Advice on force feed

carp · 03-19-03, 08:17 PM

I have to force feed my snake, and have seen it done once and was told that I need to force if she did not eat. Seeing as this is my first snake this will be my first attempt at force feeding. Advice is greatly welcomed.
Zoe did you have to force feed any of your IJ's?
Carp

Zoe · 03-19-03, 08:20 PM

I suggest you find someone who knows how to. If you do it yourself, you'll probably just end up bitten, with an injured or stressed snake.
There's probably someone you can find in your area who will be happy to help you. If you absolutely MUST forcefeed, look it up on the internet (yahoo, look up "Force Feeding Snake").
How long has your snake gone without feeding? Have you tried several methods to try and get it to eat? The last thing you want to do is forcefeed, it's never good for the snake (well, if it saves it from starvation it is :])

No, I've never had to forcefeed my IJs, because they are usually good eaters. While finicky, there is usually SOMETHING they will eat till they explode, be it rats, gerbils, mice or chicks.

Let me know what methods you've tried to get him to eat, you may have missed a couple that you could try without having to resort to force feeding!

Zoe

vanderkm · 03-19-03, 09:41 PM

Force feeding is a last resort and there are many other options to try before you need to try something that is pretty traumatic to the snake. Even juveniles can go months without feeding and during breeding season adults may go on extended fasts.

It may be possible to sort out the reason for the snake not eating if you can provide some additional info as Zoe suggests - is there a medical reason known, has it been seen by a herp vet, what has it been eating, what has changed, what methods have been used to induce it to eat?

mary v.

carp · 03-20-03, 09:33 AM

I took her to see Paul Kennedy in Hamilton, and he said the snake was probably traumatised due to being bitten and that she was kind of limp due to lack of food. He force fed her after forcing out her crap(she was constipated). He told me to offer her a meal and if she did not eat it, then a few days later try to force feed. When he force fed that was her first food in 6 weeks.

stormyva · 03-20-03, 09:52 AM

What have you tried to get the snake eating again?
Have you tried offering mice, rats, gerbils like Zoe had suggested?
Have you tried putting the f/t prey item in the cage, covering the cage, turning off the lights and leaving everything alone until the next morning?

carp · 03-20-03, 10:46 AM

You name it I had tried it. He mentioned that since she had not crapped that she felt full and would not eat.

Feed'em All · 03-20-03, 11:24 AM

Have you tried to soak the snake in warm water, to solve the constipation issue? Then maybe the snake could be induced to eat.
How big is the snake?I'd say that is too soon to try force feeding, I know is very frustating with you can't feed your snake, but I would wait...
Just a thought...Martin.

carp · 03-20-03, 03:41 PM

She is about 26inches long. I tried the soaking for about 4 nights a week for 3 weeks, to no avail. I had sought advice from all the people I know that keep snakes and even all the documentation I could find on the web, I just got a bit concerned when dhe seemed a bit weaker in her grip on me.

Herp guy · 03-20-03, 03:43 PM

Try out some boooks AND LEARN THE PROCEDURES FIRST,OR HAVE SOMEONE EXPERIENCED DO IT.

Zoe · 03-20-03, 04:30 PM

Carp, it sounds like you're bugging her a lot. If she was stressed before, she will very easily succumb to stress now. I suggest you leave her alone for a week. Don't take her out of the cage, don't go constantly looking at her, just leave her be.
If she's too stressed to eat, constantly taking her out or trying to feed her isn't going to accomplish anything. After a week goes by, start feeding from the easiest method...
first, put her in a rubbermaid overnight with a f/t mouse, rat, chick or gerbil
if that doesn't work, 5 days later try a scented mouse, rat, chick or gerbil
5 days later, try a live baby rat or live young mouse or gerbil

See how that works, force feeding is REALLY the last resort, it is SO stressfull!

GL
Zoe

Burmies · 03-22-03, 02:23 PM

Are you crazy? You should never force feed a snake for any reason. There has to be reason for not eatting. If your snake has not eaten for 4 or more months I would take it to the vet.

Burmies

Lasher · 03-23-03, 12:03 AM

My advice? DON'T I killed a spotted python even though I followed written instruction to the letter. If it was your dog, you would take it to the vet. Treat it right and take it to the vet.

carp · 03-23-03, 09:37 AM

The benefit of this forum is you get advice from more ecperienced herp keepers. Thanks all.
Carp