14 months since this guy ate....

[Bleepr]

I'm sorry, but the day when a 30 gram mouse can take down a 400 gram snake with a few nibbles, let me know.

As I said, at no point did I feel like his life was in danger from the mouse, and it was call for drastic measures. I have not fed live since, and he is finally eatting more then 1 mouse a week. It was, and still is an uphill battle after 7 months without food, and hes still half the size he should be at his age.

But, this is not about me, this is about Wax's snake. I'm sorry we've been getting so off topic.

At any rate, hes not eatting anything, live, f/t, or p/k? Have you noticed him drinking? and which tub is he located in? Its a strange question, but if its getting cool in your house and hes a lower tub, his temps (and humidity, for that matter) can be off. I'm not expert though, just a thought.

On top of the flagyl, you could ask for a dose of b-vitamins, that should increase his appetite.

[wax32]

I'm sorry, but the day when a 30 gram mouse can take down a 400 gram snake with a few nibbles, let me know.

As I said, at no point did I feel like his life was in danger from the mouse, and it was call for drastic measures. I have not fed live since, and he is finally eatting more then 1 mouse a week. It was, and still is an uphill battle after 7 months without food, and hes still half the size he should be at his age.

But, this is not about me, this is about Wax's snake. I'm sorry we've been getting so off topic.

At any rate, hes not eatting anything, live, f/t, or p/k? Have you noticed him drinking? and which tub is he located in? Its a strange question, but if its getting cool in your house and hes a lower tub, his temps (and humidity, for that matter) can be off. I'm not expert though, just a thought.

On top of the flagyl, you could ask for a dose of b-vitamins, that should increase his appetite.

The off topic-ness is ok.

My rack is actually three tubs lined up horizontally on a rack from Lowes with heat tape under the tubs! So all the same. He was also in my bed room in a 20 long set up properly when he first stopped eating. So I don't think location is it. Good idea though!

The snake-room is kept in the high 70's with a room heater and then I have a helix stat wired to 12" flexwatt under the tubs. The helix is set at 95 which keeps the warm end at about 90. Humidity hasn't been a problem... good shed all around. The non-eater even sheds well.

[wax32]

I'll note that beside the 3 BP's I also have 14 corns and a king in the same room. (I realize colubrids have different needs.) All are doing well except for the one bp and one bloodred corn I have that has never been a good eater. The colubrids are basically at room temp. I have a ranco stat on them that doesn't let them get below 80, just in case!

[Bleepr]

Well, looks like flagyl + b-vitamins gets my vote. I'm out of ideas!

Only thing I can think of would be internal parasites, but thats impossible to determine without a stool sample, which is impossible without eating! Crazy cycle.

Now that you have the newspaper in, I would let him settle before introducing a prey item, a day or 2 should suffice. If you're trying constantly, that could really stress him out. Try once every 7 days is the rule of thumb as I've heard, but I'm sure you know that. You seem to be on top of our game with your snakes.

[wax32]

Well, looks like flagyl + b-vitamins gets my vote. I'm out of ideas!

Only thing I can think of would be internal parasites, but thats impossible to determine without a stool sample, which is impossible without eating! Crazy cycle.

Now that you have the newspaper in, I would let him settle before introducing a prey item, a day or 2 should suffice. If you're trying constantly, that could really stress him out. Try once every 7 days is the rule of thumb as I've heard, but I'm sure you know that. You seem to be on top of our game with your snakes.

Thanks...

Yeah I'm gonna let him settle in and try again in a few days. Probably later in the week after a vet visit and at the very least some Flagyl. I'll ask about the b-vitamins and also about broad spectrum antibiotics like someone else mentioned.

[wax32]

... Have you noticed him drinking?

I meant to respond to this too...

Actually NO. I guess he has to be, or he'd be dead. But I never see him drink (not that I really see any of my snakes drink much) and his water bowl never gets empty like some of my other snakes.

Thoughts on this?

[jgaumer]

what is flagyl and how does it get snakes to eat again?

[Luke Martin]

If you want a vet that knows about snakes and have the time, I'd suggest taking him to the LSU small animal vet clinic. I live in Baton Rouge and have close to 200 snakes myself and anytime I've had any trouble I've taken them there and they take great care of them. The main vet is obsessed with tortoises himself so he understands our love for our reptiles.

Also you may want to possibly raise your temps up a little bit. If I have snakes not eating almost every time I've raised the temps up they start eating just fine. Some snakes just don't want to eat for a while...take him for a drive for a couple hours and see how that works. I got about 10 snakes that wouldn't hardly eat for the person I got them from and all eat amazingly right now...so who knows for sure....

[rabernet]

what is flagyl and how does it get snakes to eat again?

It's an antibiotic, and it also sometimes acts as an appetite stimulant.

[wax32]

If you want a vet that knows about snakes and have the time, I'd suggest taking him to the LSU small animal vet clinic. I live in Baton Rouge and have close to 200 snakes myself and anytime I've had any trouble I've taken them there and they take great care of them. The main vet is obsessed with tortoises himself so he understands our love for our reptiles.

Also you may want to possibly raise your temps up a little bit. If I have snakes not eating almost every time I've raised the temps up they start eating just fine. Some snakes just don't want to eat for a while...take him for a drive for a couple hours and see how that works. I got about 10 snakes that wouldn't hardly eat for the person I got them from and all eat amazingly right now...so who knows for sure....

I raised my room temp a few degrees a few days ago. The other 2 balls are eating fine but you never know! I might try bumping up my flexwatt a little too.