Problem eater - under a year old

[Soleila75]

We have a beautiful amel male, who is giving us a hard time eating. He's very strong, alert, and otherwise seems healthy, except he's not eating. Last time he ate 2 weeks ago. He was switched from live to f/t's. My husband and I are worried, as we dont' want to lose this baby. He's going to be a year old this summer (June or July), is around 21" long, and just had a full shed. We've tried teasing him with the food, leaving him overnight with it. We tried live, we've tried frozen... We've tried scenting, so far, not much luck. I don't think it's the spring in the air, as he's under a year old. HELP.

[zwyatt]

Two weeks isn't a terribly long time without food. Try not to get too worried yet.

Has he only skipped meals this one time (over these last two weeks)?
Did he ever eat a f/t after switching over?
Any history of regurges?

It sounds like you've tried several things within the last two weeks. It's important not to offer food too often if they are refusing. They can get conditioned to the point that they just refuse every meal if you feed too often. Try to allow 4-5 days between attempts. That gives them 4 or 5 days since the last time they've seen a meal and they may start to think they might not see one again for some time and decide to eat.

I would keep trying different options. Maybe a live pinky in a small container around dusk and leave him alone with the pinky overnight in a quiet, dark place. I've read that sometimes bringing the temps up a few degrees can help with feeding response. Maybe tuna scenting if you haven't used that.

Let us know what happens :)

[cornsnakemaster28]

I'd say if you're feeding him frozen food, he probobly can only eat it with motion? :shrugs: I was looking through threads and that's what happend with one that's about 1 year old too. they said "if the food isn't moving he just forgets about it." Maybe your snake has that?

Try feeding it live ones, that may help. :shrugs:

[BeckyG]

Uhhh, guys, she said she was trying to switch him to f/t. Feeding live would kind of defeat the purpose.

What I do when my snakes refuse is to wait until their next regularly scheduled feeding day to offer food. Snakes can go an amazingly long time without eating. Two weeks is not that long in snake perspective.

Another thing to try is braining the mouse. ONLY do this with already dead mice. That involves cutting the mouse's head and squeezing a little brain out.

Another thing to try is to offer a freshly killed mouse for a few weeks, then go to frozen.

If the snake is active and alert and seems otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Easier said than done, I know, but he'll be ok.

[schilsound]

Uhhh, guys, she said she was trying to switch him to f/t. Feeding live would kind of defeat the purpose.

But I think a dead snake would go a bit further towards defeating the purpose. . .



What I'm sure the guys were saying was switch to live as a last resort, but it's not time for a desperate measures just yet- you're absoloutely RIGHT that a couple weeks is nothing to a previously good eater of a corn snake.

I second Zach's opinion about temperatures. It seems the snakes' hunger response can be triggered by a rise in temperatures.

In about half of my collection I notice they realy get active and start searching the tubs for food once I turn on a light about a half hour to an hour before feeding time on their scheduled night. Maybe I am triggering a response, maybe they just have a good scent on the live prey I am bringing them ~shrug~ who knows? It works. . . I stick with it.

A couple of my finicky eaters will track prey but really show little interest in eating until I completely black out their feeding tubs- a black t-shirt wrapped completely around the tub will convince them it's time to eat.

So try varying light, heat, and continue to be patient. Snakes know their systems and when the time is right they'll eat. If you continue to worry just check back, especially if you notice a physical and outward change in the animal. Until then offer food on a regularly scheduled basis [not daily so as to avoid inducing stress and conditioning the animal to refuse food- just every few days or so] and it will come around.

Good Luck!

[zwyatt]

Uhhh, guys, she said she was trying to switch him to f/t. Feeding live would kind of defeat the purpose.



Yes, I realized this at the time I responded. Like schilsound said, it would defeat the purpose to have a dead snake on your hands, which shouldn't happen for sometime if he is healthy.

Personally, I would rather get him to go back onto live for a meal or two and then try a f/t. That way I know he's at least eating every other meal. Why spend a month or 6 weeks exhaustively trying to offer every possible type of f/t (scented, brained, fresh killed, etc) and even risk turning him off to food?

Having said that, I realize that she said he has since refused a live, but offering live once or twice more might stimulate him to feed again (seeing as that was what he was eating so well before).

I've had a hatchling that would eat live fine and would take one f/t but then lose interest. Braining, teasing, etc. didn't interest her. As soon as she was offered another live she was fine and would take another f/t or two at her next feedings. Switching over can be a gradual process.

That's just my opinion :)

[Soleila75]

It seems that after getting all stressed out over our boy not eating, he just decided to eat without any special coaxing. We are keeping the temperatures and lights according to the specs, but we were warned about him being a problem when it comes to eating. After not eating for 2 weeks, he did decide to eat a tiny pinky, and then ate another one only 5 days later. We did not expect him to eat it, but he did, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

I know snakes can go a while without food, but I was worried about him being under a year old. Thankfully he's strong and healthy, and as soon as I get any good pics of him I'll post them.

Anyway, we are new to the snakes. We already have 4 bearded dragons and they're doing well, except for our little girl who's faithfully laying eggs every 2-3 weeks or so and loosing weight fast. Thankfully she's got great appetite and hopefully will put the weight back on in no time. :-offtopic

My husband and I are hoping to breed the snakes in the future and currently are trying to learn as much about their care and husbandry as possible. Currently we have 1 ghost female, 1 crimson hypo female and 2 amel males. All of them will be a year old sometime this year, with the youngest one turning 1 in NOvember.

Thanks for your help.

[MegF.]

Several of my Okeetees are off and on eaters and have always been this way. I think some are just like that. Don't be surprised is he goes off food again the next time you offer. I even had some that wouldn't eat for two weeks before shed, and with babies, that's about every month. So 2 feedings out of 4 they refused. They are still good sized sub adults. I would think at 21 inches, your snake could be eating fuzzies at least.