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Hunger Strike

jld333

jld333

New member
My 3.5 yr old male Okeetee has not eaten for 7 weeks. I know it is that time of the year. When should I be concerned, after how many weeks?
 
Some of them just take a while to snap out of it, I would only worry if he's lost a lot of weight/condition. Try pinkies, they usually go for those.
 
My ghost hasn't eaten either in as many weeks. I let him mate. He's calmed way down an went into a shed cycle. He usually eats after a shed.
 
One of my males has been on a hunger strike as well. Each week I offer him an appropriately sized prey item and when he doesn't take it, then I offer him something small, which he usually takes. (Luckily I have multiple snakes, so usually his uneaten mouse goes to another snake.)
 
Mine just finished up a 1 month hunger strike. I wouldn't be worried unless they start to get super thin, which can take several months.
In the wild they wouldn't get a mouse every time they hunt, so it's not harmful to them if they miss a couple of meals.
 
Mine went on a hunger strike for about six weeks, ate a small meal, went on a hunger strike for another three attempts, and just ate for me again, so. They will eat when they're -really- hungry. Don't worry unless he's getting thin.
 
Rat pups or hairless mice have worked before. And failed, but they have worked before! Good luck, and don't lose any sleep. I have had hoggies go off feed for a calendar year and go back to feeding. Uneaten food is why we own king snakes and alligator snappers. :)
 
Chip said:
Rat pups or hairless mice have worked before. And failed, but they have worked before! Good luck, and don't lose any sleep. I have had hoggies go off feed for a calendar year and go back to feeding. Uneaten food is why we own king snakes and alligator snappers. :)
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I"m reading it but you wrote a whole year for your hog?
 
More than one hog has gone off feed that long. Right as they got so thin I thought about euthanizing, most snapped back into feeding mode. I do think brumation helps in these extreme cases, but I haven't dealt with enough to say for sure.
 
jld333 said:
My 3.5 yr old male Okeetee has not eaten for 7 weeks. I know it is that time of the year. When should I be concerned, after how many weeks?
Click to expand...

I've had a male blizzard go off for 3 months with no ill effects. I've also had a female snow go off for bit over 2 months. Both were back in 2009 and haven't any irregular hunger strikes with any of my corns since then.

Chip said:
More than one hog has gone off feed that long. Right as they got so thin I thought about euthanizing, most snapped back into feeding mode. I do think brumation helps in these extreme cases, but I haven't dealt with enough to say for sure.
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Right now i have 2 females going on 89 and 79 days since there last meals. They are thinning out. I've thought brumation but not so sure if they would survive a short 6-8 week cool down. I'm trying different things from scenting to humidity and substrate but nothing so far.
 
I personally wouldn't brumate in mid summer. One thing that seems to help is put them in a smaller container than usual. I have had more than one go back on feed when moved to a shoebox at 200-300 grams, or 15 quart for really big girls. Again, this may have nothing to do with it, but I had noticed a few going off feed when moved up a tub size, so I've been experimenting with anything I can think of. Also rat fuzzies or hairless mice *might* help. Rubbing live fish on them has worked when even toad scenting wouldn't -but as with all things hognose, not always! I wish you luck, keep us posted.
 
Have you taken him to a vet? You're over 12 weeks now, I'd be getting worried for a corn.
 
Try Live food( if you havent already). This usually works for us. I had one last year go 115 days before I tryed live and he snapped out of it... Good Luck

Buzz
 
I'd try a small, super-hot mouse, first, like a hopper. Maybe even a fuzzy. Then I'd try a rat pink.
 
Nanci, what do you mean by super hot? Also where I live the only live I can buy are white mice. Nobody sells rodents. I buy my frozen from the local reptile show that comes every other month. I only own the one snake so I only have the one size of feeder.
 
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