Baby won't eat.

[tjohnson722]

So, I just tried again, no luck. Should I consider force feed?

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[Chained]

So, I just tried again, no luck. Should I consider force feed?

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

i'm no expert by any means, however, i was in a similar situation not even a week ago. i won't say "hey, do what i did" but i will tell you what happened for me.

i watched many, MANY videos on assist feeding, just to make sure i knew exactly what to do and how to not hurt my baby.

the process i used was holding sam firmly behind the head, using my thumb and index finger, and the rest of my hand supporting his weight. he is a bit long, so i also rested him partway on the floor of his tank.

he DID NOT like it at first. alot of thrashing around, trying to squirm out of it. eventually he settled down, and once he stopped moving all over the place, i took the thawed mouse behind HIS head, and used his nose to gentle push up/wiggle in to sams mouth.

now maybe i got lucky, but the moment his mouth opened, and i put the mouse just inside, he clamped down on it and began swallowing right then. i gently set him back down, closed his tank, threw a towel over the front, and left him alone. no regurgitation, and he pooped a few days later.

remember, if you decide to assist feed, just watch some videos on it first, it's really not that hard, but its so much easier to learn from watching someone experienced do it.

[Annarose15]

I have a pretty identical problem & I was searching the forums for similar questions and thought I'd ask in this thread. You said to leave him alone for 4 days after the last feeding, then try a live hopper?

My lil' guy was purchased on the 26th of May. I was "told" he ate on the 23rd. He shed on the 29th in one piece. I attempted feeding a f/t hopper on the 30th and again yesterday. I've tried the "zombie dance", "hair dryer", feeding in the enclosure, without any luck.

So, I should wait 4 days before offering live? If he refuses what's the next step? Assist feed? It seems like a lot of time to wait between feeding. Thanks!

Yes, give him 4 days alone and then offer a live hopper in the evening.

So, I just tried again, no luck. Should I consider force feed?

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Force feeding is extremely stressful, and fairly dangerous. You should always try assisting before resorting to forcing (assisting was described in the post above this). However, I would give your baby one more try before going to assisting, as long as he hasn't lost much weight. Have you gotten a scale since it was mentioned at the beginning of the thread? This is an important tool for monitoring your pet's health, regardless of whether you intend to breed. Also, make sure you have switched to aspen bedding and that his hides are very snug. You can also crumple up some newspaper in the tub to make it as cramped (secure) as possible.