Finally got him to eat!

ChloeTrahan82 · 10-09-10, 08:29 PM

So tonight the fiancee and i took the snake babies to Petsmart to look at new accessories to buy them and the kitties, and i was going to get some pinkies to try and feed booger, my baby ball python. I thought i noticed him lately getting a little sluggish and wrinkly but didnt think too much about it cause when i hold him hes usually pretty active and curious and wanted to explore. It wasnt until i got to petsmart my friend met him and was like hes adorable but hes getting a little thin. which at that point i knew i had to do something cause i tried EVERYTHING but force feed. the other night a friend of mine came over and actually taught me how to force feed him in case this was to happen but the pinkies that i was told were pinky mice we infact pinky rats so the 12 i bought for him werent the right size but my baby boa loves them.

After i got them some moss to help with the humidity and a box of pinkies (which are effing 10 bucks for a small box of 6) i came home and SUCCESSFULLY fed Booger!. Sadly since he still wasnt taking it even after leaving him in a container with the pinky over night i knew i had to. i force fed it which he actually took it fine and quick. everything went perfectly, he didnt bite he even came into my hand after he fed and i put him back in his cage and hes taking a nap. Im so excited. I dont know if i should keep doing this till he start feeding on his own or do i try leaving it or keep force feeding him?.

marvelfreak · 10-10-10, 01:18 PM

Congrats! I would see if you can get him to eat on his own first, now that he has ate something.

kenchenzo · 10-10-10, 01:44 PM

my baby royals are eating small mice pretty much from the start they won't eat a pinkie at all. have you tried something with fur on it.
i have had this.
they can be very strange eaters.

ChloeTrahan82 · 10-10-10, 11:12 PM

Yea i tried a fuzzy but he just wasnt responding. ill try feeding him naturally next time. hes got sooooo much energy now.

kenchenzo · 10-11-10, 12:23 AM

just keep on trying. Good luck.
I would feed him again 4 or 5 days after his last feed see if he has a bigger intrest there. Worked on one of mine.

Reptile_Reptile · 10-11-10, 01:00 AM

mine had that problem too but i just kinda poked the pinkie around with the feeding forceps and voila he devoured that sucker from then on he has been a great eater

kenchenzo · 10-11-10, 02:55 AM

it is just getting them to start once they start they don't norm stop.

Reptile_Reptile · 10-11-10, 03:16 AM

yea its all NOM NOM NOM from there

percey39 · 10-11-10, 03:45 AM

I have had young snakes that have had to be force fed up until nearly 7 months of age and then had to be assist fed ( put the head on the prey in the mouth ) for a further 4 months before finally eating on their own. Its a very stressful situaton to be in and you have to think that in the wild these are ones that would certainly die. Also be careful when force feeding as i have heard horror stories of people pushing a little too hard and their tongs slipping and piercing the sides of the snake.
I hope he takes off and eats on his own from now on.

ChloeTrahan82 · 10-12-10, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percey39

I have had young snakes that have had to be force fed up until nearly 7 months of age and then had to be assist fed ( put the head on the prey in the mouth ) for a further 4 months before finally eating on their own. Its a very stressful situaton to be in and you have to think that in the wild these are ones that would certainly die. Also be careful when force feeding as i have heard horror stories of people pushing a little too hard and their tongs slipping and piercing the sides of the snake.
I hope he takes off and eats on his own from now on.

yea thats actually what iw as scared of using something to push it in, so i just used my finger, he caught me on the side of my finger but it wasnt bad and i know he didnt mean it. i will tell you though he has SOOOO much energy now. i hope he dousnt get that way were i have to feed him constantly. ill try the poking the pinky thing too see if that stimulates him. he was getting so skinny too. im glad i nabbed him up and he wasnt tossed aside or ignored for not wanting to eat. i shall keep you posted :-)

gonesnakee · 10-12-10, 01:23 PM

FF should be an absolute LAST RESORT to save the life of a dying snake.
Pinkies are not appropriate for a baby BP either mice or rats, mice should never even be offered except as a last resort anyhow, you wnat it on rats from day one.
Baby BPs fresh out of the egg are able to take small fuzzy rats & thats the prey of choice from day one.
The reason why folks have issues feeding is HUSBANDRY & METHOD 99.99% of the time NOT the snake.
baby BP should be housed in a small shoebox RM in a low traffic area, ZERO handling until feeding well on its own.
Keep it on papetowel with a couple small hides (TP rolls work well) & a small delicup water dish. Keep it at approx 85-95F.
Only attempt to feed it once weekly & do so IN ITS HOUSE (moving it around to feed etc. just stresses it out & defeats the purpose) offer it prey at night & ensure it is at least 100F & offer it with a quick tease feed & then leave it there & leave the room.
FF is EXTREMELY stressful on the snake & can be fatal as well if not done right, one should never use anyhting but their bare hands & the prey item IF it ever really has to be FF.
More oftn than not a FF will turn the snake off of prey even longer as it sees the prey item as a source of discomfort & stress not food, same hing happens whne they arer continually pestered with prey instead of only once weekly.
Snakes will almost ALWAYS eat on their own IF the husbandry is correct & IF the prey is offered correctly.
In your case I would try live p rats or small fuzzy ones if they are available to you.
So the snake had never fed prior you obtaining it then?
if not it should not have been sold & if so the same prey it was on should be the prey offered until feeding well & then try switching over to prey of choice (FT rats) if its not on them already.
I see WAY too many posts of folks offering advice when the first thing that should ever be considered with ANY problem is husbandry as 99.99% of the itme that is the issue & then the next thing maybe is the way prey is offered & the frequency of attempts.
Mark
P.S. 2010 Diamond Python here now that has not ate yet for over 4 months & I have not even remotely considered FF at this point. Snakes, even babies can go a very long time without food as long as they are properly hydrated. Quite often babies of certain species are known not to take ANYTHING for 3-4 months & then just start right up on their own & feed well from that point onward.
A baby snake has done nothing BUT feed its entire life prior exiting the egg & can live on their yolk guts for months prior feeding on anything else even goig to a secod shed from growth off of it. I have expereinced this with many snakes over the last decade & lose very few if any. if they don't feed on their own despite perfect husbandry they are not meant to be.

percey39 · 10-13-10, 03:49 AM

Mark i know you are not a having a go at me personally and i do agree force feeding is absolutely the last option. It also is necessary in my eye's as i find it incredibly cruel to let a snake starve to death! I would not let a family member or friends starve to death and do nothing my self, so why should it be different for animals that i love.
Also i cant use my hands when feeding the species i have had trouble with in the past as it is far to risky to put fingers near fangs lol.

shaunyboy · 10-13-10, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percey39

I have had young snakes that have had to be force fed up until nearly 7 months of age and then had to be assist fed ( put the head on the prey in the mouth ) for a further 4 months before finally eating on their own. Its a very stressful situaton to be in and you have to think that in the wild these are ones that would certainly die. Also be careful when force feeding as i have heard horror stories of people pushing a little too hard and their tongs slipping and piercing the sides of the snake.
I hope he takes off and eats on his own from now on.

ive had carpet hatchlings not eat until the age of 10 months so force feeding should always be a very very very last option.

assist feeds like percy suggested is a much better thing to do as a last resort.

what methods have you tried before going down the force feed road mate ??????

im not giving you a hard time i just feel very passionate about never force feeding a snake until at least 5 to 8 month of trying everything else has failed and its in danger of dieing.

i hope he takes it himself next time you try mate

i only read rthe first few posts on this thread.now i have seen mark gonesnakee has covered it very well

teach me to read a whole thread before i post.

its just i feel very strongly against force feeding.to be honest id tube feed a dying snake until it was up to a healthy wieght then commence trying to get it feeding on its own.

cheers shaun

gonesnakee · 10-13-10, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percey39

Mark i know you are not a having a go at me personally and i do agree force feeding is absolutely the last option. It also is necessary in my eye's as i find it incredibly cruel to let a snake starve to death! I would not let a family member or friends starve to death and do nothing my self, so why should it be different for animals that i love.
Also i cant use my hands when feeding the species i have had trouble with in the past as it is far to risky to put fingers near fangs lol.

I'm fairly confident in your abilities, well I hope so anyway if they have fangs LOL
Yes more of a general post aimed at those that do not know better.
Way too many times have I heard of snakes being FF at 4-8 weeks because they are refusing meals & most all of those times it was directly husbandry related as well.
Lots of folks suggesting FF without even asking about husbandry first.
Which as I stated is the issue more often than not in any snake related problem.
There are species that can & will go much longer than others too of course so it pays to know what you are working with & to be aware of when intravention is required as it is in some cases.
Rather than let them starve if it comes to that the Kingsnakes will always eat

Cheers Mark

Reptile_Reptile · 10-13-10, 07:31 PM

waaaait so i should be feeding my bp rats instead of mice? and what about my corn is a jumbo mouse ok or should i go rat?