Help hog island boa won't eat.

Trevor Flink · 10-15-16, 12:01 PM

So I picked up a hog island boa from a breeder on the 9th of October. She was feeding on live fuzzy mice every tuesday there and the guy said that she would switch over to frozen/thawed no problem. It has been 4 days since she she was scheduled to eat and she hasn't yet. She has peed once with 2 white flakes but no poop. She has lost weight. Her ambient temp is 82°f and humidity at 50%. What am i doing wrong.

sattva · 10-15-16, 01:02 PM

Don't panic here... It is not unusually for a snake to skip a meal or two... I have heard of snakes going a year without food or water... I don't recommend testing that but you get my point...

I had a problem eater I had to confine to a paper bag with a meal... Worked like a charm, But I will let the experts here chime in....

A snake will skip meals when his/she environment changes or their getting ready shed, so don't panic just yet...

Trevor Flink · 10-15-16, 01:23 PM

Thanks that lowered my stress alot.

**Andy_G** · 10-15-16, 02:28 PM

The weight loss is probably just the poop. To expand on what sattva said, be sure to leave her alone as much as possible until she is eating for you.

What is the hot spot temp?

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-15-16, 02:40 PM

Yeah 4 days is like us not eating for a minute, nothing to worry about.

As a baby she should be eating every 7-14 days anyways so she's still within the range. You hadn't even had her a week when you started trying to feed her.

Give her 7 days from the last time you offered food and then offer a fuzzy again, do not handle her at all during this time. She should be allowed time to settle in without you bothering her.

Trevor Flink · 10-15-16, 02:48 PM

It is 88-92

Trevor Flink · 10-15-16, 02:49 PM

In total it has been 11 days since she last ate.

Trevor Flink · 10-15-16, 03:36 PM

The last time I offered a fuzzy was Wensday.

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-15-16, 05:38 PM

Ok if that was Wednesday 12 don't offer until Wednesday 19. That should make it 15 days since she last ate. Which isn't going to impact her health in the least. Even babies can easily go 6-8 months without food. I've heard of newborns not taking their first meals until they were 4 months old. Trust me, she'll be fine.

In the meantime, bump that humidity to at least 65-70%. Temps sound good, but how are you measuring them, where are you measuring them, and how are you regulating them? What are you using to heat?

Trevor Flink · 10-15-16, 06:22 PM

Thermometer/Hydrometer on the cool side for heat measurement. I have a temp gun. I have a zoo med rheostat for my small heat pad that's at 90. The heat lamp on the cool side stays at 82-83 with room temp so no need to regulate it.

bigsnakegirl785 · 10-15-16, 11:08 PM

Yes, you do need to be regulating the heat lamp. Thermostats are not an option. Get it on a thermostat, one with a dimming capability or it will just be shutting off and on.

Is the thermometer/hygrometer (not hydrometer) digital? You will get more accurate readings, especially with the temps, if you use digital.

I would switch out the rheostat with a thermostat ASAP, as a thermostat will be able to control the UTH's temperatures when you aren't around to regulate it, and depending on what brand you buy it will have failsafes to better protect your pet. I'd have the heat lamp on the rheostat before I'd put the pad on it tbh.

dannybgoode · 10-16-16, 12:27 AM

I think bsg pretty much covers everything especially in regards to getting proper thermostats.

The only thing I'd add is to move the heat lamp away from the cool end and have it work in conjunction with the heat mat on providing a proper basking spot at the warm end.

The cool end is meant to be exactly that. Having the bulb and mat at the warm end will ensure that the ambient temperature in the enclosure never drops too low and the snake will be able to thermoregulate properly.

At the moment it has a warm end and a warmer end.

Regarding the feeding-others have covered that just fine.

Trevor Flink · 10-16-16, 01:02 PM

Thanks for the info I bought a thermostat from zoo med(only one I could find near me) I moved the heat lamp to the hot side. I put the rheostat on the heat lamp. I use a digital thermometer\hydrometer. Humidity is now 65-70. She hadn't come out of her hide since Wensday when I tried to feed her. So I went out and bought a live pinkie because her girth went down to the girth of a pinkie from a fuzzy. When I put the pinkie in the tank(using tongs) she came out of her hide and struck at it in under 7 seconds. Right after she started constricting it I showed her a warm frozen thawed mouse(learned this from how to feed stubborn snake videos)