carefully? I was thinking of youTubing videos on it, but you know how reliable that can be. :(
I am prepared to take them to the vet next week if need be. They are starting to look thin. Both ate last in ::shudder:: late september. they are passing urates and drinking.

have you tried asf?

Do you hover over it when it's feeding?
What happens if you put it in and leave it alone for a couple hours with the lights all off?

Brown paper bag technique?

I place the prey item in the shoebox with the snake, and put a blanket over the rack, and go away for awhile. I am not a hoverer (my husband is! but he does not feed the snakes.. and if he is there while I feed, I make sure that he does not hover.
Haven't tried the bag technique. I think I'll drive up to the liquor store and buy a bottle.. those paper bags they give are the perfect size!

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I think I'll drive up to the liquor store and buy a bottle.. those paper bags they give are the perfect size!

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Put your snake in a snake bag and take it on the drive with you. When you get home offer it the food item. :D.

Had that work for me more than once.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Put your snake in a snake bag and take it on the drive with you. When you get home offer it the food item. :D.

Had that work for me more than once.

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Hey FF do you think that might work with a picky king snake too? I've got a little babie that just out right refuses to eat no matter what I've tried...... Maybe a car ride would get her to loosen up some.... Come to think of it the first (also first and last time she kept the meal down) time she ate was right after the car ride home from the show.....

Sorry :hijackd: lol.

To the OP You could always see if you can get some ASF bedding to scent the mice with. I've had that help in the past to get tricky eating BPs to start for me without getting them hooked on ASFs.

did you try leaving a live rodent in the tub overnight?

Awesome news! Both of the nonfeeders took mice yesterday!! I used live.. left them in their tubs for about an hour.. YAY!

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Awesome news! Both of the nonfeeders took mice yesterday!! I used live.. left them in their tubs for about an hour.. YAY!

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Did you take them for a care ride or did they just eat?

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Originally Posted by bigballs

did you try leaving a live rodent in the tub overnight?

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Sorry, gotta speak up here. :D I've got no problem with feeding live, I do it for most of my snakes. But I think it would be dangerous to leave one in all night unattended. If they don't eat in an hour or so, it should be taken out.

Congrats btw on getting them to eat! :gj:

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Originally Posted by J.Bissell

But I think it would be dangerous to leave one in all night unattended. If they don't eat in an hour or so, it should be taken out.

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In this situation it would not have pose any problem, a rat crawler or a hopper mouse DO NOT represent any danger for an hatchling snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by J.Bissell

Sorry, gotta speak up here. :D I've got no problem with feeding live, I do it for most of my snakes. But I think it would be dangerous to leave one in all night unattended. If they don't eat in an hour or so, it should be taken out.

Congrats btw on getting them to eat! :gj:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

In this situation it would not have pose any problem, a rat crawler or a hopper mouse DO NOT represent any danger for an hatchling snake.

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Yeah really, what's a pinky going to do? Gum them to death? They don't have any real nails, no teeth, heck they can't even see yet. So I'm gonna go with Deb on that, there's no chance that it would hurt the snake :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by J.Bissell

Sorry, gotta speak up here. :D I've got no problem with feeding live, I do it for most of my snakes. But I think it would be dangerous to leave one in all night unattended. If they don't eat in an hour or so, it should be taken out.

Congrats btw on getting them to eat! :gj:

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i was responding to a thread in the "Advanced BP Husbandry" section of this forum right?:rolleyes:

Feeding live will reduce the chance that you get them on f/t. The pluss side is that assist feeding is much more stressful on the snake. I was debating this when my BP wouldn,t accept f/t. Took about a month of various techniques. Now he has decided to fast again.

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Originally Posted by ohyeahnow

Feeding live will reduce the chance that you get them on f/t.

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im going to have to disagree with you on that one.:colbert: unless you can back it up.;)