I have been scouring the internet for answers and stumbled across this forum, hopefully someone here will shed some light on my problem.
I believe that my main problem is that my snake is aging, and perhaps there isn't much that I can do.
I have what I believe to be a male corn snake (not 100% sure) who is about 15 years old. I have been told that corn snakes live 12-15 years, so by that account he is an "old" snake, but some websites quote the lifespan to be up to the 30s so by that account he is just "middle-aged".
Anyway, my snake has stopped eating every year around breeding season, which has always been normal. However, in the past 4 years or so, he has stopped eating earlier and it's much longer before he starts to eat again. In the past he just ate less, and now he stops eating completely. Every year he gets worse. Last year he stopped eating at about October and didn't eat on his own again until April/May. I know that not eating for several months may be normal but in the past few years he stops eating completely for 6-7 months or more.
During this time, understandably, he becomes incredibly weak. The past 2-3 years I have taken to force-feeding him a calorie supplement when he refuses to eat on his own. This past winter he became so weak he couldn't even shed on his own. He became emaciated despite my best efforts to feed him via calorie supplement.
I have tried everything to get him to eat in the past few years. I have double-checked the temperature and humidity, I have experimented with heat lamps/heat pads and lighting, I have changed the decor and substrate, and I have experimented with different sized tanks. I have tried different types of food, frozen or live. Nothing will get him to eat on his own.
However, every year in the spring, he begins to eat on his own again and eats with no problems until the fall, where he suddenly refuses to eat at all for 6+ months. Right now he is eating with no problems whatsoever.
I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. He was never a picky eater growing up, this all came about in the past few years, and nothing about his set-up had changed to cause this (as far as I am aware).
I have no idea if this is just a case of an aging snake, or if there is something I can do so that he doesn't starve himself to death. I don't know what the signs are of a snake aging.
I have been on the prowl for a veterinarian in my area, but so far there are plenty that will consent to seeing exotics but have no real experience with snakes.
Please give me any suggestions on how to get my snake to eat this winter, I would be heartbroken if he died.
I believe that my main problem is that my snake is aging, and perhaps there isn't much that I can do.
I have what I believe to be a male corn snake (not 100% sure) who is about 15 years old. I have been told that corn snakes live 12-15 years, so by that account he is an "old" snake, but some websites quote the lifespan to be up to the 30s so by that account he is just "middle-aged".
Anyway, my snake has stopped eating every year around breeding season, which has always been normal. However, in the past 4 years or so, he has stopped eating earlier and it's much longer before he starts to eat again. In the past he just ate less, and now he stops eating completely. Every year he gets worse. Last year he stopped eating at about October and didn't eat on his own again until April/May. I know that not eating for several months may be normal but in the past few years he stops eating completely for 6-7 months or more.
During this time, understandably, he becomes incredibly weak. The past 2-3 years I have taken to force-feeding him a calorie supplement when he refuses to eat on his own. This past winter he became so weak he couldn't even shed on his own. He became emaciated despite my best efforts to feed him via calorie supplement.
I have tried everything to get him to eat in the past few years. I have double-checked the temperature and humidity, I have experimented with heat lamps/heat pads and lighting, I have changed the decor and substrate, and I have experimented with different sized tanks. I have tried different types of food, frozen or live. Nothing will get him to eat on his own.
However, every year in the spring, he begins to eat on his own again and eats with no problems until the fall, where he suddenly refuses to eat at all for 6+ months. Right now he is eating with no problems whatsoever.
I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. He was never a picky eater growing up, this all came about in the past few years, and nothing about his set-up had changed to cause this (as far as I am aware).
I have no idea if this is just a case of an aging snake, or if there is something I can do so that he doesn't starve himself to death. I don't know what the signs are of a snake aging.
I have been on the prowl for a veterinarian in my area, but so far there are plenty that will consent to seeing exotics but have no real experience with snakes.
Please give me any suggestions on how to get my snake to eat this winter, I would be heartbroken if he died.