Still not eating :(

[lcapx0]

Ok Luna has not eaten in 3 weeks, she just shed for me today and even when i wiggle the pinkie she shows no interest...i was told to cut the head open and i did that and placed it in a sealed container with Luna. They are both in a dark area now so what should i try next?? She hasnt had any problems eating for me before. I have had her about two months and 2 weeks ago she had weighed out at 16 grams. Not sure if any of that information helps.


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[albertagirl]

Uh oh. No advice for you, but really sorry to hear that she still isn't eating. That's worrisome! :( I hope she'll eat now that she's in the dark, and when you check on her she'll have a nice big bump in her belly.

[lcapx0]

Uh oh. No advice for you, but really sorry to hear that she still isn't eating. That's worrisome! :( I hope she'll eat now that she's in the dark, and when you check on her she'll have a nice big bump in her belly.


Thank you i really hope so too


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[lcapx0]

Tried putting tuna juices on the pinkie too but still no response. I think next ill try to boil it


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[Tavia]

How often are you offering food?

[lcapx0]

Its been 1-2 times a week for the past 3 weeks. Since she just shed today i thought she would be all over eating food but she shows no interest :( even with tease feeding.


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[lcapx0]

Well i tried the boil method with no success.. Any more ideas??


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[lcapx0]

How often should i try feeding her?


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[smigon]

Maybe it's a Maricopa thing, I have a little girl who won't eat no matter how much I plead and beg!

Wait a few days, since she just shed she will be hungry but if not today hold off a few to get her good and hungry and try again. She is at a weight that isn't dire if she skips a few days, maybe get her out and exercise her a bit to get her hunger up.

Nanci has a list of suggestions in her section, most are tried and true, unfortunately not for my little girl yet!

[Nanci]

She just shed. So all the attempts while she was blue "don't count." It's not that she doesn't want to eat; she just doesn't want to eat while she is blue. She was feeding fine before, so it's not necessary to try tricks at this time. Next time she goes blue, in about a month, don't even bother to try to feed her until the day after she has shed.

What are you keeping her in? Sometimes you can leave the pink in with the baby overnight, if she's on paper towels. Otherwise, I wouldn't.

I would wait three or four days now, and then feed her a smaller than her usual pink, in a deli cup, covered up so she can't see out. I'd feed her in the evening, after you see her out hunting. Then just leave her alone, no peeking, for a couple hours. Set a timer. If she hasn't eaten, reheat the pink- I'd pour boiling water over it at that point- and leave her in the deli, covered, overnight.

When people with babies who won't eat speak of "tease-feeding," that doesn't mean holding the pink in tongs or tweezers and wiggling it around. That generally just scares the baby, if anything. They really hate being bopped on the nose, and will usually just turn away. True tease-feeding is actually "slap-feeding," where you hold the snake with about an inch of head and neck free, and then jab it in the neck with the pink, so it gets defensive and strikes, hopefully connecting with the pink. Then you freeze and hope that the snake goes on to swallow. This isn't used for babies who are established feeders- it's just one of the tricks to get a non-feeding baby going, in the beginning. You don't need to be trying this with your girl- she already knows how to eat regular FT pinks by herself.

[lcapx0]

She just shed. So all the attempts while she was blue "don't count." It's not that she doesn't want to eat; she just doesn't want to eat while she is blue. She was feeding fine before, so it's not necessary to try tricks at this time. Next time she goes blue, in about a month, don't even bother to try to feed her until the day after she has shed.

What are you keeping her in? Sometimes you can leave the pink in with the baby overnight, if she's on paper towels. Otherwise, I wouldn't.

I would wait three or four days now, and then feed her a smaller than her usual pink, in a deli cup, covered up so she can't see out. I'd feed her in the evening, after you see her out hunting. Then just leave her alone, no peeking, for a couple hours. Set a timer. If she hasn't eaten, reheat the pink- I'd pour boiling water over it at that point- and leave her in the deli, covered, overnight.

When people with babies who won't eat speak of "tease-feeding," that doesn't mean holding the pink in tongs or tweezers and wiggling it around. That generally just scares the baby, if anything. They really hate being bopped on the nose, and will usually just turn away. True tease-feeding is actually "slap-feeding," where you hold the snake with about an inch of head and neck free, and then jab it in the neck with the pink, so it gets defensive and strikes, hopefully connecting with the pink. Then you freeze and hope that the snake goes on to swallow. This isn't used for babies who are established feeders- it's just one of the tricks to get a non-feeding baby going, in the beginning. You don't need to be trying this with your girl- she already knows how to eat regular FT pinks by herself.


Thank you Nanci thats great advice, i will wait a few more days and do as you suggested. I really appreciate it, was really worried there :)


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[lcapx0]

Thank you Nanci thats great advice, i will wait a few more days and do as you suggested. I really appreciate it, was really worried there :)


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[MysticExotics]

Offering more than 1x a week is too often, IMO. I would wait a week in between offerings until she has started eating for you.
Many times when I see posts about babies that are not eating, the person is offering too often, resulting in stressing the baby out.

[lcapx0]

Update for everyone. She ate for me tonight!!!! So excited after a month she finally ate for me. Not sure why she was being fussy but im glad she got some food in her system. Thank you to everyone for the advice.


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[Tavia]

Yay!! So happy to hear that she finally ate!!

[lcapx0]

Yay!! So happy to hear that she finally ate!!


Thanks im still doing a happy dance :)


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[hypnoctopus]

That's great news! Did any particular trick work for you?

[smigon]

That is so good! It is such a relief when they do come around.

[lcapx0]

That's great news! Did any particular trick work for you?


Not really i mean i waited until night time for her to be active then i placed her in a deli cup with a small pinkie and covered them so it was dark. Checked on her a few minutes later and the pinkie was gone and she had a lump in her belly :)


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[lcapx0]

That's great news! Did any particular trick work for you?


Wasnt really any tricks i used. Just fed her at night in a deli cup and covered her. Left her alone for a few minutes and when i checked on her the pinkie was gone and she had a lump in her belly :)


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[lcapx0]

Oops posted twice haha


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)

[Nanci]

Wow- so she's ready to go!

[lcapx0]

Hopefully she doesn't do that again


Corns so far: .2 Amara (butter) and Luna (phantom)