Ball python won't eat

[Agro]

Hello there.

Hope you all are ok and are having great morning/day/evening/night.

So I have got myself my first snake month and three weeks ago, we already went through first shed and mites problem ( which we get rid off pretty fast).
Her temperatures are: 82F-91F(27C-33C) on the hot side and 71F-80F(22C-27C).
Humidity is: 50%-65% usually.

So my girl stopped eating around 3-4 weeks ago, I wasn't worrying much about it, because she took two large weaner rats within 5 days between offering (she gained some weight), before getting into the feeding strike.
Today I weighted her, before she was around 1200-1300g now she is 1000g and that weight loss made me worried.
I wanted to know what might cause that? As she does not seem stressed, she is very comfortable with me handling her, never balled up on me and never tried to bite me, and there is no change in her behaviour.
She drinks water normally and defecate as usual.
I was wondering is that could be that 1000g wall or I do something wrong, or she is getting close to shed again ( is that possible to stop eating 3-4 weeks before the shed?) as I noticed some similar signs she had on the day when I got her, but no pink belly and blue eyes.
Or maybe is it something wrong with the way I offer the frozen thawed? As I warm it up by the heating lamp to 100F and then offer (she took two rats like that).
She is always triggered by food and comes out, she literally is getting ready to take it but in the last minute she looses interest , last Sunday she ignored it completely and preferred to climb on me.

Sorry if the post seem chaotic as I am very busy right now, and need to write it fast.

If you know any tricks how get her back to eating again, I'll really appreciate it.

Thanks!

[hilabeans]

Hey there - quick observation from your post. Your temps fluctuate widely. Normal regulated hot side temps fluctuate within 2-3 degrees maybe, same with cool side. But your temps fluctuate as much as 9º??

Are you regulating your temperatures with a thermostat? Not to be confused with monitoring temps with a thermometer. A thermostat actually keeps temps at the optimal range and ensures they don't fluctuate wildly.

If your heat sources are not plugged into a thermostat - you've got serious problems.

Maybe you do and just didn't mention it - but that's a huge swing in temps so I'm thinking you don't.

[PghBall]

She was 1200 grams or so when you got her correct? Weaned rats are to small a meal for a 1200 gram snake. You should be feeding small/meds at that size. Do you know if she was fed live or F/T before you got her? If she was fed live rats it may be why she has refused the F/T after the first feeding you offered her. That is also alot of weight to lose in such a short period of time in my OP. Did she defecate between the time you weighed her initially and now? That might explain for some of the weight loss.

[Agro]

Hey there - quick observation from your post. Your temps fluctuate widely. Normal regulated hot side temps fluctuate within 2-3 degrees maybe, same with cool side. But your temps fluctuate as much as 9º??

Are you regulating your temperatures with a thermostat? Not to be confused with monitoring temps with a thermometer. A thermostat actually keeps temps at the optimal range and ensures they don't fluctuate wildly.

If your heat sources are not plugged into a thermostat - you've got serious problems.

Maybe you do and just didn't mention it - but that's a huge swing in temps so I'm thinking you don't.

Yes I do have a thermostat and everything is regulated, I thought such differences are normal as the shop told me these are not a problem. She had it like that before and she eaten just fine.
But thank you for letting me know, I'll work on that.

She was 1200 grams or so when you got her correct? Weaned rats are to small a meal for a 1200 gram snake. You should be feeding small/meds at that size. Do you know if she was fed live or F/T before you got her? If she was fed live rats it may be why she has refused the F/T after the first feeding you offered her. That is also alot of weight to lose in such a short period of time in my OP. Did she defecate between the time you weighed her initially and now? That might explain for some of the weight loss.

Well in UK you can't feed live to the snake, so she was definitely on F/T. Yeah she was around that weight and about after two feeds I have noticed that the food is too small for her, so I tried to give her small rat, but she refused ( it was 3-4 weeks ago) and after that feeding problem happened (also after that I have noticed she got mites).
And yes she defecated after these two rats I have gave her, but I wasn't weighting her back then, I did after that and she was 1200-1300g ish.

[PghBall]

Ok I'm in U.S. so actually wasn't aware of F/T only in the UK. I just thought that was a lot of weight to lose in such a short period. As for getting her back on track, I would get your temps regulated as was suggested (your humidity is fine). Oh didn't ask but does she have adequate hides/cover for security in her enclosure? Stress can play a big role in BPs refusing to eat.

[Agro]

Ok I'm in U.S. so actually wasn't aware of F/T only in the UK. I just thought that was a lot of weight to lose in such a short period. As for getting her back on track, I would get your temps regulated as was suggested (your humidity is fine). Oh didn't ask but does she have adequate hides/cover for security in her enclosure? Stress can play a big role in BPs refusing to eat.

Well she is having a curved cork and a cave, I have heard about identical hide issue, but she was completely fine at the beginning with them. Also the other thing, she actually refused her meal when she had her old enclosure setting (when I offered small rat), after that I have noticed she got mites on her and changed it over to paper towel and cardboard hides just to treat it, after a week I have changed it to her old setting. I wanted to inform about this as maybe that played some big role in her fast.
I'll try to regulate the temperatures and then see how she go.

[PghBall]

Well she is having a curved cork and a cave, I have heard about identical hide issue, but she was completely fine at the beginning with them. Also the other thing, she actually refused her meal when she had her old enclosure setting (when I offered small rat), after that I have noticed she got mites on her and changed it over to paper towel and cardboard hides just to treat it, after a week I have changed it to her old setting. I wanted to inform about this as maybe that played some big role in her fast.
I'll try to regulate the temperatures and then see how she go.

The stress from mites, changing her environment could definitely have something to do with it. Definitely work on regulating your temps and keep offering every week. Hopefully she'll come back around for you.

[Agro]

The stress from mites, changing her environment could definitely have something to do with it. Definitely work on regulating your temps and keep offering every week. Hopefully she'll come back around for you.

Thank you so much for help

[Zincubus]

As above posts above basically ?


Also have a read up on the 'hairdryer' method of warming up the rat immediately before offering ..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Agro]

As above posts above basically ?


Also have a read up on the 'hairdryer' method of warming up the rat immediately before offering ..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I just tried to offer her the food, she was triggered by the smell of the rat, roaming the whole vivarium for it, but when I offer she looks like she can't see it, and she still roams her enclosure.
I have warmed up the small rat for her and tried both mine and hairdryer tip both wont work, no reaction from her side.