Hasn't eaten since January

[NYDragon]

Hi! Ok, my western hognose male has refused food since the beginning of January. I don't have a scale at home unfortunately but he doesn't seem to be losing any weight. I got him in November 2009 from Vin Russo at Cutting Edge Herps during the White Plains Expo. So I'm guessing he's between 6-10 months old (am I guessing at this right?) I don't want him to have any health or development problems from his lack of eating. Has anyone tried assist feeding their hoggies? I'm tempted to try but being as he's so little I'm afraid I might hurt him. Any suggestions? This little guy is sooo cute but he's giving me ulcers Thanks!

Erin

[Snakefreak64]

have you tried a small deli/worm cup and lid, sometime the dark small enclosures help them along......

snakefreak64

p.s this works with all but one of my males lateley, I guess they dont want balls to be the only finicky ones!!, good luck!!

[Gregg Madden]

Hey Erin,
Give me a rundown on how you are keeping him... Hot/cool side temps, size of cage and substrate being used...

[NYDragon]

Hi! I have tried the deli cup. Left him in there for about 5 hours or so. He just zips around the deli until I let him out. Last time he pooed in there, a lot of fun to clean up

He's in a 10 gallon. 85 degrees on the hot side, 70 on the cool side. He's in aspen substrate about 3-4 inches deep. He has a hide and some plants but he doesn't really use them, just burrows. He has a water dish on the cool side. He definitely drinks because its always low in a few days and sometimes I see him soaking in there.

[dr del]

Hi,

Just a random idea from the terminally uninformed but have you tried a fake mouse nest?

Since he likes to burrow take one of the deli cups and bury it in the substrate with a hole in the lid and put some used mouse bedding and the pinky in it.

If the lid was opaque so it was nice and dark in there too it couldn't hurt I don't think.


dr del

[kc261]

I know next to nothing about hognoses, but I do think Derek's idea is excellent.

I had a new hatchling corn who refused to eat when we got him. Everyone was recommending the deli cup thing, but it just seemed to freak him out. Finally one time I decided to put a pinkie in his hide in his regular enclosure, and that was what finally did the trick. I think for this particular snake, the transfer to the strange deli cup was doing more to stress him than the small dark enclosure was doing to help him feel secure enough to eat. Yours might be the same.

[Lolo76]

From what I understand, that is quite common in male Hognoses... that's actually one reason I got a female, since I was warned the boys go off feed in winter. Not sure what else to say, except that you shouldn't worry too much - unless he starts looking extremely thin, or doesn't go back to feeding in spring.

P.S. They do supposedly have a thing for toads & frogs, so if all else fails, you can rub a mouse on a toad... that sounds so funny, LOL.

[Gregg Madden]

He's in a 10 gallon. 85 degrees on the hot side, 70 on the cool side.

In my opinion based on my experience and the experience of a bunch of other hognose breeders, this is a bit on the cool side...

I would bump the hot spot up to about 92 degrees and have the cool side/ambient air temps between 78 and 80 degrees...

Hogs do like it much warmer than other North American colubrid species... In other words, they should not be kept like corn snakes...

It is not normal for males or females to go off feed at any time of the year other than brumation and breeding... All of my males feed year round... I attribute this to the fact they are kept with high basking temps and ambients up to 80 degrees..

[girlundertherainbow]

Don't have much hognose experience as the one I have now is my first. but just offering what I've noticed with her..
she's handled enough, but seems at times she's already in a mood if she's disturbed too much while diggin around trying to find her *under her aspen*, then when I offer her pinky she's too irriated to eat. And if I keep offering she'll huff at me. But if I have her pinky ready, and quickly uncover her (but slowly) she'll usually take it. if it takes too long I can try again later but usually she's not gonna take it until the next day. But maybe just her.

[NYDragon]

In my opinion based on my experience and the experience of a bunch of other hognose breeders, this is a bit on the cool side...

I would bump the hot spot up to about 92 degrees and have the cool side/ambient air temps between 78 and 80 degrees...

Hogs do like it much warmer than other North American colubrid species... In other words, they should not be kept like corn snakes...

It is not normal for males or females to go off feed at any time of the year other than brumation and breeding... All of my males feed year round... I attribute this to the fact they are kept with high basking temps and ambients up to 80 degrees..

Yeah, I wasn't sure if the temps were right or not. There is so much conflicting info out there. I'm having a hard time getting the ambient temps up. Good ole NY weather. I have foam board on three sides and 3/4 of the top covered but still staying around 70 degrees.

I tried feeding him last Monday and he refused but still looked good. I left him alone until yesterday. I took him out and he looked thinner than last week and a little wrinkly. I put him in some lukewarm water and he drank for about 30 secs. Weird since he had a full water dish in his cage. I tried offering him food again but no luck. I did notice a little black mite though. First time I've seen that. So off to the vet today. I'm just not sure what is going on with him. He's making me a nervous wreck!