When do you give up?

[stormyday]

I've had a hatchling for about a month. She has yet to eat, poop or shed for me. I was told when I got her that she had eaten at least a week prior. She's losing weight, but still active & drinking water. I've offered live, f/t brained/cut in half & washed f/t. She looked interested in the washed but didn't eat overnight.
So when do I give up? Is it too soon to call it curtains on the little thing?

[Plissken]

Don't give up yet. A month is not a long time for a snake to go without food.

Maybe you should double-check your temperatures and setup. What are the temps on the warm and cool side of the tank?
Also, how do you feed? Are there any bright lights nearby when you feed her? (Some people have lights on overnight too... ie. from a fish tank or what have you.) You might want to look at your lighting... one of my snakes will only feed if I offer him food in darkness.

Another question... how often are you offering her food? I wouldn't personally try more than every 5/7 days... offer her food just once a week. Don't try over and over again because the snake may be stressed and this actually decreases their chances of accepting food.

Most importantly, don't worry. I know it is concerning but the little guys can go amazingly well without food for some time.

[Roy Munson]

I had five this year that refused all the things you've tried, AND tuna-scenting. Two of them responded to anole-scenting. I bought an anole, froze it, and thawed it just enough to pry open its mouth (Trevor/Lefty's instructions). Then I smooshed the pinks around in the anole's mouth, to get them spitty. I also stripped off small pieces of skin, and placed them on the pinks' heads.

I gave up on the other three. They were euthanized and fed to a kingsnake.

Good luck.

[tricksterpup]

Previous posts are great advice, here are a few extra things to try.
Another trick you can try is placing the snake in a small plastic butter container (make sure it has small holes in it) and then place your snake in there with the pinkie and leave her alone. She may be shy and want some privacy. This sounds crazy but I have few snakes that want to be fed in a dark cotainer.

Also what is the time of day, the light thing is pretty important. Mine like to be fed at night, so we tend to feed ours around 9 at night. So you could try then as well.

[dwyn127]

I had five this year that refused all the things you've tried, AND tuna-scenting. Two of them responded to anole-scenting. I bought an anole, froze it, and thawed it just enough to pry open its mouth (Trevor/Lefty's instructions). Then I smooshed the pinks around in the anole's mouth, to get them spitty. I also stripped off small pieces of skin, and placed them on the pinks' heads.

I gave up on the other three. They were euthanized and fed to a kingsnake.

Good luck.
I got a 1.1 from Rich's out of the egg sale that wouldn't eat f/t, f/t scented, live, fresh kill. So, in desperation I offered the 0.1 the anole I was using to scent with; she gobbled it up within 15 minutes. Tried the 1.0 next day and same results. Next meal was a pinky with anole slobber and skin on the pinky's nose. Both ate them right away. Third meal 0.1 took a pinky with just the slobber, male refused but he went blue the next day so I'll wait till he sheds. 0.1 gets f/t pinky with no scent this week. Hope she takes it.

So after a month, no, I certainly wouldn't give up. Both of these were going on 2 months old and had NEVER eaten. I realize I may have some work ahead of me to get them on f/t alone, but I can already see her growing and he's ready to shed, so we're progressing.

Good Luck, keep us informed on how it does.

:-offtopic About anole feeders. We so often consider these 'problem feeders' because they don't do what we want them to do, but maybe these guys are healthier then we give them credit for. Maybe this is more a sign that they've held on to more of their natural born instincts since anoles are part of their staple diet in the wild. That could be a good thread topic of it's own.:idea:

[stormyday]

Thank you everyone. :) I was starting to get stressed & when I talked to the guy at the local pet store, he made it seem hopeless & I should just let him "take it off my hands" & buy one of his. I did double check temps and they seem ok...the only thing I noticed last week was it was a little dry. So I've been misting & up'ed the humidity. The first feed was tried during the day, but in the small container I brought her home in. The next one was overnight in the container, completely dark. Then I tried the paper bag overnight starting after 8pm, lights off.

OK well at least I know there's hope! Maybe next try, I will look into the anole idea. Yes it could very well be more instinct for them to prefer the anoles, not just being problem feeders!

[Plissken]

Be careful with that humidity! Normal room humidity is perfect for a corn (unless you live in an exceptionally humid/dry area...) and making it too humid in there could make your snake sick.

[MegF.]

I have one that has only taken one forced mouse tail and one mouse tail on it's own in 3 months. It's very thin but still active so I'm still trying. Anole scenting after washing a pinky worked on my other two non-feeders. One has taken 2 pinkies in a row (refused the last as he's in blue) and the other who had only taken one mouse tail took a scented pinky last night after much sniffing and pushing. Keep trying!

[Tula_Montage]

I have no experience with non feeding corns, But I have with a non feeder western hognose (which I believe are 10x more stubborn than corns, verging on royal pythons stubborness)

What I found worked with him was to pull off f/t rat pup limbs. He eats them instantly. Theres probably more fat on a few rat limbs than a pinky. Try your corn with that maybe?

[stormyday]

Be careful with that humidity! Normal room humidity is perfect for a corn (unless you live in an exceptionally humid/dry area...) and making it too humid in there could make your snake sick.

Thanks for the warning! I had read that humidity should be at least 50-60% is that incorrect? Mine was at the 30-40, so I was thinking it was too dry. Now w/ all the rain we had it's been 60ish %. when is too much/ too little? Seems I read a lot in certain books & then come here & read and get different ideas or care. Since all of you are actually raising the corns, the first hand knowledge is great!
Thanks again!

Hmm, rat pup limbs! Might have to try that one too!

I went to the expo show today to see if I could find the guy I bought her from, but no luck. I ended up talking to another breeder & she told me to try braining a live pink as a last resort to force feeding. She also explained how to do that. Not sure I'm comfortable w/ it, but desperate times call for desperate measures?! We'll see.

[SnakeAround]

Good luck with it, I now how you must be feeling!

[ghosthousecorns]

I hate giving up on any snake but sometimes it is the only option left. I don't know, as far as the instinctive preference for anoles, I don't see any benefits to having this kind of snake as opposed to one that would readily take pinkies. I don't like lizard scenting but I do have 3 hatchlings right now that will only eat frozen thawed pinkies that have been rubbed with a 'bluebelly' (western fence lizard) and because they take the scented pinkies readily, I keep working with them.
I did end up euthanizing a snake that would absolutely only eat lizards, scenting the pinkies didn't work for her and I couldn't get her to eat mice except by force feeding or putting them in her mouth just as she was finishing off a lizard. I didn't want her to starve slowly and it's really hard to find lizards where I live. I felt bad about it, I wish there was a place that supplied frozen lizards like the rodentpro and all the other feeder suppliers, they'd probably make a killing lol. But if we keep the 'lizard eaters' alive and perpetuate this trait it can be detrimental since most people want to feed rodents.

[stormyday]

Yep, after about a month & half she ate last night!

After a failed attempt to force feed yesterday, which I thought probably stressed her to the max & ruined any chance of her eating, she ate!

When I was going to put her in the deli cup w/ halfed pinkie, she pooped. The first time since I've had her. I'm wondering if she was constipated & the stress of the force feed attempt losened it up enough to come out? Well, after an hour or so, in the cup w/ the pinkie she ate!

Not sure what did it, but I'm not going to complain! I just hope the next feed goes smoother! :rolleyes:

[foxykitty911]

I'm glad that she finally ate! It's very stressful on you the owner when things are not going the way they should(trust me I was just there) Hopefully she continues to eat. My problem feeder has eaten live three times and the next time I feed, I'm going to try f/t. good luck to you!

[SunnyDelight]

great to hear that she finally ate for you. you should probably leave her totally alone for the next 3-4 days, then try another feeding in about 5 or 6.
good luck and continued success!

[stormyday]

Thanks! OMG what a relief! :crazy02:
Yes, definately plan to leave her alone for a few days. I want her meal to stick!