Feeding question.

[David802]

Hey guys, so I’ve got a question for you experts that taught me so much when I first got my snake. About 2 months ago I began to keep mice in a plastic tub near my snakes cage, since that time my snake has refused to eat. I’ve tried killing them for her, and leaving them live and just watching closely. I’ve tried moving the mouse cage to another room. All to know avail. She is starting to lose weight and I’m beginning to get nervous, she has lost almost 60 grams in the last 2 months and is down to 647 from 707 shortly before this fast. Other than the introduction of a mouse cage near hers there has been no change in husbandry. Her temps are perfect, 79 to 81 for cold, 92 to 94 on warm, with a 65% humidity (from the accu what ever its called weather station from H.D.). I’ve recently taken to killing the mice for her and doing the dead mouse dance, but she won’t touch live or dead anymore. She’s a just over a year old and was a perfect eater before this. She has never had a bad shed and I’ve examined her eyes closely and can’t see any eye caps that might be impairing her vision, she’s also not in shed atm, she’s not showing any of the signs of an RI and nor mites and the ilk or any other disease …. The strange thing is, I drop the mouse in the cage and watch (or dance it around in her cage for dead ones) and she will come out and look at it then slither around her cage for about half an hour to an hour and then go back to her hide. One time she slithered right up against the LIVE mouse and had a drink while it was sitting there crapping on her cage floor.

Any suggestions or comments?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I have kept rodents next to my snakes for years and never had any issue if this is one of your concern.

As far a 60 grams weight loss it can be easily explained especially if the first time your recorded her weight she recently weight and the second time she recently defecated.

If your husbandry is optimal the only thing you can do is keep offering and wait until she resume feeding.

They do go of feed and at this age and size there is nothing to be nervous about as long as she is healthy and you keep monitoring her, it could last weeks, months.

I know fast are frustrated for the owners however I am convinced she will be fine.

Just make sure everything checks out and wait it out.

[David802]

At what % weight loss should I start to be concerned? Is there a point where I might want to consider assist feeding. I know someone that knows how to do it. He breads BP's and has had to do it a few times over the years but I'd rather not do that unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks for the tips btw, I can't think of any other reason for why she isn't eating, and I keep saying that its just a fast and she'll eat when she's ready (hence my not having shown back up 2 months ago asking why she didn't eat) but she refused again last night. I am beginning to worry that I've missed something.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

It's not about a certain percentage it's about overall health and weight loss if the animal suffer dramatic weight loss than there is something else going on.

BP are very efficient and even after months of fast the weight loss is not very significant.

Your BP knows how to eat therefore there is no need to assist, usually animals that are assisted are either hatchling that fail to eat on their own, or weak sick animals that need to regain strength, your BP does not fit in either category.

Hang in there I know the frustration I have a female that only eats 3 or 4 months out of the year and fast the rest of the time

[David802]

Lol, alrighty thanks so much for the reassurance. I'll keep a good eye on her over all health/weight and just keep offering her food every week.