Enough is enough

[gold217]

So. Since my bp refuses to eat any f/t rodent (hoppers and pinkies) today I went out and bought a live hopper. I tried to feed it to my snake today from about 2:30 till probably 3:30. Nothing. So when I got home from a birthday party about an hour ago, I tried to feed it again. After being bitten by the mouse several times, my snake tried to escape her feeding box, and showed no interest. My friend and I bought a bp from the same clutch, same store, and his ate a live hopper even though he excessively handles it and stresses it out. I know that bps are finicky eaters (I've been doing research since the beginning of April) but I never knew I would end up this stressed out and frusturated. I'm actually considering just giving the snake back to the pet store because I'm really wanting nothing to do with this any more, even though I've wanted a snake since last summer. PLEASE HELP!!!!

[BigJ]

having the exact same issues, finally got her to eat tonight but for some reason she stopped...I tried assist feeding to no avail, I am so frustrated I dont know what to do!

[GoFride]

So sorry you're having these problems! It can be frustrating, I know. Was this 2:30 AM or 2:30 in the afternoon that you tried to get a feeding response?

[llovelace]

Do not remove him/her from her eclosure to feed.

[Iaunu]

Purchase a fuzzy... something too small to bite, leave it in the enclosure overnight after a long day of leaving your snake alone in a QUIET, dim lit room, in its enclosure.

Make sure your temps are correct of course, this probably all sounds like standard procedure.

But my Daisy wouldn't even touch food until i got her eating small fuzzies, after two fuzzies, she happily ate a stunned hopper *thump them once in the head.*

they may be deaf, but loud noises still cause plenty of vibration. darkness makes them feel safer from what ive seen. and also, go in the room as seldom as possible, or cover its sides with paper and tape to hide its view of others.

don't try to feed too often, it will only stress, wait 2 weeks before bothering your snake agian, keep up on the water, and after the 2nd weeks up, drop that fuzzy in there and check on it 24 hours later.

I hope this helps.

[angllady2]

I can offer a couple of suggestions to you.

First is don't move your snake to feed it. It isn't necessary and can cause problems with picky feeders.

Second is as hard as it is, wait at least 5 days before you offer again. Do not handle or mess with her in any way for those 5 days.

Thirdly, try in the early evening. Balls are nocturnal by nature, and in the wild they get active after sundown. I get the strongest feeding response from my 17 balls at around 8:00 pm.

Fourth, when you feed her, just open her enclosure, drop in the mouse, close the lid and back off. Sit down at least 4 feet away and don't move. A hopper can't do much in the way of damage to a snake, so only interfere if the mouse is actively attacking the snake.

In my experience these guys know when you are stressing about them not eating, and will deliberately not eat just to stress you even more. As hard as it is, keep your cool about it. When you go to feed her, just tell yourself it doesn't matter if she eats or not. Make yourself not care. If you can make yourself relaxed, she'll be more relaxed.

Let me know how it goes. Believe me, I've been through 9 month long feeding strikes, and it's really frustrating and very hard to deal with. Don't give up hope just yet.

Gale

[Anya]

Not removing is a good idea, since the snakey won't have the stress of being pulled from it's home, and then being shown something to eat. Your own stress won't do your bp any good, and no one's in peril here, everything's okay. I noticed you offered...3 times in one day? offering again and again in a short period of time can be stressful, I would definitely put a few days between offering, maybe even a week. If your snake was bitten, that's even MORE stress. There are tons and tons of helpful hints around the forum, I recommend you relax and make a new plan. A BP off feed isn't the end of the world, and it's certainly not a good reason to give up!! They're wonderful creatures, and very much worth the effort.


lol- angllady2 posted while I was writing, what she said, haha. ^.^

[Superpop]

Do not remove him/her from her eclosure to feed.

I can offer a couple of suggestions to you.

First is don't move your snake to feed it. It isn't necessary and can cause problems with picky feeders.

Well if the OP is using aspen substrate in the enclosure it could be a potential compaction issue feeding inside the enclosure.

I use aspen and feed in a separate enclosure for that very reason. Luckily my snake doesn't mind eating in a different enclosure.

[adamjeffery]

Well if the OP is using aspen substrate in the enclosure it could be a potential compaction issue feeding inside the enclosure.

I use aspen and feed in a separate enclosure for that very reason. Luckily my snake doesn't mind eating in a different enclosure.

who runs around africa putting the wild ones in boxes for them too eat?
adam jeffery

[gibleis]

I have had to assist my baby male everytime so far. He totally ignores anything I have tried. I don't even have to force feed him. Just touch the rat pinkies had to his mouth, he opens up, I just set the head inside his mouth and set him down. He eats it right away everytime.
I still have to get to eat on his own somehow cause I am not gonna keep doing that. But his weight was down to 48 grams and his backbone showing just looked horrible. He is filling out nicely now but better learn to eat on his own soon