Cornsnake STILL not eating. Whats goin on?

[Taxidermy]

I got Punk on dec 24, still he has refused to eat pinkies. It's been 10 days now. Is this normal? Or should I take him back for a different snake, possibly still give him a chance?

[Nanci]

I'm sorry to hear that. Please list all the feeding attempts you have made, and what you did each time.

Nanci

[Taxidermy]

Ive brained a pinky, tried feeding live, left a f/t pinky in a dark container with him over night, scented with an anole, left a brained pinky over night in a container with him.

[Nanci]

Well, you've tried a lot of things- but in too short a time. If I were you, I'd wait 4 days from the last attempt. Then I would put him in a container- small- in his closed viv, with either a live pink or a frozen/thawed pink, making sure it was 100-102F, with four small slits cut in its back. (Only heat/slit the FT pink) I would leave him overnight- no peeking. You alternately could do either of the above foods but staple him into a paper bag and leave him overnight in his viv with the cover on. The idea is for there to be nothing to distract him and nothing for him to do except eat. I would start the feeding attempt at 5 or 6 PM.

Make sure you are waiting four days in between attempts. I would not handle him at all now- even the most gentle handling is stressful to him, and the most important thing right now is getting a meal down him.

There is also a really good feeding problem FAQ from Fenderplayer which you could look over.

Nanci

[tyflier]

Whatever you do, DON'T give up. Read through this topic. It is an incredible story of one super fussy snake that refused to eat for the longest time, and all the steps this particularly vigilante owner took to ensure the health, safety, and eventual voluntary feeding of this snake:

The Saga of Lil and Diamond Lil (http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30056)

It is an extremely long thread, taking course over the past year, but it has a happy ending, and contains an incredible amount of knowledge and inspiration to help you get your snake eating on it's own.

[Plissken]

I counted five different methods you've tried there... all in ten days? Don't rush the snake in to eating. By my reckoning after 10 days, you should only have had one scheduled feeding. Maybe two. Trying and trying and trying just stresses the snake out even more.

I would stop all feeding attempts for about a week. Then try again.

[diamondlil]

I counted five different methods you've tried there... all in ten days? Don't rush the snake in to eating. By my reckoning after 10 days, you should only have had one scheduled feeding. Maybe two. Trying and trying and trying just stresses the snake out even more.

I would stop all feeding attempts for about a week. Then try again.
Great advice there, if I'd known that, maybe my whole saga wouldn't have developed the way it did!