Ball python not eating

[Tattoobeauty90]

Hey

I bought my ball python September 26 2019, her papers said she was eating 2 f/t fuzzies every week. She didn't eat the week after I brought her home, but that was understandable. Ever since then she has ate the 2 f/t fuzzies. For the past 3 weeks she has not eaten at all. The first two weeks she would come out and act like she wanted them, but never took them. I even tried leaving it in her cage and walked away, but never took them. I went and bought a brand new pack, in case the other pack was a bad batch. It is the same brand I had been buying, but
this time when I tried to feed her she acts scared of it. She jumps back and tries to hide from it. I have made sure everything is right with her setup and when I feed her I do it in low lighting or darkness. I even tried making the mouse look alive by moving it around the cage. Other than the feeding issue she acts like her normal self. I can still handle her and she doesn't act like she is stressed. She is not showing signs of pre shed and she has only shed for me once since I had her. I just want to see if their is anything I could do before I take her to the vet to be checked out.

[dakski]

Please provide the following information. It will help us determine what might be going on.

1. Age and weight of BP.

2. Tank - size, temps, hides, etc.

3. How often are you offering food?

4. Rat fuzzies or mouse fuzzies?

5. How are you defrosting the prey items?

6. How are you offering the prey items?

7. How often are you handling?

BP's are known for going off feed in the winter months, but to ensure that is what is going on, we need to know more.

[Tattoobeauty90]

1. She is 6 months old 125 grams
2. 10 gallon, she has two hides, it is showing 80 in the dial thermostat.
3. Every saturday
4. Mouse fuzzies
5. I use warm water submerge for 20 minutes and I feel it to make sure it dont feel cold anywhere before I feed her
6. I use a pair of feeder tongs and dangle it making it move.
7. Once a week

[Zincubus]

1. She is 6 months old 125 grams
2. 10 gallon, she has two hides, it is showing 80 in the dial thermostat.
3. Every saturday
4. Mouse fuzzies
5. I use warm water submerge for 20 minutes and I feel it to make sure it dont feel cold anywhere before I feed her
6. I use a pair of feeder tongs and dangle it making it move.
7. Once a week

What are you using to check the warm hide surface temps ??


PS

Ignore what the thermostat says ..

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[dakski]

1. She is 6 months old 125 grams

At that age and size, she should not be fasting.

2. 10 gallon, she has two hides, it is showing 80 in the dial thermostat.

​1. Are the hides identical and snug?

2. Do you have a temp gun/IR temp gun? If not, get one now. You can get cheap at home depot, etc. You need to know the ground temps.

3. What heating elements do you have running and what thermostat are you using?

3. Every saturday

​That's probably to much normally, but she needs to eat, so I would work on getting temps and humidity dialed in - again using regulated heating elements and an IR Temp Gun to get proper ground temps.

Hot side temps should be 88-90F. Ambient temps should be 81-84F. Cool side should be 78-80F. Hard to do in a 10G, but do your best.

Humidity should be 50-65%.

4. Mouse fuzzies

Too small. If she's used to mice, go to a small mouse/weaned mouse - 10-15G to start.

5. I use warm water submerge for 20 minutes and I feel it to make sure it dont feel cold anywhere before I feed her

See below for proper defrosting techniques. 20 minutes in warm water for a small prey item can cook it. You also want it hot when you offer, but not before.

6. I use a pair of feeder tongs and dangle it making it move.

That's fine, but don't get in her face, remove her hide, etc. If she doesn't take it quickly, you can leave up to overnight.

7. Once a week

I wouldn't handle until she's eaten 3 meals straight again.





This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-. Less if smaller prey and longer if bigger prey (however longer does not hurt smaller prey).

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey - Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP on tongs. Wiggle gently to make it appear alive.

[Tattoobeauty90]

2. 1 they are snug and very similar.
2 I dont but it is my top priority when I get paid tomorrow
3 I have a heating pad and thermostat/hygrometer dial

Thank you for your help I'm going to get the infrared scanner and see what it reads

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I have a heating pad and thermostat/hygrometer dial

That is called a THERMOMETER

A thermometer READS the temperatures

A thermostat CONTROLS the temperatures.

Dial thermometer are not accurate and can give you a false sense of security and a thermostat is a MUST.

Lots of research to do and the issue is 100% husbandry related.

[Zincubus]

2. 1 they are snug and very similar.
2 I dont but it is my top priority when I get paid tomorrow
3 I have a heating pad and thermostat/hygrometer dial

Thank you for your help I'm going to get the infrared scanner and see what it reads

One of these ??


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[Tattoobeauty90]

My uncle had a digital thermometer that I could use and her warm side is showing 80.4 F and cool side is 79.15 F. Her humidity is always between 50 and 60 unless she is shedding and I bumb it to 70 75.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

My uncle had a digital thermometer that I could use and her warm side is showing 80.4 F and cool side is 79.15 F. Her humidity is always between 50 and 60 unless she is shedding and I bumb it to 70 75.

Your snake is never gonna eat if you do not provide proper husbandry and 80.4 on warm side is not proper husbandry, and considering the temps it's actually better that it does not eat, eating with low temperatures that do not facilitate digestion is only gonna lead to regurgitation.

And by the rest I will still assume that you do not have a thermostat which that will lead to burn and fire hazard.

Again you still have a lot of research to do because obviously research have not been done.

Husbandry should be your first priority feeding the second, if the first one is not met the second will not occur.