GETTING FRUSTRATED!!

[rsarj70]

I am writing now as my Aug. 2010 Normal Corn is seemingly engaging in an unsuccessful feeding attempt. I got him in early March and he has fed only one fuzzy since I have gotten him. I have him in a small opaque sterilite feeder with a fuzzy now. After nearly 30 minutes his only intent seems to try and get out. He has a good environemt from what I have learned on this forum. He seems healthy, but this is my fifth attempt at feeding in the four weeks I have had him to no avail, other than one time. How long should I leave him in the feeder before I throw in the towel and put him back in his cage? I just feel like I am doing something wrong, and stressing my guy out. I know it is not the end of the world, but it has been 12 days since he last ate. I am waiting usually 3 days in between each attempt. When should I start to worry? Should I try another method? Should I cage feed? I am getting pretty frutrated, not only for the concern, possibly unnecessarily, but for the waste of money as well. Any advice would be great!! Thanks

[smallet]

First as everyone will tell you is to make sure all your temps are right in the cage. Around 85 on the hot side 75 ish on the cool side.

Second if they won't eat wait more than three days....If they won't eat wait till the next feeding schedule time. Which from the age I am guessing and with the size of food offered should about every 6 days.

If he won't eat after leaving him totally alone between feedings (other than water changes). You can try and exercise him for 20 -30 min before putting him in with the food. You can go the opposite and put the food on paper towel in the cage over night outside his hide (would probably go this route before the exercise routine first).

Check the snake over as well to make sure nothing is blocking the vent either.

Sorry about the rambled thoughts but just writing them down in the order they are coming to me.

Most importantly don't panic or get frustrated yet.

[rsarj70]

I appreciate the thoughts...no worries!! I have a uth and thermostat at 85 on the warm side. I have had a few issues with the cool side falling in the mid and upper sixties but I have read that it should not be a problem. It has been 12 days since he last ate, and I handle him about 5-10 minutes every other day with my boys. For the most part we leave him alone. Can I use the same fuzzy that he or she (cause I do not know) rejecteed just now and put it on a towel overnight? That sounds like a good idea, and I am pretty high strung, but I am sure it'll work itself out. He or she is a seemingly healthy guy @ 6 months old or so. I have not mearured but am guestimating around 20 inches or so and pretty thick for a little guy or girl. Back at you with the rambling on my part and thank you for the advice

[Nanci]

This is what I would do. Leave him alone for three days. No handling. Feed him in the evening, after dark. Feed him a pink, or a peach fuzzy (very small fuzzy with barely any hair). Heat the pink to HOT under running tapwater, for a couple minutes. I would cut 4-5 small slits down the head and back of the pink. Put the pink in with the snake in a deli cup with air holes. You want a small cup, like the size of a margerine container. Put a dishtowel/T-shirt/whatever over the container and leave him strictly alone for 60 minutes, no peeking. If he has not eaten, reheat the pink and put him IN his covered container back in his viv and leave overnight.

[PJ@PJCReptiles]

Just my two cents at the moment:

First off, are there air flow holes in your feed bin?

Try going down a size from a fuzzy to a pinky, leave the defrosted pinky and snake in the feed bin and put the feed bin back inside the snake's home. Offer the food in the evening, the more nature time they would be searching for food. By being in the fed bin, it should not be too big, you want the snake to eat. If you put the feed bin with the snake back into its home and close it all up, leave the snake alone overnight with the food. This should work.

Or you could try placing a towel over the feed bin too. I would never reuse an uneaten food with your snakes. Sometimes it is nice to have a garbage eater snake in house for times like this. But that comes later in this hobby! LOL

Any chance the snake is going into a shed? Pictures might help us too if you can post some.

Good Luck.
PJ

[Naagas]

I have nothing to ad to the great advice above.

I just wanted to offer my condolences.

Snakes are so strange in the way that they will sometimes refuse food for weeks on end. My cat cries for food a couple times a day. I totally feel for the waste in money/mice. I have thrown away my share of perfectly edible (not to the snake, apparently!) mice.

[Nanci]

PJ always copies me!! ;-) (PS- I have your boy back on any old fuzzies now- don't know what the problem was!!)

[PJ@PJCReptiles]

PJ always copies me!! ;-) (PS- I have your boy back on any old fuzzies now- don't know what the problem was!!)

See, great minds think alike!! ;o)

He will be just fine, he might be afraid of becoming a grown up already! LOL

[rsarj70]

Great advice...I already put the fuzzy n the cage with him for overnight. If he does not eat, then I will try your method of downsizing. He has eaten a fuzzy before, but he is really being stubborn here. I will try it if this fails..thanks

[Dreamsnake]

My problem feeder isn't a corn snake, but this trick may work for yours: chicken broth. My adult male ball python went off food from September to January. The last three feeds were all successful with the chicken broth flavoring.

[rsarj70]

I have heard the chicken broth works. I have a can of noodle soup, so I will give it a whirl. Thanks

[PJ@PJCReptiles]

Scenting pinks:
chicken broth
tuna fish juice
washing them with Ivory soap
braining helps too


I found that room defrosting showed more hatchlings to eat first and continue, more than with just hot water defrosting. Just an idea.

Good Luck!

[rsarj70]

Great advice, but ivory soap? Never would a thunk it. I will try a room temp defrost with broth next time. I use a small feeding steralite tub with a some holes and privacy added. How long do you suggest I leave him in the tub with the fuzzy without feeding before I consider it a non-feeding situation? Thanks for the help

[PJ@PJCReptiles]

I would place the snake and its food in the feed bin...if this is a baby, a 2010, you could use a deli cup. The smaller it is for the baby the better. Dont leave it with too much space to get away from or distracted from the food.

I would give offer the food in the evening and leave it and the snake alone overnight before checking on it. If it is still there...that is a non fed meal.

It is hard to judge if you are offering something too big or not with out some kind of photo with comparison or weight for us. It is is too big, some babies wont even try it.

I bet if you brain it and place the food and snake in a small container overnight, it will eat. BUT than again, I have no idea what condition this animal is in right now.

There are several options before deciding the snake is a non feeder. Try to get some photos and a weight on your snake.

As for Ivory soap, wash the pinkie in hot water with the Ivory soap and rinse well! It cleans the scent off, some just dont like the stinky smell of mice at first. LOL

[rsarj70]

Again thanks. Don't have a weight but I did just post some pics in photo thread. You certainly know more about this than I. Take a look at the pics, although they are not great, it could give you an idea. I think he is a healthy guy. He was born in Aug. He is about 18-20 inches and has good width, color ect,. I did get him to eat once in his deli cup. I tried the deli cup two more times and could not get him in. I was stressing him out too much and got musked. I am feeding him fuzzies which he ate one. The breeder, (who I cannot contact..his e-mail and phone were not accurate which concerns me), told me he was feeding pinky rats and gave me a feed and shed record. The fuzzies are about the same size as the rats, and since he ate one already, I have stayed that course. I guess I could try a smaller pinky or even pinky rats, but I think you are right. I need to feed in a smaller space. Currently, I have a fuzzy in his cage. If he doesn't take it, I will wait a few days, and figure out a feeding space that I can get him in without freaking him out. I appreciate you taking the time.

[Nanci]

The thing about all the scenting tricks is, I just don't think they are called for, yet. An August snake knows how to feed, if it has survived until April. You just aren't providing circumstances that make him comfortable. Is it possible he is blue?

[Dreamsnake]

If the snake wont eat fuzzies the hair may be the problem. If the braining and/or scenting doesn't work, switching to rat pinks may be the only option to get some food down him. I wish I could help more, but my problem corn eats everything and regurges.

[rsarj70]

He last shed on March 8 so that shouldn't be the issue, but I agree with the circumstances. I have been inconsistent with my feeding methods, deli cup, feeding bin ect....I will use some of these tips for next time, but in the end I think it will workout..He seems healthy to me. This is my first corn and I am no doubt a newbie, but I did have snakes in the house for 10 + years. My gut tells me my processes for him are wrong.

[PJ@PJCReptiles]

He just might be stressed in the move and new home. Maybe a smaller home might help too. Some of them can be just a bit tricky! Ask Nanci about Baby G!

And yes, hair on their food, can be an issue for a bit. I have dealt with that. The girls didnt like hair but once them were big enough to take a rat pinky...they would golden!

[rsarj70]

I have him a 20g tall. I do have plenty of cover, but you may just be right about space. I think I am going to order some rat pinkies online. Where is a efficient place to take care of that? I checked the retailers and they do not have rat pinkies...The advice here is great though. It is amazing the information you can get these days. I shudder when I think of how I cared for snakes when I was younger, because of the lack of information...

[PJ@PJCReptiles]

A hatchling can live in a 10 gallon tank from about 12 to 18 months. An average sized adult can live in a 20 gallon long for all its life. I think the tank just might be part of the problem.

Babies from my facility, start out in a deli cup and move up to a small 6" x 3" x 2.5" bins or a 7" x 3" x 3" bin. It can stress them out to live a big area from a much smaller area at such a young age.

I purchase most of my frozen food on line at www.RodentPro.com but there are several really get places I would use if I didnt need so much food on a regular basis.

The Mouse Factory is super awesome! Prices are higher but great food. And Edna is wonderful to do business with!
http://themousefactory.com/

[rsarj70]

You could be right. He certainly does not spend his days roaming the cage. He is usually burrowing under substrate or under a hide. I will employ different feeding methods for sure, and try to pick up some pinky rats as well, (thanks for the link), as they were what he has been accustomed to according to his feed records from the breeder.

[visceralrepulsion]

My problem feeder isn't a corn snake, but this trick may work for yours: chicken broth. My adult male ball python went off food from September to January. The last three feeds were all successful with the chicken broth flavoring.

ive also been told that tuna juice works great. i was going to suggest this as something to try either way, so im glad you brought it up. but the chicken broth or tuna juice is a good idea. im going to try it with my adult male whos not eating at the moment next time i try. question though, how exactly do you go about doing it? i was going to soak the mouse in the juice/broth for awhile, then stick it in a baggy, then into the hot tap water to soak until fully thawed. is this the best way? or should i heat the chicken broth up, and stick the mouse into the hot broth? anyone?