Not eating, don't know what to do...

[stevepoppers]

NP.

Keep me updated on this.

Good Luck

All of us, please. We'd really like to hear it turn out well.

[quillian91]

Currently, Crane is lounging in his cage with a full belly! He ate, finally! I went to the local Reptile store, which is a wonderful place that really knows how to take care of reptiles, and I told the owner my problem with Crane. She led me to the back and gave me a live African Soft-furred Rat fuzzy, which she said is supposed to be pretty much a guaranteed feed. He didn't eat it, eve when I left it in his cage over night. In the morning, I found the baby rat CUDDLED up to Crane as they both shared the heated-side of his container!

Sooo, that was obviously a no go. Apparently, Crane thinks mice and rats are friendly stuffed animals.

However, the woman at the Rep-store told me that if he didn't take it, that I should come back the next day, with Crane, and she would either assist-feed or force feed, and teach me how to do whichever one we had to do.

She tried a live pinky mouse, just to see if he would take it through assist-feed. One she got it in his mouth, and held it for a moment, he kinda started to coil and constrict (though he is really bad at it), and eventually killed it. He then did the walk-up and finally swallowed it. We did this three more times, so he ate four pinkies in total. We had to assist feed all four times, as he refused to strike at it, and he was horrible at constricting. He kept coiling around his neck, which made it a lot harder for him to swallow.

However, I have him on a feeding plan now, to get his weight up. She told me that after he defecates, that I should feed him again, five pinkies, so that his weight will go back to normal (he was so skinny, I was worried I would wake up and find him dead...). And apparently, he is older than I thought. He has apparently already gone through his first shed, since his 'belly button' is a slight yellowy, instead of vivid pink.

Anyways, thanks everyone for all the information and advice. I am so relieved that he has eaten, finally! He just doesn't seem to know how to eat without help. Thanks again!

[Kaorte]

Personally, I wouldn't wait until after he defecates to feed him again. He might not poop for 4-5 weeks.

Also, I would try assist feeding one bigger meal rather then a bunch of pinkies. More assist feeds = more stress. So if you only need to assist feed once per feeding, wouldn't that be more preferable?

I would try a fuzzy at least or a hopper. Pinkies aren't really developed enough to give the snake the nutrients it needs.

[MikeV]

Personally, I wouldn't wait until after he defecates to feed him again. He might not poop for 4-5 weeks.

Also, I would try assist feeding one bigger meal rather then a bunch of pinkies. More assist feeds = more stress. So if you only need to assist feed once per feeding, wouldn't that be more preferable?

I would try a fuzzy at least or a hopper. Pinkies aren't really developed enough to give the snake the nutrients it needs.

Gonna have to agree.

Pinkies are for those snakes that are like 5 - 10 inches when they are like 1 month old.

They are generally for very small snakes that are still babies. IMO

get a hopper and let it roam his tank/tub. but not unattended. If/when he strikes it and coils it make sure its dead.

He isnt taking F/T because hes a ball python they are picky that way as everybody knows.

Get him a live prey item that moves and you should have him eatting. if he doesn't eat then, then you move onto assist/force feeding a hopper. but not a pinky again.

Hope he gets better!

[Kaorte]

Gonna have to agree.

Pinkies are for those snakes that are like 5 - 10 inches when they are like 1 month old.

They are generally for very small snakes that are still babies. IMO

get a hopper and let it roam his tank/tub. but not unattended. If/when he strikes it and coils it make sure its dead.

He isnt taking F/T because hes a ball python they are picky that way as everybody knows.

Get him a live prey item that moves and you should have him eatting. if he doesn't eat then, then you move onto assist/force feeding a hopper. but not a pinky again.

Hope he gets better!

The OP has already tried live.

[MikeV]

The OP has already tried live.

Ah, then I dont know...


assist feed a hopper? thats all I can think of thats left lol

[quillian91]

He refused to assist-feed with F/T. He did, however, take four live pinkies. We only have to barely put it in his mouth and he started taking them immediately. After the first one was down, we offered him the second to see if he would take it himself, but he tried to run away from it. So we had to assist-feed it. We were just trying to get something in him, to start off with. He is really, really skinny. If were were going to have to force feed him, we wanted to use a smaller prey so it stands a better chance of not getting regurgitated.

I will move onto mice hoppers/rat fuzzies in a feed or two, but he seems to have absolutely no idea on how to eat it unless I put it in his mouth. And even then, he only seems to want to take pinkies. He didn't seem stressed after the first time we assisted him. After that, when we nudged it in his mouth, he immediately coiled and constricted it (although poorly...). The whole process per pinky took about three seconds. He got a taste for them immediately, though he still refused to strike or eat on his own. We just had to nudge it in his mouth and he did the rest.

He hasn't eaten in a month, the roundest part of him is about the size of my thumb, maybe just a tad bigger (and I have small hands...). It is obvious from his weight that he has probably not eaten for quite a while before I got him, so I have no idea how long it has been since he has eaten. I don't want to give him something too big that his malnourished system can't handle and end up regurgitating. That seems like it would be a lot more stressful than assist feeding...