Need your advice on a female hognose who hasn't taken a meal.

[NNJExotics]

Hey everyone,
I got into Hognose earlier this year when i picked up a Western hog boy and he is currently doing great and is at 29 grams! I wanted to get your advice on my female western hognose. Her current weight is 3 grams. I purchased her along with another female hognose from the White Plains Expo in NY this past month. The other female is 6 grams. She has not taken a meal since i got her a few weeks ago but she is drinking well and urinating well. The other female has been taking rat pup parts just fine. I have offered this female pinky, pinky parts, rat pup parts and she refuses everything. I have researched information online regarding babies not feeding and read that i should never force feed or assist feed. Some recommendations i read online were to boil an egg and offer small amounts of that to a baby hognose that is not feeding, that which i have not tried yet. From previous readings, it is supposedly okay for a baby not to eat for some time but how long is too long? She is otherwise active and acting normal. She has not shed yet.

Here is some information on her set up.
-6 quart tub in an AP rack with back heat.
-temp on hot end is 94 degrees and cooler end is 86 degrees.
-humidity is maintained relatively low.
-substrate is paper towel
-small water dish

I would appreciate any and all advice,tips, or tricks to get this female to take a meal.

Thanks in advance,
Javier

[masterofdestiny90]

I've read that you can scent the pinkies with frogs, toads, or lizards. Hope that helps.

[Pastelpipes]

Try waiting till after it sheds and then try to feed it. Also you might try making making the humidity higher and lowering the temps just a tad. Hope this helps.

[NNJExotics]

Try waiting till after it sheds and then try to feed it. Also you might try making making the humidity higher and lowering the temps just a tad. Hope this helps.

I'll take that into consideration but I had temps initially at 90 degrees but was recommended to up it to around 95 degrees by 2 Western Hognose breeders. Would like to hear what others who own Western Hognose have their temps set to?

[NNJExotics]

Try waiting till after it sheds and then try to feed it. Also you might try making making the humidity higher and lowering the temps just a tad. Hope this helps.

She has not gone into shed yet but i'll wait for that.

[NNJExotics]

She has not gone into shed yet but i'll wait for that.

Offered her a f/t tiny pinky today and she miraculously ate it!

[NNJExotics]

She has not gone into shed yet but i'll wait for that.

Offered her a f/t tiny pinky today and she miraculously ate it!

[CatandDiallo]

I'll take that into consideration but I had temps initially at 90 degrees but was recommended to up it to around 95 degrees by 2 Western Hognose breeders. Would like to hear what others who own Western Hognose have their temps set to?

That is really hot for a Western Hognose... we keep our hot end at high 80s. The breeder we got him from, plus researching many care sheets told us that temperstures such as 87, 88, 89 for the hot spot is adequate.

Just thinking about where they live, this makes sense to me.

[Jaxx]

Gratz on her eating for you today.

[di3_romantic]

Glad to see that she ate!

However, you should totally do the egg thing anyway. It's ADORABLE. haha. There's a video on youtube of one going nuts on a hard boiled egg.