Hoggy still not eating:(:(

Nicky · 04-16-04, 08:51 PM

Hey all,
It's been a month or so since i bought my western hognose( Bob), ther first feeding session you started to swollow it but then spit it back out for soem unknowen reason (possibly to big?). I brought her back to the pet store to see if they could help and the one dude force feed her just so shed at least have something in her as she was losing a bit of wieght i then waited two weeks and tried again not surprisingly without results, I knowsapphire_moon you, said your were having problems but eventually yours started eating any tips or anything that i should try? thx in advance everyone.
rock on
Kayla

reptile expo on sunday whos going?

Sean_.E. · 04-16-04, 10:20 PM

Try braining the pinkie...

emeraldlover · 04-16-04, 10:24 PM

There is a couple of things that you can do for bob that i would suggest. I've had more then a couple fussy eaters. Assuming that you have already tried live, you can try leaving the defrosted mouse in his cage over night, make sure that its warm and dont put it in there till later on in the evening if at all possible. If that doesnt work try the same idea but with a freshly killed mouse and try braining it. Hope that helps you a little bit, good luck with bob.

sapphire_moon · 04-16-04, 10:31 PM

First thing, should have never let the guy force feed it, could have put the snake off food for a long time

.

Try scenting it with lizard maker or with a live toad (not sure what kind)

Considering that pinks can't hurt the snake get a live newborn pink, and put the snake and the pink in a small, enclosed bowl overnight (put the bowl in the snakes original cage so it can't escape if it get out of the bowl).

You can try the same thing with a f/k pink and a f/t pink

You could also try tease feeding. Take the pink (be it live, f/t or f/k) in a pair of tongs, and just touch the side of the snakes "neck" it may actually get aggitated enough to strike (worked for me) but it may also just do the hoggie thing and play dead.

Considering it came from a pet shop (and myself not knowing if the pet shop is a good one) then I would also suggest to somehow try and get a fecal check done.

braining, and like I said try the scenting.

Goodluck! You just have to be more persistant than they are! lol

Vanan · 04-16-04, 10:39 PM

Another method I've found to work with stubborn feeder baby hogs, is to remove their water dishes for a couple or so days and get em thirsty. Now here's the trick. Brain a pink and squeeze some of that brain matter out (best performed after dinnertime!). Now place the oozy part of the pink at the rostral opening of the hog such that the mouth is just touching the ooze. Your hog should start to try to drink the "ooze" up if he's thirsty enough, and more than often, he will open his mouth to start swallowing the pink. Good luck! Welcome to Hog-keeping!

Nicky · 04-16-04, 10:57 PM

How do i brain the mouse, like cut its head open or something? and yes i've tried leaving dead and f/t pinkies over night in a small contanier with bob. thx alot for your suggestions everyone i'll keep you updated
rock on
Kayla

sapphire_moon · 04-17-04, 05:15 AM

ya, just take a tack and push it into the skull, or a sharp knife, anything like that, right into the skull.

Oh BTW they should sell lizard maker at most pet stores now.

They are stubborn little things, aren't they!

snakehunter · 04-17-04, 06:35 AM

If you use a toad, use an american, or fowlers, some other toads can be DEADLY.

As for lizards, the average anole should do fine.

Have you tried fish, One guy said his wasnt eating, and out of chance he thought why not, ive tried everything else, and now the hognose eaties feeder fish!.......

sapphire_moon · 04-17-04, 07:03 AM

Thanks for clarifying the toad thing, I wasn't sure what kind was supposed to be used!

Nicky · 04-17-04, 10:43 AM

thx i'll try this monday and hopefully she'll eat thx again for the advice

.
rock on
Kayla

sapphire_moon · 04-17-04, 12:59 PM

goodluck and keep us updated!

Stockwell · 04-17-04, 01:02 PM

Lots of good ideas there...but try a live hopper too. Some fairly small hogs will take down fairly large hoppers, providing they have been eating mice in the past. Pinkies sometimes are too small to move enough and emit enough scent

Nicky · 04-17-04, 08:25 PM

Can hoggys really strech there mouths that much thoe? Mines only three months old and is pretty tiny I don't think he would be able to fit his mouth around it.
Kayla

sapphire_moon · 04-17-04, 10:01 PM

Oh ya, then try a LARGE pink instead of a newborn or 2 day old.

lol. Our little 6 month old was only 6inches long (now about 10 inches), so I can only imagine how tiny yours is!

Lrptls · 04-17-04, 10:04 PM

my hog didn't eat for 5 months when i got it. i had to do alot of things to get him to eat. every time he ate the pinkie had to be dead, had to have lizard maker on it, the whole cage had to be completly dark and the pink had to be left in there over night. finally after about 10 times of doing this i didn't have to cover the cage any more, then he would start eating the pinkie as soon as i put it in the cage. soon enough i didn't have to use lizard maker any more. sence then he'll eat any thing i give him living/ft/fuzzies/couple pinkies.