advice please

[sprockett]

Got a quick question y'all...I got my first ball python about 7 weeks ago...he is in a 10 gal blacked out tank with a 91 deg hot spot,and a 82 deg cool side with both a warm and cool side hide...long story short is my hatchling wouldn't eat the first 3 weeks and was deteriorating really fast since he had never had a meal.so I started assist feeding him,I have assist deeded a total of 4 times(every wed).my question is should I keep assist feeding?I always offer a live hopper mouse and a rat pup for a few hours...then assist feed since he wont take either...should I stop assist feeding and let nature take its course and hope hinger takes over?also I have never handled him since ownership so stress shouldn't be a factor....please help guys n gals...im desperate...thanks for your time-jonny-

[Emilio]

I'd stop assist feeding now, give him some time to get hungry and figure it out. In about ten days leave a small hopper in with him, turn off the light and leave the room for a little bit hopefully this will do the trick.

[sprockett]

Also I have tried feeding at night....tried feeding in a deli large cup also.....also tried leaving a f/t hopper overnight in his cage....and tried leaving a rat pup overnight also....what do y'all think my next options are?continue assist feeding?

[sprockett]

Awesome....thank you very much....I've been stressing out over this...I really appreciate it...I will wait 10 days and give it a try...I will let you know the outcome..thanx again

[vangarret2000]

A snake going off food for 3 weeks is not an issue. That's not even that long for hatchlings. Unless they are losing weight drastically. So if he actually was deteriorating so fast in that short of time like you said there could be something wrong with his health. An internal parasite mabey. If it is true he was looking that bad that fast you should take it to the bet for a checkup.

I don't want you to be insulted but with this being your first snake there is a chance he was just off food and wasn't deteriorating as bad as you think and he would have been fine I you had just waited it out a little bit longer. Once you force feed that can just put them off food even more which could be why you are still having problems getting him to eat.

After re-reading your post I noticed you said he "had never had a meal". Is that true or do you mean he just hasn't had meal since you have had him. If it is true that he has NEVER had a meal then you never should have bought him. A breeder should never sell a snake if it hasn't eatten yet. Especially to a beginner. Sometimes getting a snake to eat their first couple meals can be tricky. If this is the case then it's not your fault at all it isn't eatting, but the breeders fault.

If it is only true that he only hasn't had a meal since you have owned him and he really is deteriorating like you states then a bet visit is important.

Again a lot of beginners just make mistakes with their first snake that could make them not eat and they get worried to easily and make wrong moves to try to fix the problem which can then make things worse. Remember I am not trying to be insulting but just stating this does happen.

When someone gets a new snake thy should always take at least one week( IMO 2 weeks) before they touch or feed the snake.

Right now if it was deteriorating like you said then do a vet visit. If it might have not been that bad then skip a feeding and try feeding it normally in acouple weeks instead of force feeding it. Continue not holding it durin that time and keep the setup good, which it sounds like it is.

Howany times have you tried feeding it before you started force feeding?

[vangarret2000]

Also I have tried feeding at night....tried feeding in a deli large cup also.....also tried leaving a f/t hopper overnight in his cage....and tried leaving a rat pup overnight also....what do y'all think my next options are?continue assist feeding?

If you have been trying this many options in such a short period of time then I would believe it is the fact that you are trying too muh that could be keeping it off food.

When a snake isn't eatting most often the proper amount of time is al that is needed to get them to eat. Sometimes tryi something else a little can help. Most often trying something else too much just makes hints worse.

[kitedemon]

What are your exact temps not just cool side but warm (hot) side and ambient air temps and how are you measuring them. Small snakes usually eat well, the principal reasons why they do't are incorrect temps (high or low) and stress.

[sprockett]

Your not insulting me..I like the blunt comments...I most definitely think I over reacted on him not eating....the pet store I gorging from said they were new hatchling only out of the egg for a week and just barely had there first shed.they were 10 bucks a piece...gosh I should of know right there..anyway I got him home and let him settle for a week..then tried feeding every 4 or 5 days for 3 weeks....he wouldn't eat and looked way skinny to me so I started assist feeding..he was 61 grams when I got him..then went to 55 when I started to assist feed...now he is at 80 grams....im an idiot...reading your post made me realize that I probably did more damage than good didn't I??

[heathers*bps]

Assist feeding is such a stressful thing for a snake, and only should be used as a last resort. I can say that you are trying to feed it too often. Give it about 10 days then leave a live hopper in with it for a while.

Can you post pics of the snake and your setup?

[sprockett]

Thanks heather....I will try...seems like 10 days is what y'all think I should wait.I really appreciate the advice...I've been stressing it....I will post pics of my lil guy(sprockets)and his setup...he is in a blacked out 10 gal aquarium with warm and cool side hide...hot spot low 90's and cool side low 80's with ambient temps in the mid 80's...and I use aspen bedding ontop of the butcherpaper that I put down first...and waterfowl is in middle of cage where it keeps humidity round 60%...I researched cage setups for months before I got this cool little bugger.but looks like my idiot self didn't research feeding like I should of...I got 2 corn snakes and they eat instantly any time of the day...so I overlooked the feeding of a ball python....plus it sounds like a huge mistake buying a hatchling that has never had a meal in its life....