It's been 7 weeks...

since Debo has eaten. It started with him regurging a couple of pinkies. Now, he just won't eat. I left him in his feeder for 40 minutes (the feeder is a dixie cup with a lid on it). There is not enough room in there for him to "forget" that the food is present. I don't know how old he is, but he was our biggest snake when we bought him. Now he is less then the width of a pencil. I have tried gutting the mouse, scenting it with tuna, only giving him a head (that worked for one of our other snakes, now he is a great eater), nothing works. I even tried to force feed him a tail last night, but I couldn't get it to stay in his mouth (plus, he is so small and delicate, I was afraid of hurting him). He can't go much longer like this. Do you have any other suggestions? He is in a 10 gallon, 83hot - 75cold. Plenty of hides, fresh water everyday. I don't want him to die, but I don't have much control over that. I've read that hibernating a snake will sometimes snap them out of an "eating rut", but I can't find any instructions on how to do that, and I don't know if he has enough meat on him to survive a hibernation. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

So sorry to hear about your problems. You could try these
-leave him for longer than 40 minutes with the food (overnight in a dark and undisturbed area)
-scent the pinky with other things besides tuna (anole, chicken broth)
-making some cuts in the pinky or exposing the brain
Whatever you try, if it doesn't work you need to wait before trying the next one or the snake can get more and more traumatized to the point of being afraid of the food.
I've had to force feed tails before, you have to push them kind of far down the baby's throat or they will spit it out. I would try everything else you can first though.
From the condition you described of this snake I don't know if he could survive a prolonged brumation, I think I recall another post where someone cooled the baby for a couple of weeks and then it ate, I brumate mine at about 55 degrees average, I just don't heat the house and the temps range between 50 - 60.
Sometimes they just don't seem to want to live, it can be kinder to euthanize them and let them go without suffering. But if you do a search on this forum you will find all kinds of things people have tried that worked for them. Good Luck

We brumated hatchlings (8 from a second clutch that was rather weakly) that had never fed voluntarily and had half of them start eating when they came out of brumation, but I had force-fed them a couple times before we considered cooling them so they had some nutrition in them. Personally, I don't think there is much chance of brumation starting him if he is already very thin - it is more likely that the stress will be too much for him.

If you choose to do it, the process is the same as for adults - no need to give him 2 weeks weeks without food if he hasn't eaten anything - remove his hot spot for a week so he is only at room temperature, then put him in a rubbermaid container with a water dish and a hide (and air holes) and place him in a dark location where the temperature is between 50-60 degrees. Check weekly and change water. I brumated the non-feeders for 5 weeks - no weight loss and half of them did feed when temperature was raised again. If you can't get temps below 65, I definitely would not brumate - too stressful as their metabolic rate will not drop and he will lose even more weight.

If you haven't tried live prey you might consider live day old mice - often live prey will break them out of not eating. Force-feeding mouse tails - I use only the thick half -(and then progressing to hind legs taken from thawed fuzzy mice) will keep some energy going into them and get them to understand the swollowing reflex.

You may have to accept that some guys just aren't meant to make it through their first year - and given that this started with a regurg, it is possible that he has another underlying problem that is behind his reluctance to feed.

best of luck with him,

mary v.

If you are having regurge problems and now the snake won't eat, I would think it was time to think about a trip to the vet.

Debo has passed. I found him dead when I got home the day I posted the original message. Thank you for your suggestions.

I'm so sorry. It sounds like he wasn't meant to survive. There may have been something internal that prevented him from digesting. We had a baby king who's face had been damaged and she was unable to scent probably and could never identify food. At least you tried everything you could.

Sorry

Sorry to hear about your snake. It sounds like you did your best. My boyfriend sadly lost some snakes last year in an unfortunate accident and he was devestated. So I can only imagine how your feeling. Will you be purchasing another snake? Good luck!

So sorry to hear about your loss.

I'm so very sorry. I cried for 2 days when we lost our adult snow. I know people say some of these babies aren't meant to make it, but it doesn't make it any less hurtful.

Best wishes!

Everyone~

Thank you for your kind words and condolences. No, we will not be getting another snake. We have a snow and a crimson still, and I want to make sure they make it to adult hood before we invest (financially and emotionally) into another snake. Thanks again.