feeding issues

[Moose84]

got my guy october, 2016. Little back story, he was found as a stray, a little underweight. It took about a week for him to eat for me, and it was mice, because that was what I had on hand. I moved to rats when I found some at petco. after one bad purchase, I went to online rats (large for him). He stopped eating around December 2016 and started back up around April 2017. He ate one large rat about once a week until around october/november 2017. He started eating again May 2018 and ate 1 large rat a week until october/november 2018. This year has been VERY,VERY different. He has eaten maybe 2 rats this whole "eating season". One of the things I tried was, I gave him a mouse (which he attacked with gusto) then tried to follow it with a rat, no go. Next I tried defrosting his rat with mice, still no go. I've tried everything suggested. I wonder, is it ok to go back to mice just to get food into him? I have not weighed him to see if he has lost weight (I'm sure he has, just no idea how much), but I know I'm coming in to the fasting season. Nothing has changed in his cage/the house, all his parameters are still good. He seems to WANT to eat as he gets active, shows feeding behaviors towards the food, just doesn't actually strike and eat. Anyone looking in my history... I stopped removing him from his cage for feeding almost two years ago. (I have not tried going back to that). I hesitate to take him to the vet as they usually seem to lean towards force feeding. I don't want to go that route.

How big is this snake?? Large rats are enormous for a BP.. Even big females top out on mediums... Sounds like the animal should have PLENTY of size on it to take a fast.. Live mice are like candy to snakes and will break a fast most of the time from my experience..Definitely get a weight on the animal any time their feedings go off..