Feeding Strike: When to try Live?

[Quarks]

This is my first snake, I've had him since July. Male ball, 4 years old. Eats f/t and had been eating f/t for previous owner. No refusals (after the first two weeks of settling in) from July to mid October, but then suddenly stopped taking any food after the first week of October and hasn't eaten since.

His setup is great, I check the temps regularly with a heat gun and thermostat/thermometers. Ambient cool side is 79/80 and ambient warm side is 83/84. (Fluctuates a bit more as the thermostat turns the CHE on and off.) Hot spot is 88/89. He spends most of his time in the cool side.

His shed three weeks ago was perfect, and he doesn't have any sign of scale rot or an ri, and seeks perfectly healthy and the same as he was earlier. He's not lost much weight either. Cage is clean, water changed regularly, humidity I keep right around 60%+ and hasn't ever dipped below 55% since October. Water gets changed every other day and he has consistent urates and pee. (Water treated with reptisafe) Cage gets spot cleaned regularly and was totally cleaned and all substrate replaced about 3 weeks ago right after he shed. I stopped handling him for 2 months while he was on feed strike, but I've been handling occasionally now. Cage is covered with cloth for privacy and there's lots of clutter.

He seems just fine? He's energetic and occasionally goes into strike pose when the rat is in front of him. Then he just goes and pays attention to something else or wants to crawl over the tongs and up my arm.

I thaw the rats out in the fridge the day before and then warm them up with the hair dryer, same as I did before he stopped eating. I offer around 1am, when he's active. I was slightly over-feeding him when he began the strike.

Things I've tried:
-Tried the warm water defrost method too but no go.
-Leaving rat in the cage for a couple hours and putting a cloth over the cage. (I put them on a Tupperware lid so they don't get in the substrate.)
-Waiting 2 weeks between offering food.
-Putting rat on the top of the cage for 15 min before warming it up with the hair dryer. He would get out and actively look around for it when I used this method before the strike, but now he doesn't seem to care as much.
-Feeding in lower light, and once in the dark.
-Feeding different color rats.

Things I haven't tried:
-Feeding box. He's used to feeding in the enclosure, same for previous owner, who didn't use a feed box.
-Rubbing the rat with tuna.
-Feeding live.

Should I bother with trying the tuna method or a box? Or should I just go to trying live? At what point should I make a vet appointment? I'm pretty sure they're just going to say to check his enclosure temps and try a live rat.

Thanks

[larryd23]

We have two Ball Pythons. Both are approximately three years old. Our female is an eating machine who has only missed a few weekly meals in the three years we have owned her. On the other hand, our male frequently stops feeding. His personal best is six months without eating.

It is disquieting when they don't feed, however, we have been taking monthly weights on our BPs since we first got them. As long as our boy doesn't lose significant weight during his fasts (he never has to our amazement) we have learned not to worry.

From what we have read from the people on this forum who know a lot more about reptiles than we ever will, it's just their nature.

[Cheesenugget]

This is my first snake, I've had him since July. Male ball, 4 years old. Eats f/t and had been eating f/t for previous owner. No refusals (after the first two weeks of settling in) from July to mid October, but then suddenly stopped taking any food after the first week of October and hasn't eaten since.

His setup is great, I check the temps regularly with a heat gun and thermostat/thermometers. Ambient cool side is 79/80 and ambient warm side is 83/84. (Fluctuates a bit more as the thermostat turns the CHE on and off.) Hot spot is 88/89. He spends most of his time in the cool side.

His shed three weeks ago was perfect, and he doesn't have any sign of scale rot or an ri, and seeks perfectly healthy and the same as he was earlier. He's not lost much weight either. Cage is clean, water changed regularly, humidity I keep right around 60%+ and hasn't ever dipped below 55% since October. Water gets changed every other day and he has consistent urates and pee. (Water treated with reptisafe) Cage gets spot cleaned regularly and was totally cleaned and all substrate replaced about 3 weeks ago right after he shed. I stopped handling him for 2 months while he was on feed strike, but I've been handling occasionally now. Cage is covered with cloth for privacy and there's lots of clutter.

He seems just fine? He's energetic and occasionally goes into strike pose when the rat is in front of him. Then he just goes and pays attention to something else or wants to crawl over the tongs and up my arm.

I thaw the rats out in the fridge the day before and then warm them up with the hair dryer, same as I did before he stopped eating. I offer around 1am, when he's active. I was slightly over-feeding him when he began the strike.

Things I've tried:
-Tried the warm water defrost method too but no go.
-Leaving rat in the cage for a couple hours and putting a cloth over the cage. (I put them on a Tupperware lid so they don't get in the substrate.)
-Waiting 2 weeks between offering food.
-Putting rat on the top of the cage for 15 min before warming it up with the hair dryer. He would get out and actively look around for it when I used this method before the strike, but now he doesn't seem to care as much.
-Feeding in lower light, and once in the dark.
-Feeding different color rats.

Things I haven't tried:
-Feeding box. He's used to feeding in the enclosure, same for previous owner, who didn't use a feed box.
-Rubbing the rat with tuna.
-Feeding live.

Should I bother with trying the tuna method or a box? Or should I just go to trying live? At what point should I make a vet appointment? I'm pretty sure they're just going to say to check his enclosure temps and try a live rat.

Thanks

Don't use the feeding box. They eat better inside the enclosure.

The tuna method may not work. I have tried the chicken broth method when my bp was a baby and it was a no go. It does not hurt to try but I highly doubt it will work for bp.

My male is over 2 years. He fasted last Feb and stopped in Aug. After 2-3 meals, he fasted again until Oct or Nov, ate 1 meal, and had not eaten since. Downsizing his enclosure, cleaning it, etc... It did not work for me, but you can try. It seems that when he is ready to eat, he will. I have not tried live though. My suggestion is to wait 7-8 months, or if weight loss is too much, then go back to live. Most keepers experienced an average of 6 months fasting period. A few will end theirs faster or take a year. It depends. As long as your husbandry is correct, offer and wait it out.

Mine is active at night and dawn too. I think breeding season starts in Nov? Idk.

As you can probably tell by researching and reading from numerous sources, no one has the "secret" that works 100% to get your snake back to feeding consistently.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Feeding box. He's used to feeding in the enclosure, same for previous owner, who didn't use a feed box.

Will make it worse

-Rubbing the rat with tuna.

Not gonna work this is a BP not a hognose.

What size prey was he previously fed.

How big is the snake and how big is the enclosure? What substrate do you use?

THe first to thing I would address are the two thing I just mention, I would downsize and change the substrate to coconut chips if not done already.

A healthy BP of good body weight could fast for a year and offering live is only something you want to consider if you are willing to do that from now own and maybe forever or at least a few years.

There are various reason why they fast, from new environment (not unusual for a healthy adult animal to fast 6 months or more upon arrival), to husbandry, to over feeding.

[cfd701]

I have a 2 year old male. He is currently about 2.5 months without eating. I know it will worry you but as long as your husbandry, heat and humidity are correct just wait it out. He will eat when he wants to and nothing you can do to make it happen faster!

[303_enfield]

Stewart_Reptiles hit the important stuff.

I would weigh him an keep track of it. What's your location? As, if your in a cold belt having a Ball slowdown is more the norm even if your husbandry is perfect. If he starts losing weight (1/4-1/3) then it's time to try the tricks.

Tricks

Scenting the cage. Thawing the prey out on top or near the snakes home.
Offer smaller prey.
"If" you try live. An "if" is the snake is big enough. A live rat crawler is safe to leave in the cage for an hour or more. Some will say the same about a weaned rat, I'd watch them.

Search the forum as I haven't covered 1%.

Then you have live baby fowl an birds.

Or my favorite ASF (African Soft Fur). Since I started raising them I don't get snakes going on strike. Something about a smelly male ASF just makes the snake hungry.


Good luck an keep us updated.

[Quarks]

Will make it worse
Not gonna work this is a BP not a hognose.

What size prey was he previously fed.

How big is the snake and how big is the enclosure? What substrate do you use?

THe first to thing I would address are the two thing I just mention, I would downsize and change the substrate to coconut chips if not done already.

A healthy BP of good body weight could fast for a year and offering live is only something you want to consider if you are willing to do that from now own and maybe forever or at least a few years.

There are various reason why they fast, from new environment (not unusual for a healthy adult animal to fast 6 months or more upon arrival), to husbandry, to over feeding.

Thanks,

-He's a little under 4 feet and his tank is 40 gal. I have custom fitted glass panels on 3/4 of the top mesh so it holds in the humidity really well.
-The enclosure isn't in a spot with cold drafts or sunlight but it does get chilly occasionally . I'm in Seattle. It hasn't gotten below mid 40s (f) yet and we usually keep the room toasty.
-His substrate is a mix of eco earth (coco fiber) and reptichip! I spray and mix with water occasionally to keep it from getting dusty.
-He eats the 'small rats' ordered f/t from the rodent barn. They're approx the size of the thickest part of his body, and it's the size he was eating for the last owner. I think he's nearly full grown?

I was over-feeding him before the strike, so maybe that's why he stopped taking them...

Sounds like I don't need to worry for another three months as long as he's healthy and doesn't loose a ton of weight. I'm planning to offer every couple weeks as I've been doing this last month.

[Quarks]

An update:

My BP's strike ended in late March! He went a total of seven months without food. As far as I can tell, (and going by the advice of the members here on the thread and in messages) his enclosure setup and temps were normal. I was surprised at how little weight he lost during the strike. If this happens again I think weight loss will be how I judge his health. He's been eating regularly since March and actually outgrew a hide.
His sheds are prefect and he's glossy and gained back the little weight he lost.

I think this was an unusually long strike, but I'm glad he's healthy. We're going to have to re-socialize him a bit since we stopped handling him while we were trying to coax him to eat.

[dakski]

Glad to hear he's eating. Thanks for the update. Many people leave us hanging.

[Zincubus]

Excellent news !!!


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