feeder not feeding now.. advice.

[greenman]

Hello!

Well i picked up a pair of 1.1 butter stripe corns from BHB reptile 3 weeks ago. The first 2 feeds the male ate great and the female was a struggle but now good. the 3rd feed the female gobbled it up and NOW my male wont eat.

4 days ago i took my 7 weeks old male out of 5 qt tube which is 85 degrees warm side 76 cool with good humidity, clean with good substrate and several hides into a deli-dish as usual and left him. no bites. so i left him in the container on the flexwatt with towel over top for privacy. no bites. THEN i brained the pinky and still no bites. so then i put him and the mouse back into his tub and wait over night. nothing.

NOW tonight is a repeat of all of the above thus far.
i aware stress is usually a huge factor but im not sure where to go from here. even with kathy loves book ive tried several diferent things with the hand feeding as well. in 3 hours he'll be in his home with the mouse after i re warm it.

NOW as a side note: i've noticed he has gone from being a little cobra to a little coward. he is jumpy at the sight of me and terrified of me more so than any other snake i've owned.

im hoping for something good soon. if he doesnt eat this week (today or friday) im going to try a live pinky next tuesday.

[Nanci]

Is he blue? Has he been hiding?

[greenman]

NO! he's been busy as heck! he's been running laps around his tub all weekend which would lead me believe he is on the hunt.

[wstphal]

I'll bet the little guy is getting ready to go blue & he knows it. I'd just wait him out, he's gotten a couple good meals, he can skip a meal if he wants to.

[greenman]

we'll see. this second meal is going on 3 hours now and nothing yet. we'll see though.

i gt them from BHB reptiles which i know they feed live to some of their animals. im hoping these guys wernt them. he is sitting in his hide with the mouse and is completely uninterested... sigh.

[bitsy]

The fact that they've eaten f/t for you already is a good sign. It doesn't seem like you have one that's going to insist on live.

I'd agree with the above. If he's a good weight, then just leave him for a week and see what happens. My money's on a shed as well especially with that change in behaviour towards you, which is a classic sign that the process is underway.

[greenman]

last attempt was Sunday, as of now there is still no Shed or change in attitude. Im going to attempt feeding him again tonight. Im hoping for the best!
Im thinking i'll try feeding him in his own tub tonight. not a seperate one, opinions?

[bitsy]

It's certainly worth a try. As he'll be in his usual home, I should leave the food in with him overnight and see if the absolute quiet overnight encourages him to eat. Let us know how it goes.

[greenman]

i've tried once but i'll do it again. i also ditchd all of his hides except for a flat plasticpeice for the pink and his water dish. no luck so far but i might try live pinkon tuesday if nothing works... please please!!

[bitsy]

Sadly, taking the hides out won't have helped. He'll just have been left feeling insecure and spooked. Next time you try, leave his living tank exactly the way it usually is (some of them don't like change) and put the pink into his favourite hide.

[greenman]

i did that the previous week and no change. i have done the put the snake in the deli over night with the pinky slit (hot pinky). Last night was a big fail.

i think im going to try live on tuesday...

i just wish i knew why the guy just stopped eating. everything is good. he has NO interest at all at the pinks.

[Nanci]

I think I might try a washed pink. And live. I'd stick with the deli cup, though. Are you feeding at night?

[greenman]

yes, live pinky is next! and deli!

Washed? literally washed? soap and water?

[Nanci]

One of the first, maybe _the_ first, feeding tricks to try is washing the pink in Ivory or Dawn dish soap, and rinsing thoroughly. Some snakes don't like the smell of dirty mice.

[greenman]

Think that is an option I should try next? Or sooner than later? Or should I wait atleast another 4 days

[Nanci]

I guess I would wait four days. Three if you absolutely can't stand it. I know how worrying it is. But you _do_ know he has eaten- he's not like a hatchling that you don't know if it has eaten, ever. You can always offer two choices at once. Washed and live. Live and pink head.

[greenman]

soaped, sliced and tuna juice didnt work. live seems to be next in line.

[greenman]

ugh his sister is getting bigger and shes about to shed too! I need a CND thanks giving miracle! Leaving a clean pink in the hide with him over dinner

[carnivorouszoo]

One of the hatchlings I myself hatched out this year did not eat for 2 weeks then ate, then for like 6 weeks no eating. Had his second shed ever and then started eating again and has eaten just fine. Sounds like your guy and my little guy have similar attitudes. You did say he is really young right? He should be just fine, give him some time. Oh and I have found that my snakes do much better only being fed once a week. More than that and I had regurges even with good and slightly warmer than usual temps but not dangerous temps.

[greenman]

i feed every 5-6 days consistantly and never have had an regurges.
How many time did you try to feeed your none feeder? once a week? How did you feed, in his tub or seperate? Im questioning everything with this dude right now. There is room temp pinky sitting beside him now.

[carnivorouszoo]

I pulled up my records on iherp to be sure I give the right info.

7-17-10 Hatched
7-24-10 found first shed and deffication. That night offered plain normally prepared FT pink. Was refused. Had been left over night.
7-28-10 Found a second deffication (figured he was still working on the yolk from the egg) Decided to attempt to feed again due to prior refusal. Offered heated warmer than usual and slit. Refused.
8-01-10 Decided to try again, gave brained extra hot ft pink - ATE!
8-19-10 offered feeder the same as was given when he ate-refused. But I did find a deffication, so both ends work, hmm.
8-29-10 Decided to try making him wait a little, but wrote the wrong date so instead of feeding at day 7, fed at day 10. Found him midshed and had to wait for him to finish. Offered hot, slit AND brained. He ate :)

And has eaten normally prepared (heated and slit) pinks since.

I also have a snake that regurges if fed while in blue so I have to check her over really well before I feed each time.

Hmm, looking at my records I guess he did not go without for as long as I though. Must have just felt that bad. . . Be patient and I would wait at least 7 days let him get good and hungry then slit AND brain. I always put my little ones (under 20 grams) in a 32 oz deli cup covered overnight. Once they hit 20 grams they get fed in shoebox sized tubs and don't need to be covered any more.

[Nanci]

Just because he eats live once or twice or whatever doesn't mean he's stuck on them. At this point, you need to just find what he likes. I'd try live and maybe a FT pink cut into thirds. REALLY hot.

[greenman]

think i should try that now? he has a pinky in his deli on the flexwatt covered now.
reheat it and cut it into 3?

[Nanci]

It doesn't hurt to try. But don't put him, in his deli, on Flexwatt. He can't be trapped, unable to get away from heat. Room temp is fine.

[greenman]

fair enough. im gunna try some diced mice *figures crossed*

[greenman]

at 30minutes still no interest.... opinions. options... ugh.

im gunna leave it for a few hours and hope for one of the peices to go missing then if nothing. back to the drawing board

[greenman]

Nothing has worked today. My dude seems tired and slow so in 15 min i'l put him in his tub with the pinky head and bum and see if it lasts over night.
Im super worried about this dude. When he coils up his skin folds slightly which i've never had with a corn ever except fresh hatchlings. He seems pretty tiny and really should eat. i dont think the F/T is going to work though. Should i attempt force feeding? use a small rod to open his mouth and put in the head? ugh. pardon my ranting/questions but i feel at a loss.

hes def not in a shed either. as a mention his sister is in blue and its clear what a sheddig butter looks like now.

:(

[greenman]

SO i talked to Lorie and BHB.
Very nice and helpful! She suggested (as everyone else has) that if he has eaten he will probably eat again! I was told (after last nights attempt) give it atleast 7 days without a feed attempt. then do a live pinky in a deli cup over night. We'll see how it goes next weekend.
I'll keep everyone posted. I just want this boy to get huge so he needs to EAT! haa

[greenman]

Live Pink tonight!!
(fingers crossed)

[Karoni]

Good luck! Let us know what happens.

[GSDlover]

Mine is similar.

F/T - wouldn't eat
F/T - wouldn't eat.
Tried live - ate.
Live again - ate.
F/T / warmed up - ate.
F/T / warmed up again - won't eat
F/T / warmed up again - won't eat

Not sure what I'm going to try next, maybe braining it or making it really hot.

Hopefully your guy ate!

[Nanci]

Mine is similar.

F/T - wouldn't eat
F/T - wouldn't eat.
Tried live - ate.
Live again - ate.
F/T / warmed up - ate.
F/T / warmed up again - won't eat
F/T / warmed up again - won't eat

Not sure what I'm going to try next, maybe braining it or making it really hot.

Hopefully your guy ate!

Try thawing the pink in warm water- it just takes a minute. Then run it under REALLY hot water for about 10 seconds, then cut a bunch of slits down its head and back. Feed while still hot- don't even dry it off.

[greenman]

5-6:30pm . No interest in live pinky.
I guess he'll be in there all night then! hope the pinky lasts the night.
ugh this is such a nussance! i just want the handsome dude to live!
currently wk 4.

[Caryl]

From your description of his personality change, it sounds like he's completely and totally confused. Particularly with babies, confused = terrified. He won't eat while he's afraid. What's going on in his world between feeding attempts? You have a couple of options, both of which I've used successfully with nonfeeders. You can leave him completely alone except when offering food; this is the standard advice and works for many. You can also try a few minutes of calm handling on a daily basis so that he learns that he's still safe when interactions happen. I've done this with a nervous baby or two and it succeeded in calming them down enough that they got interested in food instead of trying to seek safety. Pay close attention to him and do what you feel is best for his own particular personality. They're individuals; they don't read the books; we have to be sensitive to figure out what will work sometimes.

As you've been told, he was eating before and thus will likely eat again. Don't give up.

[greenman]

Caryl,
thanks for you words. He is very "jumpy" when i touch him. SO generally i try to pick him up for a few minutes daily. since he has stopped being as "strikey" but still jumpy. His sister was a picky eater the first meal but now she jumps on mice all day! Once i open his 5qt tub (which is on flexwatt at 85 degrees and is the dark 95% of the day) he seems terrified as all hell!

In the experience in others. How long should i wait before i consider "force feeding". Which i have no experience with!

thanks for the support
Brandon

[Caryl]

Not everyone will agree, Brandon, but I think you're right to handle him a bit. Sometimes they need to be less stressed by the whole business before they'll start eating. Fear strikes don't often result in the snake eating.

As for actual force feeding, that's a last resort. Personally, I'll only consider it if the snake is beginning to seem weak. There are a lot of tricks in the bag to try before that one. Have you tried wiggling a really hot f/t mouse to try to trigger a strike? The "zombie mouse dance" is appealing for some. If your hand or tongs are too big, you can try something smaller. I had some success with a mouse-kabob. I put the pinky on a small wooden skewer and wriggled it around. I don't know if being wooden mattered, but my logic was that wood was a scent thsy wouldn't be a distraction for the snake. I put the mouse at floor level, not dangling from above, so that it would be less intimidating. The hardest part was getting the skewer into the mouse in such a way that it would hold for the wriggling but yet be able to be removed when the snake took the prey.

I'm happy your female eats well. We're all pulling for you and your little guy. A lot of us know the feeling all too well!

[GSDlover]

Try thawing the pink in warm water- it just takes a minute. Then run it under REALLY hot water for about 10 seconds, then cut a bunch of slits down its head and back. Feed while still hot- don't even dry it off.

Alright thank you.
I will try this tomorrow night, giving him the night off so he wont be stressed at all... Though my guy loves being handled... My boyfriends snake... not so much haha.

[greenman]

Not everyone will agree, Brandon, but I think you're right to handle him a bit. Sometimes they need to be less stressed by the whole business before they'll start eating. Fear strikes don't often result in the snake eating.

As for actual force feeding, that's a last resort. Personally, I'll only consider it if the snake is beginning to seem weak. There are a lot of tricks in the bag to try before that one. Have you tried wiggling a really hot f/t mouse to try to trigger a strike? The "zombie mouse dance" is appealing for some. If your hand or tongs are too big, you can try something smaller. I had some success with a mouse-kabob. I put the pinky on a small wooden skewer and wriggled it around. I don't know if being wooden mattered, but my logic was that wood was a scent thsy wouldn't be a distraction for the snake. I put the mouse at floor level, not dangling from above, so that it would be less intimidating. The hardest part was getting the skewer into the mouse in such a way that it would hold for the wriggling but yet be able to be removed when the snake took the prey.

I'm happy your female eats well. We're all pulling for you and your little guy. A lot of us know the feeling all too well!


Thank you Caryl. I had to go out of town last minute last night, I will be back to check on them in about 2 hours. After that if the pinky is still alive. Im going to leave them again for another night. I've read susan has an aminimal that wont eat until after 48 hours!
Depsite the outcome of these feeding, I'll make sure to handle him regularly.

"fingers crossed"

[greenman]

ugh. 14hours of squirming pinky and no interest. There was some pinky poo though.
Im leaving them for another night.

[dickdeuel]

With the shorter days many snakes slow down or stop feeding altogether. This is normal as cooler weather approaches. Maybe lowering the temperature for a few weeks or even months will bring their interest in feeding back. Prowling their cage is also a sign that they are looking for a cooler spot to spend the winter.

[runninghorsespirit]

I have had a non feeder but he went almost a month and never ate for me. I am with them on the shed. I have had hatchlings that would stop eating a week before you can see the shed change. If he is really active could be stress, My little non feeder would do laps around the cage until i changed from straight newspaper to shredded newspaper about an inch and half. He stopped doing his laps and was a lot calmer then a week of him just in his cage and not messing with him, I put in a plate with on pinkie and he ate it no problem. I don't recommend cage feeding but knowing how easy is to stress once out of the cage its what im stuck to until i can get him slowly eating in an empty container and get him eating in a feeding tank.

[runninghorsespirit]

I don't know what size tank you have but i keep mine in a ten gallon so they have plenty of room and doesn't feel cramped, that and sometimes rarely they do better with another hatchling about the same size. Im just learning as i go with my snakes, Ive had touch and go with hatchlings

[greenman]

my little guy/girl are now only 8 wks old. they are in 5qt tubs for tonight but i literally just finished prepping 7qt tubs for them. SO they are getting a bit of an upgrade. I'll also make sure to put enough substrate for them!
I'll let you know what has happened as of tomorrow morning!

[Caryl]

...sometimes rarely they do better with another hatchling about the same size. Im just learning as i go with my snakes, Ive had touch and go with hatchlings

You're on target with the feeding advice, but I respectfully disagree with cohabbing hatchlings. In nature the babies disperse after their first shed if not not before. Cannibalism is a real risk with hatchlings, in which case you're likely to lose both of them. There are a lot of threads on here dealing with this topic, and members who've seen it happen. I won't go into it now but wanted to encourage you to check out these stories and house all babies who are feeding separately.

[greenman]

Okay so i set them up in there new 7qt tubs and its much more spacious! I put the live pinky in the home tub for now. just for a few hours, after dinner if there is no change im going to freeze it.

QUESTION:
its officially been 4 weeks. going on 5. :(
how long until i should panic and consider force feeding OR assisted feeding?

[Caryl]

QUESTION:
its officially been 4 weeks. going on 5. :(
how long until i should panic and consider force feeding OR assisted feeding?

There's no hard and fast rule to the question you ask. Do you know the weight of your stubborn baby? If you weigh it weekly and notice that (a) its weight is dropping significantly and/or (b) it's spine is showing more distinctly and/or (c) its seeming weaker or less energetic, it would be time to examine more aggressive options and your feelings about those options. Hopefully it won't come to that.

[greenman]

well as of moments ago, he sees healthy at about 8g's. i need to get a new scale to be 100% sure. 2 is always better than 1!
As of tonight also im 99percent sure he is going into a shed. I thought he was a few weeks when this all started. I compared him to his sister tonight and his eyes are way whiter than the girls. Im hoping this is a good sign. If he sheds it may open up some hunger! Im just hoping the fading in colour is nothing bad!

for the past 6 weeks he ate for first 2 and not all since, but has yet to shed. His sister shed 2 weeks ago. PLEASE BE SHED!
im going to handle him all week, then offer him a live meal on friday again.

Caryl. I've recently seen your thread of your snake. How many weeks was your non-feeder, not feeding for? Also, did you snake show interest the previous meals and just protest to eat. or did he have 100% no interest in the food until he ate?
thanks for being a huge help.

[bambam1313]

wondering if you guys can help me outt too ..
i got a 5 year old ghost corn snake ... i got it begining of september
i unno if its where i moved to another locatioin that she wont eat anymore or not

first week i had her - she ate (live) -thats what the guy i got her off her feed her, he said she'll eat 1 a week or every two weeks

then 10 days after that i fed her again

i moved out of that place sept 28th and mvoed back in home and brought her qwith me

some point this month i tried feeding her two different times and she wouldn't eat (found out after it was due to blue stage and then shedding
(times of feeding are the closest im guessing)

she shed last week .. so i tired feednig her and she wouldn't eat .. i dunno what to do she;s gone three maybe four weeks without eating ..

tips ? im a bit concerned ..

[greenman]

Have you tried any of the options discusses throughout this thread? I know at this time in the year animals tend to stop feeding because they are preparing for hibernation. I wouldnt be to at the moment.

MY DUDE IS INDEED ABOUT TO SHED! IM hoping this is a good sign!!!

[bambam1313]

I tried a good few of them .. I'm gonna try to feed her tomorrow .. She's attive as anything and for the first time since I had her the beginign of september she stays in her heat and never hardly goes to the cool side .. She's peaking outta her cave a lot like she been whenb I first got her and she was hungry .. I'm hoping she will eat tomorrow ..

[Caryl]

My responses are in red. Seemed the quickest way as I'm having typing issues tonight. :-poke:
well as of moments ago, he sees healthy at about 8g's.
This sounds promising.

As of tonight also im 99percent sure he is going into a shed. I thought he was a few weeks when this all started. I compared him to his sister tonight and his eyes are way whiter than the girls. Im hoping this is a good sign. If he sheds it may open up some hunger! Im just hoping the fading in colour is nothing bad!

Sounds like an imminent shed. This and the stress of relocating could explain the feeding troubles. If both eyes are cloudy it wouldn't reasonably be anything other than a shed. You can expect that cloudiness to clear after a few days, and a shed to follow after that. Don't be alarmed if it takes up to a week after the normal colors return.

im going to handle him all week, then offer him a live meal on friday again.
If he's hiding out it would probably be less stressful to just let him do that. Some snakes really dislike being handled when blue/cloudy (about to shed) while others don't mind. I personally don't offer food to problem feeders while they're in a shed cycle. Some snakes who normally feed well refuse food during a shed. In order to avoid setting up and/or reinforcing a pattern of refusal I just wait until after the shed happens. Additionally, some animals regurge if they eat while blue, and you don't want that to happen when one has feeding issues already.
Caryl. I've recently seen your thread of your snake. How many weeks was your non-feeder, not feeding for? Also, did you snake show interest the previous meals and just protest to eat. or did he have 100% no interest in the food until he ate?
thanks for being a huge help.
I've taken on a number of nonfeeders and every one has a different situation. If you've been checking out that particular thread, you've seen Ninette. She was hatched in May, had a post-hatch shed and ate a f/t pinky on June 4. She consistently refused feedings after that point. She arrived at my house 9/14. I gave her two days to settle in and offered here a nice, fat f/t gecko tail. She ate voluntarily without wasting any time. That's 3 1/2 months without her accepting any food, only water. I worked her up to larger meals, the first pinky being offered 10/4. That one was slightly scented with gecko. She went into a shed cycle, during which time I didn't offer food. She shed 10/12. I offered an unscented f/t pinky 10/13 and she ate happily. She's gonna make it.:cheers:


wondering if you guys can help me outt too ..
i got a 5 year old ghost corn snake ... i got it begining of september
i unno if its where i moved to another locatioin that she wont eat anymore or not
Moving to a new location - even in the same room - feels to the animal like moving to a new territory. Corns are territorial in that they have areas in nature where they live, hunt, hide out, and feel safe. When they end up in a new territory they often go off feed until they learn the area because a full belly = a slow snake = maybe a dead snake.
first week i had her - she ate (live) -thats what the guy i got her off her feed her, he said she'll eat 1 a week or every two weeks

then 10 days after that i fed her again
Sounds normal. Feeding live isn't the best idea, but that's another thread. She can be converted to f/t; not the issue at the moment.
i moved out of that place sept 28th and mvoed back in home and brought her qwith me
In your snake's mind, every move means she's in an unknown territory with unknown risks. Not a huge deal, but can put one off food for a while. Again, natural and not a problem for a healthy snake.
some point this month i tried feeding her two different times and she wouldn't eat (found out after it was due to blue stage and then shedding
(times of feeding are the closest im guessing)

she shed last week .. so i tired feednig her and she wouldn't eat .. i dunno what to do she;s gone three maybe four weeks without eating ..

tips ? im a bit concerned ..
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about your girl at all. It's virtually unheard of for an adult to quit eating to a point where it causes problems. Three weeks isn't anything to cause concern, though I know it feels like forever, especially if this is your first snake. Remember that her metabolism runs about 1/5 of yours. There are a lot of threads dealing with feeding tips, but most of these are about babies who are difficult feeders. That's because an adult animal has this stuff figured out or s/he wouldn't be adult sized.

Don't worry about food refusals during a shed. Just offer her a prey item every 5-7 seven days. Don't move her viv unless you must, and don't handle her more than she was accustomed to being handled by her former owner. You'll have years together. No need to rush.

*Whew!* That was lengthy, and I apologize if it was too much info. I was trying to be thorough. Hope some of it helps.

[bambam1313]

Don't worry about food refusals during a shed. Just offer her a prey item every 5-7 seven days. Don't move her viv unless you must, and don't handle her more than she was accustomed to being handled by her former owner. You'll have years together. No need to rush.

Well she shed like 5 days ago now i think it was didn't keep track ( gonig to start tho) Her viv has only been moved a few times .. once when i first got her and then when i moved back home outta my own place.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about your girl at all. It's virtually unheard of for an adult to quit eating to a point where it causes problems. Three weeks isn't anything to cause concern, though I know it feels like forever, especially if this is your first snake. Remember that her metabolism runs about 1/5 of yours. There are a lot of threads dealing with feeding tips, but most of these are about babies who are difficult feeders. That's because an adult animal has this stuff figured out or s/he wouldn't be adult sized.

Yeah, I know what you mean ..i put out a post called "questions about my 5 year old ghost corn snake" and nobody will reply to it :( which sucks cause i have a few main questions on there from me and my boyfriend about the snake.. Its hard to get answers about Her .. mostly i see all baby corns nothing older then 2 years !

ounds normal. Feeding live isn't the best idea, but that's another thread. She can be converted to f/t; not the issue at the moment.

Only been feeding her live is due to the guy told me thats all she will eat but im thinking im gonna try her with a thawed one tomorrow but i have a feeling she'll still not going to eat

Buddy i got her off of told me she loves to be handled and everything which she took to my boyfriend a few days after i got her.. she took a bit longer to take to me but now she rather be curled up on my bed.. she's been a lot more active when i have her out latley .. but when shes in her tank she will roam around for a little bit like circle the viv once or twice (shes in a 20gallon, which is what she came in) then go straight to her cave on the heat side which seems unnormal for her due to since i had her she usually stays in the container under her waterdish on the cool side .

If you could, could you check out my thread "Questions about my 5 year old ghost corn snake" it would be greatly appercatied .. since i can't get anybody to reply to it for me!
:( ..

Thanks !
amanda,xo* (bambam1313)

[greenman]

My responses are in red. Seemed the quickest way as I'm having typing issues tonight. :-poke:

I've taken on a number of nonfeeders and every one has a different situation. If you've been checking out that particular thread, you've seen Ninette. She was hatched in May, had a post-hatch shed and ate a f/t pinky on June 4. She consistently refused feedings after that point. She arrived at my house 9/14. I gave her two days to settle in and offered here a nice, fat f/t gecko tail. She ate voluntarily without wasting any time. That's 3 1/2 months without her accepting any food, only water. I worked her up to larger meals, the first pinky being offered 10/4. That one was slightly scented with gecko. She went into a shed cycle, during which time I didn't offer food. She shed 10/12. I offered an unscented f/t pinky 10/13 and she ate happily. She's gonna make it.:cheers:



Honestly, I wouldn't worry about your girl at all. It's virtually unheard of for an adult to quit eating to a point where it causes problems. Three weeks isn't anything to cause concern, though I know it feels like forever, especially if this is your first snake. Remember that her metabolism runs about 1/5 of yours. There are a lot of threads dealing with feeding tips, but most of these are about babies who are difficult feeders. That's because an adult animal has this stuff figured out or s/he wouldn't be adult sized.

Don't worry about food refusals during a shed. Just offer her a prey item every 5-7 seven days. Don't move her viv unless you must, and don't handle her more than she was accustomed to being handled by her former owner. You'll have years together. No need to rush.

*Whew!* That was lengthy, and I apologize if it was too much info. I was trying to be thorough. Hope some of it helps.


Im very grateful for your help! I'm going to wait after the shed and try another live or f/t mouse. Im interested in the Gecko Tails. Where did you get it from? im going to try live for 2 more weeks but i feel as though it will be a waste. Of courses after his iminent shed! :):):)

cant wait to see his colours!

[bambam1313]

Im very grateful for your help! I'm going to wait after the shed and try another live or f/t mouse. Im interested in the Gecko Tails. Where did you get it from? im going to try live for 2 more weeks but i feel as though it will be a waste. Of courses after his iminent shed! :):):)

cant wait to see his colours!


Greenman, i feel the same way of trying my girl with live mouse im after having 3 or 4 that were a waste ! im hopeing my girl will eat soon mines older though (5years)

[bambam1313]

also added

"" my girl has been eating live from she was a year old (the guy i got her off of had her since she was like a baby) .. and now she won't eat for me like she did when i first got her .. ""

[Caryl]

Im very grateful for your help! I'm going to wait after the shed and try another live or f/t mouse. Im interested in the Gecko Tails. Where did you get it from? im going to try live for 2 more weeks but i feel as though it will be a waste. Of courses after his iminent shed! :):):)

cant wait to see his colours!

You're quite welcome. I know how frustating some of these situations can be. I thought I'd go mad with my first nonfeeder. I got a lot of support here, and I'm just trying to provide the same.

I actually get the geckos/gecko tails from my house and garage. Mediterranean/house geckos are an invasive species in the US, and they're here in abundance. I'm unaware of anybody selling this particular kind of lizard, but you can purchase others. You might also be able to get some sheds from a lizard if you have a friend with lizards, know a local herp club, or have a friend in a pet store. I've read of these working, also.

We'll all look forward to a bright pretty picture of your snake with its new skin. Hopefully new skin = new appetite!

[Caryl]

If you could, could you check out my thread "Questions about my 5 year old ghost corn snake" it would be greatly appercatied .. since i can't get anybody to reply to it for me!
:( ..

Thanks !
amanda,xo* (bambam1313)[/QUOTE]

Headed there now, then gotta head for bed. :boring::boring::boring:

[Nanci]

Wait- now your guy is going into shed? I wouldn't feed until he sheds. I wouldn't handle him while he's blue. Then, the day he sheds, or the day after, I'd go back to FT pink, super-hot, slit, in a covered deli cup in the evening. Check after one hour, reheat if he hasn't eaten.

[greenman]

Wait- now your guy is going into shed? I wouldn't feed until he sheds. I wouldn't handle him while he's blue. Then, the day he sheds, or the day after, I'd go back to FT pink, super-hot, slit, in a covered deli cup in the evening. Check after one hour, reheat if he hasn't eaten.

Waiting for the shed ;)
thanks! I'll try the F/T after the shed for sure!
(fingers crossed!)

[GSDlover]

Update about my guy.
I got his pinkie realllly hot.
and even took it from my hand when I was putting it in and showing him - sucess!

Good luck again Greenman!

[Caryl]

Update about my guy.
I got his pinkie realllly hot.
and even took it from my hand when I was putting it in and showing him - sucess!
:cheers::cheers: Gotta love good news! :cheers::cheers:

[greenman]

:cheers::cheers: Gotta love good news! :cheers::cheers:

Amen to that!!

[greenman]

WELL,
this dude just finished his blue 2 days ago and now im waiting for the shed. Once he sheds im going to try Chicken blood scented pinkies. NOT live, and see how it goes.

IF there is no go i'll be entering week 6. I'll forsure be looking into force feeding some tails/legs from a breeding friend of mine. I DONT WANT TO! but i need the dude to live!

Any thoughts? if he is persistant if not eating after this im going to resort to tube feeding.

[greenman]

I found a feeder gecko. Its to big to feed to my buddy but im going to rub the pinky all over him/ in his mouth
IF that doesnt work.
im going to freeze/ remove the tail and try that.
Opinions?

[Caryl]

You don't actually need to freeze the tail. There aren't really any parasites that would be transferred from just a tail. Actually, I'd forget the pinky and just offer the fresh gecko tail. Put your snake in a deli cup with the tail (it's designed to break off the gecko), cover it, put the container in his viv in case of escape, and leave the room for a couple of hours.

[greenman]

i rubbed the pinky on the house gecko and let the gecko bite the face of the pink. IF in 30min its a no go, i'll do the tail.
his shed off looks nice though ;) i'll post some pics soon!
\

[GSDlover]

Good luck, I've been keeping an eye on this thread for updates.

[greenman]

ugh...
so no go as of now.
AND... ugh.

when i went to go get the house gecko out of his plastic case AND 6qt tube he had escaped. NOW i have no tail and the gecko has found a new house in my room. This is getting better and better. Im going to warm this pinky up a lot and slit it and put it in the deli cup over night soon...

[greenman]

im not worried about the lizard, he'll pop up.

Thor is not interested in the food. ON tuesday im taking him to friends who is abreeder and he will attempt to help me assist feed. IF THAT DOESNT WORK.
I have a pinky pump on order.

ugh.....................

[bambam1313]

I hope for the best of luck for your snake, I finally got mine to eat I never put her in a feeder container until today and she actually went right for the mouse as soon as she seen it :)

[bambam1313]

Mistake ther

* I put her in a different container to feed her for the first time and she took it right away*

[greenman]

officially no feed...

Considering Force Feed, Assist feed and pinky opump *availible at store ATM*

PLEASE final opinions!

[Caryl]

I'm sorry you haven't had success so far. Your snake is your pet, and the decision to force/assist feed is a personal one. Only you can decide if you want to go that route. Whether you decide yay or nay, you can continue to try different scenting tricks from time to time.

By the way, have you tried taking the snake for a ride? Sometimes shipping a nonfeeder turns it into a feeder. Maybe it's the jouncing, maybe it's the relocation. Whatever, some have had similar success with putting their snakes into a container, riding it around for a while and/or setting it up in a new viv/new location.

Good luck, whatever you choose.

[greenman]

I've tried.
FT pinkie, Eatra hot, Brained, Slit, Cut into 3 peices, Small deli cup over night, In tub over night, Live in deli for 2 nights, fresh killed and brained, tuna scented, Lizard scented and bit, transfering into new tub-home. Car ride, sitting on dryer in delicup w/ heat off. ugh...

Its been officially 6 weeks. Im content with continuing down the road of scenting but im concerned that he hasent had food in his belly. I'm considering the assist/force feed because im hoping it jumpstarts his little appetitte. Its not ideal but if it works, it works...

im undecided as to what to do. I know Caryl FF is probably the last thing you want to se be done but same with myself. im not happy to see his sister who shed 4 weeks ago have a shed 3inches longer than his shed from 3 days ago...

:(

[Nanci]

How frustrating. I wonder why he ate to begin with, and then stopped. Can you get him to strike or bite you? Can you try weaseling a mouse tail into the corner of his mouth, and seeing if he will eat it?

It's probably safer, in the long run, to tube feed him than to do much FFing. But it wouldn't hurt to see what happens if you can get a pink, or pink head, into his mouth and then hold his mouth shut and see if he will just go ahead and swallow. Just be really really really really really careful.

[jayson rafter]

still have 1 of these start & stopers....i have not had much luck with this... but hey ya never know....try putting it in a different tub (to house in) sometimes the change will CHANGE them.it only worked for a couple of mine,but for those couple....it worked.

good luck.

-jay

[greenman]

well after a long debate today we tried assist and force feeding today.
Assist didnt go super awesome. We tried just the head and he spit it out, tried half wayhe spit it out, tried 3/4 spit it out. LAST and final try we tried almost the whole thing adn he took it down, YAY! no struggle

SO there is a meal in his belly! HOPEFULLY this inspires some eating! Some pictures of this dude will be up shortly!

[Caryl]

How frustrating. I wonder why he ate to begin with, and then stopped.

Nanci got me thinking. My daughter told me about a little corn who'd been brought to the vet where she was working. My understanding is that it had been eating & quit, perhaps like yours. This one had parasites, and once those were treated (not expensive at all) it went back to eating and growing with no problems. I don't know if you have a herp vet close by, but it's something you may want to consider.

I'm so sorry for all your frustrations. It's a terrible situation in which to find oneself. Since you're getting to the point of considering more aggressive methods, I've got another suggestion. Find a thin-stem pipette (drug stores or high school science teachers usually have them) and get some raw egg yolk into the little guy. Be sure it's at room temperature, not chilled. It packs a high nutritional punch, is easy for the snake to digest, and sometimes getting something in there will give the digestive system a jolt. Once things are moving along the snake may realize it's hungry. If you want to go this route, I'd give it 2 or 3 feedings like this and then try a prey item.

[greenman]

how would i tell if he has parasites or not?
im hoping since he has afull belly no he may be open to food now.

[greenman]

The man with a full belly ATM!

[Caryl]

Congrats on getting him to take a meal! Hopefully having a full belly will remind him of how good that feels. :cheers:

And as for parasites, the vet would check a fecal smear under a microscope.

Again, congrats on getting some food down the stubborn l'il guy. He's very pretty, by the way.

[greenman]

Well after 6 days since the force feed. Still no interest in a meal.
Ugh... Drawing board?

[OkeeteeMom]

How's it going Greenman?

[greenman]

still no success. he was force feed last tuesday again and now i've learned how to force feed. He is in a deli cup with a f/t now until tomorrow morning, fingers crossed but im not holding my breath.

im disappointed and annoyed but I will not lose out on an animal in the end. Either this guy will eat or BHB will help me out with another one. If i lived near Michigan they would just have traded him for me but we cant mail.

Bottom line, no luck so far. Trying my second live on tuesday. hope it goes.

BUT im looking into buying a pair of hectors Pied side :)

[OkeeteeMom]

I'm sorry you still haven't had success, but I really like your attitude about it all. "Parenthood" can be a real witch in the beginning with some babies. So it's really nice to know that you haven't given up, nor will you!

Pied's, huh? Me like! Pix if you get them, okay?

I'm going to keep watching this thread, on all accounts.