feeding troubles

[cash]

My JCP has always been an agresive feeder in the past. she would eat 6-8 mice in a sitting I had heard the switch to rats would be a problem however she eagerly began snatching up rats just as if they were mice. The problem began recently after a few bad sheds where her eye lens did not leave her skin she has had several sheds since then however her feeding habits have changed when live prey is entered into the cage she strikes once maybe twice and then loses interest in eating all together and ignores the rat running around the cage. Her strikes usually hit the rat right on target but she doesn't bother to constrict them. I don't know; Is she just not hungry? Is her striking just a defenseive bite? I even have the suspition her vision has been impaired since the only food she has eaten in the past few months has been frozen Rats placed upon her curled up body. I would appreciate any Input on the possibilities or solutions to find out what is going on with her
Thanks

[snakemann87]

First off, you should never feed more than one prey item at a time, just for future reference, second, a retained eyecap should be treated immediately. I dont want to make this sound bad, i am just telling you what you should do, but you should never feed a live rat to any snake,ecspecially with a retained eyecap, and if she didnt constrict the live rat, you shouldnt have attempted again. Your EXTREMELY lucky your snake hasn't gotten injured. The first thing would be to take her to a vet. Before her appoitment arrives check the humidity. I am not sure on the humidity levels so PM someone that would know, or check out the Morelia forums, i dont want to give out any wrong info. I hope everything goes well. Oh, you also lucky that she took frozen rats, ecspecially after feeding on live.

[BurmBaroness]

Did you remove the eye cap that was retained? If not, now she has multiple retained eyecaps, and probably cannont see. They have to be removed very carefully, after much soaking with warm water, or just put a drop of mineral oil on the eye, and after half an hour or so, just use a Q-tip to gently rubd the eyecap. If it does'nt want to come off, put on another drop of mineral oil.. ..if you pull it, it could damage her eye, so be very careful. Also, I would not offer live prey at all, as thiis could seriously injure or even kill your snake.

[Ed_r]

Need a couple Vitals from you first. Size of the snake? Temps? Humidity?

Carpet pythons naturally are from the rainforests of Australia. They require it Hot and Humid. I keep mine right at 90 on the hot side with about 70% humidity. Your humidity sounds very low if your having re-occuring bad sheds.
I agree never feed live prey, specially with retained eye caps. Would be similar to you going in to a boxing ring blindfolded.
If your snake can eat 6-8 mice in a sitting the prey items are way too small. Prey should be as thick in diameter and the widest part of the snakes body. Should only need one prey item. I have an 8' Coastal Carpet, he gets one large rat a week, frozen thawed. With carpets if the prey is warm they will strike it. Mine took frozen thawed first time, and I got him as a year and a half old adoption that supposedly would only take fresh killed at best. So it can be done.
The retained eye caps are a definate problem if you dont feel confident in removing them take it to a vet. If you do want to try it, never try to remove them while they are dry! Let the sanek soak. Don't ever use Sctch tape to remove eyecaps!!! You will pull his entire eye out of its socket. Give the snake a luke warm bath. GENTLY rub the eyecaps from the front towards the back of the snake. In the direction of a normal shed. Note , Your Snake WILL be pretty ticked off at you, and you may get bit.

Please supply some husbandry details please then we can help more.

[cash]

The eye caps are no longer retained. The eyes have been cleear for about 6 months. as for the live feeders I never leave them in the cage too long I know they can hurt the snake but what can I do to get her to eat again if she continues to disreguard the frozen. The last hunger strike occured when she was young and it turned out she simply wanted larger prey. Is there another larger rodent that JCP's enjoy as much as mice?
And do you think her strikes were defensive or just missed food attempts do to permanent vision impairment? She sees movement she reacts to things moving outside the cage as well as inside but after 2 strikes she ignores the feeder and I take it out of the cage. She usually hits the feeder she just dosen't constrict it. Should I try to change the food source? or keep trying the frozen?

[Ed_r]

Snakes in general have poor vision. carpet pythons find there prey with all the heat pits around their mouth. If conditions are too dry they will go off feed. Strikes more than likely were in defense.
Like I said i few vitals about how the snake is being kept and size of the snake would help allot.

[cash]

The snake is around 5 feet long and has swallode Adult large rats of equal girth (taking into account not to count fur). The cage humidity and temperature has been up to standard ever since the research performed when I purchased her. Perhaps if I warmed the frozen rats past a thaw to a certain temp it would aid in her finding and eating. But the microwave does bad things to feeder rodents. How do you warm your frozen feeders, and to what temp?

[BurmBaroness]

I put them in a ziploc bag in a sink with warm, not boiling hot water. alot of snakes won't eat prey that is cold.

[The_Omen]

Perhaps if I warmed the frozen rats past a thaw to a certain temp it would aid in her finding and eating.

I am going to the doctor now...
I think I cracked my skull while repeatedly beating it on my now broken table... thanks...

And no nuking rats....

[JIMI]

I do the same thing burm does. I keep them in zip lock bags in the freezer and thaw them out in a sink full of hot water. and those strikes were out of defense. i've never seen a carpet miss an offensive strike on a prey, even when blind.

[Ed_r]

I thaw my rats in hot tap water, not in a baggie. I offer the prey wet actually. I found specially with my pythons, when I feed them wet (dripping wet) They seem not to get constipated. My burm specially, would go 3 sometimes 4 weeks between defication. Now that i feed him wet prey he is on a weekly schedule as are all my pythons.
I thaw mine till they are warm to the touch and soft all the way through. The body should be completely limp.
Nothing wrong with feeding in the baggie of course. Just something I have been doing.

I really hate when people say the husbandry is "up to standard" and how they have done all their research. Yet the snake won't eat and has bad sheds.
No one is giving the advice or is going to tear anyone apart for being misinformed. But if everything is "perfect" its really hard for us to help more.

[lordkovacs]

I've always fed wet, warm mice. I've always let them sit in a small tupperware of warm water until the bodies are very soft and warm. It's always produced very fast strikes.
Cheers,
Mike

[cash]

Thanx all I hope this helps no luck so far but I'll keep trying