Force Feeding Questions

sapphire_moon · 07-23-03, 10:18 PM

If worse comes to worse and I have to tube my little BP

...How would I go about doing so? How far down would I have to go? (she is 22 inches long).....I know I would have to pure the mouse, but would I have to add water? Thanks for the information......It is greatly appreciated!

MontyPython · 07-24-03, 01:29 AM

I would take it to a vet or someone that has professionaly done it before and knows what they are doing...

lilyskip · 07-24-03, 06:40 AM

How long has it been since she's eaten? Does she look severely emaciated? Can you see her spine? If she hasn't lost a significant amount of weight, don't do it.

Colonel SB · 07-24-03, 08:41 AM

Yes tubing is only done if your snake is on deaths door...don't even think about dooing it yourself get a professional to help.

Big Mike · 07-24-03, 09:10 AM

Didn't you just post that you are only on the 2nd feeding attempt?

Force feeding is a last resort...ball pythons have been know to go for almost two years without eating.

If you are really worried that he is going to starve...take him to a good reptile vet.

wyz · 07-24-03, 09:11 AM

I don't know if this is the coutinuity of an ald post, so sorry if I ask questions allready answered.

- How long ago as he stopped eating ?
- Is he eating only live or as he allready been switched to dead preys ?

I had a problem with my young BR recently and it made me learn alot of tricks ..

Here are some that have worked over the past months to be able to have my BP eat is meals. On 3 occasions he didn't eat for 4 weeks, so don't worry too much and let him be hungry, don't try and feed him every day, wait 4 to 5 days beetween tries.

Here's what you can try, but remember to give him a stress free environnement, darkness and peace when you try these tricks.

It's allways best to feed out of the snakes enclosure, but if your snake is alone in is enclosure you can try and feed him directly in is enclosure if he's to fineky, it's will be less stressfull for him.

Here are some things you can try.

1) eat up the prey with a blow dryer and put it is is face with some sort of instument (not your fingers)
2) make an opening in the rats head so that brain matter comes out a bit, it's smell and might encourage him to eat.
3) give him a freshly killed prey, but sure to stay near in case the rat wakes up. (we never know, sometimes we don't WAK them hard enough.
4) Put him in a pillow case overnight with a dead prey. YOu can do this and trick #2 together.

Keywords: patience from you and a good environnement for your snake.

good luck.

WYZ

lanalizard · 07-24-03, 11:46 AM

yeah i wouldnt do it unless needed. My ball python went 11 months without eating...on the 11th month, since he lost SIGNIFICANT amount of weight, he was force fed 5 times and his environment was changed and now he is on his 3rd successful feeding since he didnt eat. He is also 3 years old and 4 feet long tho. So i would say, dont do it unless like the others day "on deaths door". It is VERY stressful on the snake and yourself.