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06-04-14, 07:18 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country: 
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Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Hi all,
Augusta, my 2 1/2 yo female ball python is fasting for 8 months now. I offer her a FT rat every 2-3 weeks, but she just turns her head away and slithers back to the hide.
Otherwise she seems to be happy and healthy. I take her out 2-3 times a week, she behaves like at any other times. She doesn't look sick, no discoloration, no mites, no nothing. She shed twice over the winter.
This is her third winter. She ate throughout the first winter like a champ while she was just a baby. The second winter she did not eat between late November to late May. This winter she had a rat early October and nothing since.
How long did your snake fast the longest? Should I be worried? Should I take her to the vet? I don't want to force feed her. Can't even imagine how can someone shove a fair size rat that she eats down her throat against her will.
I also have a BCC, almost a year old, she eats just fine.
All words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
A.K.
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06-04-14, 08:51 AM
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#2
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Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jun-2013
Location: ATL
Posts: 6,744
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Is she losing much weight? If your husbandry is on point, and she seems otherwise healthy, you could try a small live prey item to see if that jump starts her appetite again. My male Cal King didn't eat for 3 months but he got back on track after 2 or 3 live mice. Best wishes.
__________________
0.1 Albino Bull Snake (She-RA)~ 1.0 Snow Bull Snake (Apollo)~ 1.0 Coastal Carpet Python (Chomper)~ 1.0 JCP (Shredder)~ 1.0 Bredl Python (S'ven)~ 0.1 JJ x JCP (Trinity)~ 0.1 Albino Carpet Python (Akasha)~ 1.0 Olive Python (Nigel)~1.0 Scrub Python (Klauss)~ 1.0 BCI (Monty)~ 0.1 BCO (Xena)
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06-04-14, 09:04 AM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy
Is she losing much weight? If your husbandry is on point, and she seems otherwise healthy, you could try a small live prey item to see if that jump starts her appetite again. My male Cal King didn't eat for 3 months but he got back on track after 2 or 3 live mice. Best wishes.
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She did not lose weight at all or just a little. I don't know how she does that!
I never tried to feed live, but I might try one undersized mouse or a small rat. How hard it is to transport them on a motorcycle? I guess they come in a box or something? Frozen feeders are easy to transport from A to B.
A.K.
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06-04-14, 09:30 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jun-2013
Location: Fort Wayne
Age: 28
Posts: 2,499
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
My dads pb does this a lot, but he is healthy and still growing 
__________________
0.2 Leopard Gecko(Zadna & Allister) | 0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake(Ammit) | 0.1 Albino Checkered Garter Snake(Mrs. Buttercup) |1.0 Betta (Alfred) |0.0.1 Green Sunfish| 1.0 Green Terror Cichlid
-Kyle
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06-04-14, 09:44 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by drumcrush
My dads pb does this a lot, but he is healthy and still growing |
Good to know that I'm not alone. Still, I like it better when she swallows a nice juicy rat every weekend.
A.K.
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06-04-14, 09:57 AM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Jun-2013
Location: Fort Wayne
Age: 28
Posts: 2,499
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by A.K.
Good to know that I'm not alone. Still, I like it better when she swallows a nice juicy rat every weekend.
A.K.
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Understandable
__________________
0.2 Leopard Gecko(Zadna & Allister) | 0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake(Ammit) | 0.1 Albino Checkered Garter Snake(Mrs. Buttercup) |1.0 Betta (Alfred) |0.0.1 Green Sunfish| 1.0 Green Terror Cichlid
-Kyle
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06-04-14, 10:07 AM
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#7
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The Original Urban Legend
Join Date: Dec-2008
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 5,526
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
An adult ball python doesn't need to eat every week. If fed an appropriate food item (probably a medium rat), she should be fed every 2.5-3 weeks and will do just fine.
I've found that balls are very very picky snakes. My male would routinely go off of food for 6-8 months at a time and never lost any weight. He'd eventually start eating again.
Since yours has gone eight months, I'd suggest offering live prey to see if that jump-starts her.
__________________
Dr. Viper
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06-04-14, 10:17 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by Will0W783
An adult ball python doesn't need to eat every week. If fed an appropriate food item (probably a medium rat), she should be fed every 2.5-3 weeks and will do just fine.
I've found that balls are very very picky snakes. My male would routinely go off of food for 6-8 months at a time and never lost any weight. He'd eventually start eating again.
Since yours has gone eight months, I'd suggest offering live prey to see if that jump-starts her.
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She was eating medium size rats. In Year 2 I was feeding her every other weekend and she did just fine. I'll try the live feeder, maybe she'll like it better. More action packed than the FT.
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06-04-14, 10:25 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Feb-2014
Age: 56
Posts: 519
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
I'm no BP expert but she'll be at that age of coming into sexual maturity, many females will not feed for several months throughout this period.
Have you tried putting her in a rub for a few days and then tried feeding in the rub, this worked with my lads.
I would think hard about feeding live, I've a Madu girl here who took a bite to the face from a rat from her previous owner.
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06-04-14, 10:44 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by MCB
I'm no BP expert but she'll be at that age of coming into sexual maturity, many females will not feed for several months throughout this period.
Have you tried putting her in a rub for a few days and then tried feeding in the rub, this worked with my lads.
I would think hard about feeding live, I've a Madu girl here who took a bite to the face from a rat from her previous owner.
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No, I fed her only in her enclosure.
If I feed live I'll pick something small(ish). But I'm not desperate yet, especially reading all the comments.
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06-05-14, 10:17 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Dec-2013
Location: Akron, Ohio
Posts: 1,055
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
My Male just came off a 6 month fast. He's gone 11 months before. I just watch his weight and activity level and as long as he's not acting different or looking worse for wear I don't sweat it. But it can be nerve racking if your not used to it.
__________________
"I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person"
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06-05-14, 10:25 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by IW17
My Male just came off a 6 month fast. He's gone 11 months before. I just watch his weight and activity level and as long as he's not acting different or looking worse for wear I don't sweat it. But it can be nerve racking if your not used to it.
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11 months? Wow!
Yes, it is nerv racking, but I'm slowly getting used to it now. Thanks for the info!
I just bought frozen rats from a different supplier. We'll see. If not, I might try a smaller live feeder.
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06-05-14, 01:33 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Jun-2013
Location: ontario
Posts: 651
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
My ball went seven months. Ate four hopper rats in the last two weeks. I put one in the entrance to his hind and leave him alone.
__________________
1.Corn snake. 1.Mexican milk snake. 2.California king snakes. 2. Western hognose snakes. 1. Pastel checker garter. 1. Checker garter. 1.Columbian red tail boa. 1. Ball python. 1. Smooth green snake. 1. Five lined skink. 1. Grey tree frog. 1. Chinese water dragon. 3 Bearded Dragons. 2 Leapard Geckos. 1. Black cat. and Lucy my border collie/lab. 
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06-05-14, 01:54 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
Quote:
Originally Posted by wrecker45
My ball went seven months. Ate four hopper rats in the last two weeks. I put one in the entrance to his hind and leave him alone.
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I'll give it a shot this weekend. Maybe she is hungry now! I hope.
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06-10-14, 05:29 AM
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#15
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Member
Join Date: Jan-2012
Location: East of Cobourg, ON
Posts: 19
Country:
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Re: Ball Python is fasting for 8 months now
The hunger strike is over!!! Yay!
Over the weekend I have cleaned both enclosures of the snakes. They both shed their skins, so I did a full cleaning and let them rest for a day. Yesterday evening I attempted to feed them. The little one (BCC) grabbed the rat right away.
With the ball python I needed to be a little more persuasive. It took me about 6-7 minutes of nagging, poking, wiggling until she finally decided to grab the rat. It was one of the longest feeding ever. She grabbed the butt end and couldn't swallow because of the legs, so after about 10 minutes chewing on it she released the rat and repositioned herself towards the head and swallowed it in 3 minutes.
Zen has returned into my life, all is good now!
Thank you all for the support and the ideas!
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