So... 5 year old adult male with no prior problems has stopped eating for 7 months

[Stewart_Reptiles]

That's extremely interesting. So often moving an adult can kick a food strike into gear.

Just goes to show there's not a "one size fits all" approach to these goofballs.

Thanks for the insight, Deb. I certainly NEVER would have thought of that.

Good luck, Red, please keep us posted.

BP are definitely something else those that do fine will shut down with changes and those that do poorly will be triggered and do better with changes, definitely a species that keeps you guessing.

And trust me the first time I heard of a car trip I was very skeptical as well until I tried it and it worked.

[ballpythonsrock2]

My suggestion would be to take it on a car ride to a good exotic vet. Specifically because of it losing weight. Maybe the ride might help and the vet might have some insight if it is sick or has a problem of some kind whether it be physical internal problem or due to some kind of bug or infection.

But first I would give the snake a ride to the pet store or somehow get live mice or live chick. I don't think feeding live means necessarily they will be stuck on live. To me the number one important thing (especially with weight loss and it being skinny) is to get it eating again. You can worry about getting back to f/t later.

[Bogertophis]

I was just thinking: BPs need higher temps & humidity compared to many other species, plus they're notoriously shy & laid-back...so maybe because everyone is SO
careful about keeping them so "enclosed"...just maybe this is a reminder that NONE of the snakes we keep ever spend their ENTIRE lives in a "box", no matter how
perfect the "weather" is inside it, & they all need to get OUTSIDE now & then.

I'm not specifically referring to BPs, but over the years, I've also noticed that my snake's appetites tend to improve after some warm sunshine. I like to stroll around
my property holding them (not a fan of putting them on the ground, where I live there are too many risks like ticks etc), & I've successfully improved many appetites
this way, so maybe this is just another way of "taking them for a drive". Food for thought...

I tend to think it's the natural sunlight & UV, but the fresh air sure gets their attention too. So maybe it's not about the 'make' of their rides after all?

[dakski]

I went back through my records, and Shayna, my only BP, averages 4-5 months without eating in the winter, and a little over 5 was her longest fast. She has gone 8 months with only a few meals, not zero meals.

When you say "significant weight loss," what do you mean? Shayna will routinely lose 5-8% of her body weight in a fast and then gain it back again when she starts eating again. I set my worry meter at about 10% weight loss.

Having said that, even then, I don't freak out and look at other cues.

Shayna is very inactive in fast and stays mostly on the cool side of the tank. She does not (generally) cruise and certainly doesn't seem like she's looking for food if she does. Occasionally she will urinate (I make sure all my snakes have fresh water always) and towards the beginning of the fast I might get a poop or two.

I take the last known dry weight to measure the weight loss.

I wouldn't try live, yet.

So, in summary, question wise:

1. How much weight has he lost (total and from what weight did he start at)?

2. How's his activity?

3. Is there at least urine and urates occasionally?

As stated before, I trust you on temps, but one thought, aside from a car ride, is to adjust temps a tiny bit or humidity the same. Make him think like things are changing.

Of course, only if your temps aren't near the top of safe range on the hot side (for everyone else's benefit as well).

[Caitlin]

Disclaimer: I worked my way through undergrad and grad school as a vet tech, including exotics practices, but that was a long time ago. Still, these things in combination worry me: staying on the warm side; noticeable weight loss; the fact that the snake just seems 'off' and listless to you.

Given all of those things in addition to the feeding strike, I'd get him to your exotics vet and see if there's an underlying illness affecting him. I'm not trying to be overly negative and I really hope it's just a classic BP-style hunger strike, but a few things you mentioned sparked some extra concern in my mind.

[Bogertophis]

Disclaimer: I worked my way through undergrad and grad school as a vet tech, including exotics practices, but that was a long time ago. Still, these things in combination worry me: staying on the warm side; noticeable weight loss; the fact that the snake just seems 'off' and listless to you.

Given all of those things in addition to the feeding strike, I'd get him to your exotics vet and see if there's an underlying illness affecting him. I'm not trying to be overly negative and I really hope it's just a classic BP-style hunger strike, but a few things you mentioned sparked some extra concern in my mind.

Your take is much appreciated here.

[dakski]

Disclaimer: I worked my way through undergrad and grad school as a vet tech, including exotics practices, but that was a long time ago. Still, these things in combination worry me: staying on the warm side; noticeable weight loss; the fact that the snake just seems 'off' and listless to you.

Given all of those things in addition to the feeding strike, I'd get him to your exotics vet and see if there's an underlying illness affecting him. I'm not trying to be overly negative and I really hope it's just a classic BP-style hunger strike, but a few things you mentioned sparked some extra concern in my mind.

I must have missed the warm side and listless.

Please take what I said earlier with a grain of salt and I tend to agree with this.

P.S. My apologies. Fighting a fever and probably not as focused to detail as I normally am.

[redshepherd]

Guys, Deborah's suggestion literally worked for real!! LOL thank you!

I actually didn't take him on a drive (because I don't have anywhere to drive lol), but I just figured it might be something about the lengthy change in environment... and added stress as mentioned previously, that snaps them out of it? So I took him out to handle and slither around in the room here and there for really a flat two hours. And then I switched his enclosure with another snake's enclosure as well, and completely changed the interior/decor so that everything is new.

I offered today which is about 5 days later, I think (I already lost track of time nowadays) and he took the f/t rat right away! Amazing. Hahah breaking a 7-8 month fast just like that.

[Bogertophis]

Guys, Deborah's suggestion literally worked for real!! LOL thank you!

I actually didn't take him on a drive (because I don't have anywhere to drive lol), but I just figured it might be something about the lengthy change in environment... and added stress as mentioned previously, that snaps them out of it? So I took him out to handle and slither around in the room here and there for really a flat two hours. And then I switched his enclosure with another snake's enclosure as well, and completely changed the interior/decor so that everything is new.

I offered today which is about 5 days later, I think (I already lost track of time nowadays) and he took the f/t rat right away! Amazing. Hahah breaking a 7-8 month fast just like that.

That's awesome!

[redshepherd]

Should note for any new keepers reading this in the future that this is 100% not the reason why your new ball python isn't eating LOL