Too big prey for a corn?

[Sylphie]

Hi all, I need your opinion about this "idea":

Month ago my Blizzard corn female (2 years old) was getting medicine for protozoa. She's now cured and can eat normally, but... she lost a lot of weight because of that illness.

After treatment she ate three times (22, 26 July, and 1 August), and everytime when I gave her the mice (f/t) she was playing with her for few hours. You know, poking lazily at her, slide the mouse around her tank, and finally lazily ate. She's nowmore than 2 weeks off food and today I thought that maybe due to her lost weight the adult mices are too big, and thats why she was "playing" with them and finally stopped eat.

Do you think that this may be the issue? She's around 192g (6.9oz), all the parametrs like temps and humidity are the same as always, I didn't mess with her cage decor, so that's really the only thing that may be wrong.

Normally I wouldn't be too worried about that going off food for that period of time, but she's already at the minimum side of the weight and I'm afraid of her losing too much.

[serpentgirl123]

Hi,

I know you are concerned since she has lost weight due to the infection and I completely get where you are coming from, but she will gain it back with time.

I normally I tend to feed any of my snakes that have gone through surgery or had an infection like a snake that has regurged. I offer much smaller meals than they normally would take and gradually work them up from there. The antibiotics/drugs take a toll on their system, just like a regurge does, imo and it takes time to reestablish healthy "bugs" back into the digestive system as well as the strain/stress the infection or surgery had on the rest of the body.

I would suggest starting with a smaller meal and see if you get a better and more consistent feeding response.

Good luck! :)

[Sylphie]

Okay, I'll go to a pet store today and see if they are having smaller mices! :D

[Sylphie]

Update: Yesterday I bought few hoppers, I gave her one, but she still don't want it... I guess that I'll wait for a week and try again.

[Sylphie]

She finally ate after a month! I'm sooo happy. And it's another proof that if you are having snakes then you should have at least one live mouse as a pet too! All I needed to do was scenting f/t hopper with a paper towel that was in our mouse cage for a few days. Our White take it down like a champ, and she was always rather lazy and gentle eater. So now I that I know what she like I can get her slowly to proper weight <3

[serpentgirl123]

Congrats! That is great to hear :)

Sometimes a little serious scenting is all they need.