Seriously ball python won't eat. Nothing wrong medically or husbandry wise.

[Shaney]

I don't know what to do, he's loosing weight I've tried everything. Any suggestions?

[Cissin]

Weight of snake? Smaller tub? Brown paper bag? Live & F/T? More details...

[Shaney]

He is 2 years old, 3ft ish, weighe 760 grams last time he was weighed but I haven't weighed him for a while. His viv is a 4ft & wooden, he's kept on aspen, has 3 hides (one each end and one in the middle) his temperatures are 32 Celsius in the warm end and 26-29 in cool end. I feed f/t small rats every 10 days, he was tricky to start with feeding wise, but he usually eats like a trooper, strikes every time. I think he frightened him self a while ago, he missed. That was a month and a half ago and he's not eaten since. I tried feeding him again yesterday and he struck and let go. I've tried all of the tips, soaking in chicken broth, scenting with hamster... I bought a different coloured rat today and will try him in a couple of days. I'm really worried as you can almost see his spine so anything else you can think of would be great
he eats in his viv because if you handle him even the day before he goes off his feed. I don't think live feeding is legal in the UK.

[ROACH]

"I don't think live feeding is legal in the UK." I was about to say try live feed. Why is it not legal?

[Crazymonkee]

"I don't think live feeding is legal in the UK." I was about to say try live feed. Why is it not legal?

I would find out for sure. I personally would buy one as a pet and feed it if weight loss is as significant as you say. I'm NOT saying to break the law just stating what I would do.
If hes lost so much weight, why have you not weighed him recently to be sure of how much he's actually lost?

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[Crazymonkee]

According to a post on a reptile UK forum it is not illegal just frowned upon, do it discretely... as in don't go into the pet store and ask for a rat to feed your feed snake. Just say you'd like to purchase a rat.

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[ROACH]

According to a post on a reptile UK forum it is not illegal just frowned upon, do it discretely... as in don't go into the pet store and ask for a rat to feed your feed snake. Just say you'd like to purchase a rat.

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Thats what I would do for sure! Say I want a few rats for my kids as pets and feed them to your snake. Exspecially if its not eating and losing alot of weight!

[dr del]

Live feeding is legal in the UK as long as you do not do it for the purposes of entertainment.

That said, I'd try an F/T mouse first.

[Crazymonkee]

Live feeding is legal in the UK as long as you do not do it for the purposes of entertainment.

That said, I'd try an F/T mouse first.

Could I ask why you'd try that? I'm curious.

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[JLC]

Six weeks without eating for a mature ball python (assuming yours is male, it is mature at that age and weight, although it will continue to grow slowly) is not a big deal. It should not be losing weight so quickly that it's "spine is showing through" unless it was already significantly underfed before the fast began.

As Derek (dr del) says, before trying a live rodent....try switching rodents first. If the different colored rat doesn't work this time around, then a week later, try a f/t mouse. Switching rodent species often does the trick for a ball python that is fasting for reasons we can't fathom. Maybe he has some kind of negative connotation with the rat scent now, if he banged his face during a missed strike. He may be content to eat mice for awhile. If he takes one...then you can lay one or two more warmed mice down in the cage while he's busy strangling the first. Then cover the cage and leave him completely alone for a day. Check the next day and see if the mice are gone.