They did it! They did it! They finally did it!!

[angllady2]

I'm so happy I'm beside myself. My two holdout baby balls finally ate!!

I've been fighting with these two hatchlings since May. We received 10 babies from Outback Reptiles. Most ate within a week or so. Three would not eat. I tried everything, and I mean everything to get them to eat. Mouse pinks, rat pinks, mouse fuzzies, rat fuzzies, hopper mice, live, p/k, f/t, tuna broth, chicken broth, if it's been tried to feed a ball, I tried it.

Week after week I met with failure. After 2 months, I started trying to assist feed, with the same ineffective results. I tried every method of assist feeding I could find and nothing. Finally I resorted to force feeding, but I couldn't stomach that hardly, and one baby finally starved to death.

I kept offering week by week, when my offerings were refused, I'd try to assist, when the babies would convulsively refuse my assisting, I'd force feed again, because I couldn't bear to loose another.

The poor little things are so pitifully thin, they don't even look like snakes anymore.

Finally I told myself today was the last time. I knew they were suffering and I couldn't bear that, but nothing I tried was working. It became a two person job just to force feed them a rat pink every five days. I made up my mind, I'd try assisting one last time, then I'd have to do the unthinkable and put them to sleep.

So I thawed the rat pinks, got their little tubs and a towel and sat down at my kitchen table. The first baby and I fought for over 30 minutes. Every time I'd get it in her mouth, she'd fling herself around and upside down and every which way until she spit it. Finally, I gave up in despair.

I decided to try the second baby. It took a few minutes of wrangling, but I finally got the pink's head in her mouth and then let go and waited. She hesitated for a few seconds, and I feared the worst. Then something clicked in her little head and she started swallowing on her own!

Once she got it down all the way, I decided to offer her the second. She's so very tiny that is a lot of food, but they are so near starvation, I decided it was worth the risk. I had to fight to get it in her mouth again, but once it was there, down it went as well! She looked very swollen, but VERY happy when I put her back in her tub.

So, with renewed hope, I got two more rat pinks out of the freezer and decided to try the first baby again. Once they were nice and thawed, we tried it again. For another 20 minutes she fought me like a possessed thing, then suddenly I think she got to tired to fight. I had the pink head and shoulders in her mouth, and she just lay there, breathing hard and not moving.

Suddenly.... was that ?? Did she.....?? She did! She was swallowing it on her own! Once she got it down, I gave her a few minutes to relax, and decided to go for broke and offer the second. Once again she fought me like a demon, and once again, once I had it head and shoulders in her mouth, she just quit fighting. She swallowed the second one a little slower than the first, but I swear she had the biggest snakie grin when she got it down. I know I was grinning like a fool.

So after all this time and heartache and tears, my little ones finally took their first meals on their own, well mostly on their own. Now to wait 5 days and hope and pray it gets easier from here!

Gale

[sho220]

That's awesome Gale! It's such a great feeling when they start to figure it out on there own. It's an even better feeling when they start taking them on there own...and...even start gaining weight!!! Sorry to hear about the little one that didn't make it, but sometimes things happen. It's a learning experience for sure. Congrats again!

[ballpythonluvr]

Congrats on the successful assisted feedings! I hope the little ones continue to do well for you!

[WingedWolfPsion]

They really can fight like the devil against assist-feeding, especially the first time. My personal tactic is to simply keep trying. Putting the pinky in far enough that the head is in their throat and only the shoulders are out seems most effective, but I've had to put it in there up to 5 times before the little booger swallowed it. Once they get tired, at some point they just decide it's easier to swallow than to spit it out and have it put back in all over again.
I've also found that after the 2nd or 3rd time, the fighting gets less and less, until they start swallowing the moment the food is in their mouth-they figure out it's the quickest way to get the ordeal over with, lol. I've not yet had one that didn't eventually start eating by itself.

[PghBall]

Congrats. Wishing you success with the rest of their feedings.