When to call it quits?

[firfly]

Alright, so I have non-feeder at the moment, and he still refuses to feed on his own. I have tryed every trick that I can find mentioned here and on the internet, he just flat refuses to eat on his own. He has had no regurges from forced feedings, normal BM, drinks water, and continues to gain both size and weight, and yet refuses food on his own. Is it ok to continue or there a point in time when nothing can be done? Its not in my nature to give up or surrender. I can do this as long as he can, but being fairly new to snakes, I figured it better to ask. I figured on trying until he either quit gaining weight, and became to sick or was suffering in which case, I would put him down, however this is not the case todate.

[beautifullywild77]

Personally, I would keep trying. There is a member here that deals a lot with non feeders and she has force feed for a few months before they finally start eating!

[Nanci]

As long as he is gaining weight, never...

[MysticExotics]

If you're willing to continue, & he is growing, I'd say keep going.
I have a friend (local breeder) who has a snake that he fed anoles to (she wouln't eat anything else) for over a year, & she was a really slow grower. She's now full grown & eating mice.

Have you tried anole shed on a washed pinky? That is one trick that got my most stubborn problem feeder to start eating pinkies. After washing the pinky, I put a small piece of the shed on the nose of the pinky (using tongs, so I didn't get my scent on either).

[firfly]

Ive tried anole, scenting, live, brained, chicken broth, tuna scent, etc I am glad to hear its not a lost cause.Just needex to hear from others thanks.

[icejd7]

This is going to sound a little weird but I have an 8 gram anery that refused to eat for several weeks. I would put her in a opaque deli cup with a pinky and all she would do is nip at the mouse leg/arm and that's it.

Finally being desperate, a cut off the head of pinky (frozen/thawed), and attempted again to feed by tongs, and by leaving it in deli cup but no good. Here is the strange part, my 11 y/o kept insisting to let her do the feeding so she picks up the tongs and places the pinky head in front of the snake and *bamm*, she locks onto the head and devours it. The pinky body was a different story, the snake ignored it but at least we know the snake has something inside of her since we did not know when the last time she ate. This made us both laugh since my daughter always goofs on me how all of the snakes act out on me and are docile with her.... GREAT!

p.s. we also changed the company of the pinkies and fed her one from the new company.

[AliCat37]

My friend who I bought all my original babies from tries for a year with non-feeders.
I'd keep trying if I were you.
Have you taken him for a trip in the car?

[Tavia]

I've heard that sometimes a car trip or being put on top of the dryer for a cycle can for some reason stimulate appetite and get non feeders going.

[diamondlil]

It took months for my troublesome snow hatchling Diamond Lil to graduate from syringe-feeding to independent F/T feeding. The trick that finally worked for her was freshly washed live pinkies, and even then she was hit and miss for a good while longer. Personally I was on a roller coaster of emotions and the support from here really helped me keep hope. She's a big healthy adult now, 7 years old and a first-time mom!

[schnebbles]

Gosh, I was hoping to come find out he was eating! Sorry I gave you trouble :(

I would keep trying, I know it's very frustrating. I think I told you I had a friend who had non-feeders that I kept for at least a month, never got them to eat, but a couple of them finally did eat for her after a while. I agree, if he's gaining weight definitely keep trying! They can go so long with no food.

[dwyn127]

I've had quite a few hatchling that would only eat like heather described, with anole pieces on their nose. When they were big enough for fuzzies, all without exception, took a rat pink on their own.

[Fuzzoodle]

Have you tried a live asf pinky? We got a little guy about a month ago now, he's refused live, slit, brained, asf scented, but when we left him with a live asf pink in a styrafoam cup over night he had a full belly in the morning!

[schnebbles]

what is asf?

[BloodyBaroness]

asf- african soft fur. It's a type of rodent that some snakes go wild for. They are bit bigger than mice, but much smaller than rats.

[Tavia]

African Soft Fur rats. They are fairly new to the pet trade, I believe. Only in the past few years I've heard of them. They sometimes are really good for getting reluctant feeders going, especially BPs. They aren't like regular rats from what I've heard, they tend to be mean and not tame down to handling. I've only ever seen some in person once before. They are fairly difficult to find in this area of Idaho, if you are looking for live.

Edited to add: I've heard them called rats but if I remember correctly, they are not actually a rat.

[schnebbles]

I knew I should have known that! I forgot - but thank you. Maybe it will help this guy with his baby. I wonder if they are hard to find?

[j33p3rz]

Hang in there it took my baby corn 3 months to eat.I was getting scared thought it would die it lost weight but the day came and now feeds good.

[Chip]

How long have you been trying? My answer would be entirely dependent on that. I wouldn't have a weekly sausage-stuffer as an adult, but I've "helped" some hatchlings for quite a long time!

[sarae]

most of my non-feeders start eating 3-5 months after I begin syringe feeding them.

I just got a pair of young asf rats today, so we'll see in a month or so whether or not their babies are the magic trick to avoiding syringe feeding!

[Nanci]

Will he strike when you feed him, or does he just turn his head away?

[schnebbles]

I had him first and he wasn't interested at all Nanci. Doubt he's changed. I'm thinking it's been 2 months or so since I sent him to firfly. He was very young when I got him so I still have hope for him.

[firfly]

Great, news guys thanks for all your help and support, today the little guy finally ate on his own, with the help of a baby geckos tails, lol. I am so excited, yes finally after months of force feeding and up and ate. WHOOOOOOOO!

[Tavia]

Awesome! Great to hear it.

[schnebbles]

I'm so glad!!

[VickyChaiTea]

Yaaaaay! :D I just read the whole thread so that makes me happpyyyyy.

[firfly]

Thanks, everyone yeah this went on for quite some time and I am so glad, I didnt give up, words really cant describe how happy I am about this little one finally eating.

[Pugsley]

Happy dance. Invision Snoopy dancing.

[Lyion]

I literally jumped up and started dancing.

[Nanci]

Did he eat the tail, or did you scent a pink? Great news!!

[firfly]

I scented the pink, then borrowed his tail to place it in the pinks mouth. Five minutes later the pink was gone. I was so excited, I spent like 30 seconds looking for the pink, instead of realizing the little guy had lump in his mid- section.

[Nanci]

Wow- do you still have the gecko? Are they easy for you to get? I've never gotten to try them; they live here, but just in a few places.

[firfly]

They run all over the place at night around here, they are easy to catch on the shop walls outside. I would be lying though if I acted like I expected to work, as everything we had tried failed. I let this little guy go after snatching his tail. I figure on catching a couple more when it gets closer to feeding time, as I dont want the little guys to die, and all I really need is their tail, which grows back.

[Nanci]

I think I'd try scented only next time, and if that doesn't work, then use the tail. But you can put one (or more) geckos in a deli cup and let them run all over a pink for an hour or two, and then feed the pink to the snake.

[firfly]

Sounds good, I think that is worth a try atleast, that way no one looses their tail.

[schnebbles]

He might just eat it like that! He could even just take off eating now even! I'd do the scenting too just to be safe and see how quick he eats. It's beyond frustrating trying to make them eat, it's stressful. When my non-feeder ate for me, the next feed she ate fine as well. Left her overnight in the deli cup. I don't think she has ever missed a meal.

[MysticExotics]

So glad he ate for you! Congrats!
Geckos are more of a natural food item that hatchlings are going to eat, than pinky mice.
I have one breeder friend who kept a Cayenne Fire alive by feeding her anoles for the first year of her life. She refused to eat anything else. She's now full grown, & eating f/t mice with no problems.