Baby pueblan milk snake hasn’t eaten in almost 3 weeks !

[Snakelori]

I bought a baby apricot pueblan milk snake from snakes at sunset . I have had him nearly 3 weeks and he had never eaten. He is in a small plastic tub with 3 hides. He has cool side of 70- 75 degrees .
Warm side of 85 degrees. I have tried everything to get this little guy to take a F/T pinky .
I have scented with chicken fat, tuna, gecko,
pieces the brain contents of the pinky, left the baby snake in a deli cup overnight with the pinky . I have left him alone for a week in between each time of attempting a feed. This guy is almost 3
Weeks with no food . I am panicked and desperate.
The breeder told me to do live pinky . I don’t have access to any live pinky. Any and all suggestions welcome !!!!

PLEASE HELP

afraid he is going to become weak and never eat !

[EL Ziggy]

Was the breeder feeding live? If so, and you don’t have access to live prey, then it can be tedious but he should eat eventually. They ALL do. Even baby snakes can go months without food but I’m a firm believer that the hunger ALWAYS wins. I’ve had a few snakes that were slow starters but I’ve never seen a healthy snake starve itself to death when food was available. If you’re sure your temps are dialed in then just keep offering food until he eats. I would offer food every 14 days instead of weekly. Make sure the prey item is completely thawed, superheat it with a hairdryer to about 100F, and offer it from tongs. You may have to wiggle/dangle it to entice a strike. If he doesn’t take it from the tongs leave it overnight or give it to another critter after a few hours. Rinse and repeat until he gets on track. Keep us posted.

[chairman]

I agree with El Ziggy.

It sounds like you have tried a lot of things in a short period of time. Follow Ziggy's advice and slow down a bit, let the snake have a chance to de-stress.

Also, before blow drying the mouse, go ahead and dry it off with a paper towel first. Warm, dry mice seem to be more appetizing to snakes than cool, wet ones. I've heard dry prey have a stronger natural scent, too, which may help.

[Snakelori]

Thank you ! I need the reassurance right now . I am so afraid this little one is going to die before it finally eats . I have no idea what the seller was feeding it . In the description of the name before I bought it it stated f/t pinky as its feed . I don’t have access to live pinky but I am going to drive 3 hours away to get a live pinky on Friday . Friday will be 3 weeks since I got this little baby and he has not had a feeding in all that time .

[Snakelori]

Once I get ahold of a live pinky how do I offer it ? Do I hold it in front of the snake with tongs or just lay it in his 6 quart container ? He is on aspen shavings . Should I risk stressing the snake out and put him in a different feeding box or leave him in his enclosure with the live pinky ?
Thank you !

[chairman]

Just leave the live pinky in the enclosure overnight. You can put a towel over the top of the enclosure to give the snake privacy.