Baby corn snake has only eatten once in 14 - 19 days!

[MikeV]

Hello

Well recently i got a baby corn snake.. unfortuantely he refuses to eat...

I tried everything, FT, Live

Tried Braining the pinky

tried scenting with tuna

tried putting him in a deli-cup sized container with the prey over night

He has only eatten once since i got him and that was a FT mouse in a container over night...

Should I worry about assit feeding? He went 14 days without food before taking his first FT, and last night i tried to feed him and he didnt take it. so thats another 5 days without food

Im getting worried that im gonna have to assist feed :(


Also

My husbandry - Humidity 40 - 60%

Temps - 77 - 79F

any help is appreciated

Thanks

[bitsy]

My first thought is that temps are a wee bit low. You really need the temp on the floor of the warm side to be in the mid-80s otherwise you risk him not being able to digest properly. That alone might be enough to put him off eating, so try boosting the temps a touch (make sure you're using a digital thermometer to measure the temp on the floor and not on the wall of the tank - the cardboard strip and plastic dial ones are notoriously inaccurate).

Has he refused FT overnight since the feed that he took? Generally if I find a trick that works, I stick with it.

Has he pooped since he ate and did it look normal? Sorry - we can be a bit obsessed with poop round here but it can be diagnostic!

If it's any consolation, the fact that he's eaten once is a good sign.

[MikeV]

My first thought is that temps are a wee bit low. You really need the temp on the floor of the warm side to be in the mid-80s otherwise you risk him not being able to digest properly. That alone might be enough to put him off eating, so try boosting the temps a touch (make sure you're using a digital thermometer to measure the temp on the floor and not on the wall of the tank - the cardboard strip and plastic dial ones are notoriously inaccurate).

Has he refused FT overnight since the feed that he took? Generally if I find a trick that works, I stick with it.

Has he pooped since he ate and did it look normal? Sorry - we can be a bit obsessed with poop round here but it can be diagnostic!

If it's any consolation, the fact that he's eaten once is a good sign.

Yeah i was only keeping the temps at 77 - 79 (and sometimes 80) because I was told be the vet and a local breeder that those temps were correct. I guess they were wrong :(

After he took the first FT on monday, I put him in his little container last night and left a FT in it with him over night. woke up this morning and it is still there.

I have a digital thermometer with a probe on on the side of the tub where his hides are aswell so i know the temps pretty well


Also, yes hes popped quite a bit since I got him. I found it once and it looked pretty normal but sometimes they are a bit runny. Nothing to major though. All in all his poop looks okay (i also have a RTB so im familiar with a snakes poo :) )

Ill up the temps to lets say.. 80 - 83?

Thanks

[Definitions]

85-88 is the recommended temps that i seen. thats what I keep mine at.

[bitsy]

It could be that he's coming up to a shed - sometimes they're less keen to eat during this stage. Five day feeding intervals sound good. In your place, what I'd do is leave him in peace for 3 or 4 days, then try the overnight technique again. Either he'll be properly in his shed cycle and it should be obvious, or his hunger might have got more of an edge to it.

Rather than 80-83, I'd be aiming for a temp of around 85 at the warm side. In all honesty it's fine-tuning as Corns are pretty bombproof within their safe range, but it might help to get his digestion in gear if that's been the problem.

[Pooleh]

I noticed you said that your probe thermometer is on the side of his enclosure. Are you using an UTH? If you are you will want that probe right on top of it. You want to measure the temp at the warmest spot your snake can get to.

[MikeV]

It could be that he's coming up to a shed - sometimes they're less keen to eat during this stage. Five day feeding intervals sound good. In your place, what I'd do is leave him in peace for 3 or 4 days, then try the overnight technique again. Either he'll be properly in his shed cycle and it should be obvious, or his hunger might have got more of an edge to it.

Rather than 80-83, I'd be aiming for a temp of around 85 at the warm side. In all honesty it's fine-tuning as Corns are pretty bombproof within their safe range, but it might help to get his digestion in gear if that's been the problem.

Alright, what ill do is put the probe on one side of the tub and put that side of the tub towards the wall heater I have

that should put the hot end at 85 and the cool at a lower range of that

I noticed you said that your probe thermometer is on the side of his enclosure. Are you using an UTH? If you are you will want that probe right on top of it. You want to measure the temp at the warmest spot your snake can get to.

Yes i dont have a UTH for him because my room is always 80 - 82F. However i have a wall heater which can heat the hot side up to 85

[MikeV]

I think hes in a shed right now!!! I just looked at his red eyes and they have a blue hue to them!

He also looks very dull

I think hes going into shed :P Maybe thats why he didnt eat last night

[bitsy]

That's probably it then. Your choice as to whether you keep offering food at intervals or whether you now wait until he finishes shedding. My guess is that if he's refused once, then he won't eat until he's done.

[MikeV]

That's probably it then. Your choice as to whether you keep offering food at intervals or whether you now wait until he finishes shedding. My guess is that if he's refused once, then he won't eat until he's done.

Alright, ill offer him food again once hes done shedding :)

Ill also try to get some pics up of him today so you guys can see the little booger :)

Thanks!