didnt eat

[xerxes]

ive had xerxes since august and he's always eaten for me, everytime, always right away. i just tried to feed him a little while ago and he acted interested, made a halfhearted strike at the mouse and missed. but after that he seemed scared or something. idk whats wrong and its got me kinda worried. umm, okay, details...he was sleeping in his hide, i took his hide out (like i always do) woke him up and then threw the mouse in, he didnt eat so i took the mouse out and put a smaller one in but he still didnt eat. last time he ate was nine days ago, i usually feed him every friday.idk what to do.

[susang]

Is he getting ready to shed? How old is he? What substrate are you using? Check this link out not because it's mine but, my guy refuses food for almost four weeks when he is getting ready to shed and he's been like that since I got him as a hatchling. http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61427
good luck, susang

[xerxes]

he's five years old, five feet long, ive got him on pine bedding. and i'm not sure bout the shedding part because lately ive found little pieces of shedded skin all over the tank and if i dig through the bedding i can usually find more pieces. i dont think this is normal because he has shed twice for me before and then it was all in one piece. any other important info you need, this has me kinda worried.

[Shorty6]

Hmmm I think pine bedding is bad. Everyone here is aways saying stay away from pine and cedar...

[Weebonilass]

Hmmm I think pine bedding is bad. Everyone here is aways saying stay away from pine and cedar...


There is an oil in pine I believe that can be toxic to snakes and it is recommended to avoid all the fir type beddings. That said I did belong to a list where the owner, who was a breeder, used pine bedding without any problems... but I prefer to play it safe myself.

Alot of adults slow down at this time of the year, even if you aren't brumating them. I wouldn't worry too much. They can go alot longer than babies without eating.

[Snake Dave]

Shorty's right, you shouldn't put him on pine or cedar because they contain phenols that are toxic to reptiles. I'd get him off there ASAP and replace it with aspen, newspaper or paper towels.

As for the not eating, well that could be connected to the bedding but if he's eaten fine on all other occasions then it's probably not that. Next time I wouldn't lift his hide, I'd just dangle the mouse (warm it up first, don't know if you do this or not) in front of his cave with a pair of forceps to replicate movement, which will make it seem alive to your snake. Then slowly move it back as he comes out then when you see him preparing to strike just dangle it and make little twitches, he should then strike and constrict.

You could try braining the mouse next time (cut a little slit and release some brains. Gross I know, but it really helps to stimulate a feeding response), scenting it with mouse bedding, dipping it in chicken broth... there are a number of methods.

I hope this helps

David

[xerxes]

*to Snake dave* i dont have to dangle or replicate movement cus i feed him live mice, he's always eaten live ones. ive been thinking about trying to switch him to dead ones...but yeah. and also im pretty sure he's been on pine for five years, but if it causes respratory problems that mignt be why i hear him "sneeze" every once and a while when im watching tv. is that a problem?

[djfreebase]

Try feeding in a separate container, if bits of substrate get stuck to the mouse, it could cause real problems for your snake.

[susang]

he's five years old, five feet long, ive got him on pine bedding. and i'm not sure bout the shedding part because lately ive found little pieces of shedded skin all over the tank and if i dig through the bedding i can usually find more pieces. i dont think this is normal because he has shed twice for me before and then it was all in one piece. any other important info you need, this has me kinda worried.

First off pine bad, partial sheds humidity up (mist often) If you've had him five years and he shed twice or you've only had him a short time? Also feeding on the pine he could have ingested a piece of pine and blocked him up. When was the last tme he pooed? Does he have a water dish big enough for him to get in?

[susang]

I will say however there is at least one breeder on here who uses kiln dried pine. The pine I buy for other animals says kiln dried, but it smells piney to me, so I wouldn't risk it.

[xerxes]

okay so i guess im doin lots of stuff wrong so i thought i'd post some pics of his tank and some other stuff to see if you can spot anything that im doing wrong.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o74/pythonmaster/2007christmas064.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o74/pythonmaster/2007christmas065.jpg
heres my tank layout
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o74/pythonmaster/2007christmas068.jpg
heres about the norm for one of the partial shed's
any help would be great cuz i love my corn, and i want him to live a long time.

[Snake Dave]

Right okay mate, it's a good sign that you're willing to come on here to help your Corn.

Firstly, I get him off that pine and on to aspen. Aspen still allows him to burrow like he's doing in the picture, it's clean, recommended for use with snakes, and it absorbs ammonia. It's also cheap and readily available.

Now, I'd get him another hide but the tank doesn't look like it's big enough to hold another one that's big enough for a Corn his size. Not without the tank being very cramped anyway. Is there any way you could possibly upgrade his tank size? Just my opinion of course but that looks too small for an adult Corn.

Do you have a UTH in there? If so, are you monitoring it with a thermometer and controlling it with a thermostat? If not, I'd HIGHLY recommend getting a thermostat or a rheostat. The Zoo-Med ReptiTemp 500R is a rheostat and can cost as little as $20 online.

Although many people do feed live in the US, most of the people (including breeders) on this forum feed F/T (frozen/thawed) mice. It's cheaper, safer for your snake and saves a trip to the pet store every feeding day. Now I don't know if your snake would take F/T, but it would be worth a try. Just defrost it at room temperature then warm it up by putting it in hot water (not boiling). As I said earlier you could brain it and then dangle it by a pair of tongs, your snake would probably take it. Snakes aren't the most intelligent of creatures, so he'll probably assume that it's live.

About the sheds, when you see that he's in blue (going into shed), I'd raise the humidity by misting his tank daily, or providing a hide filled with damp sphagnum moss or damp paper towels. This should clear up the partial shed problem.

I hope that helps

David

[susang]

OK, one more question heat source? Set-up isn't that bad, you do need a bigger water dish, which will help in two ways. He can get in and soak when he's in shed and it will help raise the humidity in the tank. I would still mist everyday when he's blue. The stones look good but don't help the snake. You need a hide on both the warm and cool side.

[xerxes]

for my heat source ive got a uth and an overhead lamp, both on the hidebox side. i heard that the stones will help it shed when it does, and i currently dont have enough money to buy a bigger tank. (still paying off my car and i need to replace a cracked windshield), i'll try find a bigger water dish for him. thank you all so much for your help. im not very knowable with snakes, but im hoping to get better.

[Snake Dave]

Okay mate, fair enough. I agree with Susan, you do need a bigger water dish, one than can support his weight without tipping up. Two hides are necessary really, but he can burrow into his substrate so that serves as one big hide lol. You're right about the rocks, and I'd keep one in there for this purpose, since his plastic hide wouldn't provide a rough surface on which he can start the shedding process.

You don't need an overhead lamp if you have a UTH. As long as you're monitoring it and using a thermostat then there shouldn't be any problems. Warm side should be 80 - 85 degrees, and cool side should be 70 - 75.

[susang]

I wish I could remember who gave me lots of cool tips last year. I use a dog bowl with side cut out for hands. That way they have water and a hide. They're cheap and dishwasher safe.