Tango will not eat!!!

[tango08]

Hi all and happy new year!!!
I Have been reading all the none eating posts on here and tryed and checked lots of the answers but still he/she will not feed! its been 4 weeks now he/she is around 1 1/2 year old and is of larger size 3 1/2 ft , i have had him about 8 months now and he has been wounderfull feeding weekly and shedding no trouble , he is still a good weight and i see him drink regularly it will be 5 weeks tues not eaten he sheded 2 weeks ago complete shed, and he seems very healthy loves to come out and when in viv is trying to get out all the while he is in a 4ft viv with spot and large heat mat i have had his temp on 80-85 then droped it to 70 t see if that helps no diffrent so back on a suitable heat now he is very very active and i have fully cleaned his viv to rid of anything that could be lurking and have just invested yesterdaY in loads of new viv furniture for him wich is keeping him more ocupied !! , i am going out in a min to collect some pinkies or fluffs to see if a smaller mouse may look more appetiseing to him ! i tryed cutting the large mouse and all he does with them is pick them p andbury them (so sorry i can not spell) i love him dearly and allthough he is still in good health still i am worried heaps about him , he will puff lots but not opening his mouth and i think this is just a handling issue like my torties do!!!
i also keep raptors who to go off their feed if to fat is this something that can happen sometimes with the reps!!if not eaten in the next 2 weeks i will be really worried and venture to the vet but not sure of a rep vet in my area (cambridgeshire uk ) many thanks for your time . any thoughts greatfully recived as the last thing i want is to loose him .

[Rich in KY]

It is not abnormal for an older snake to stop feeding for a while. They can go several weeks without eating.

Make sure his temps are correct. And if he is otherwise healthy, then just try to feed him every 4-5 days. It may be a good idea to try to feed him a smaller than normal mouse.

[danielle]

I know many reptiles will not feed after cage changes have been made. I would just leave things as is and try again in a few days letting him get ued to the new stuff.

[Nanci]

I don't think I'd go every 4-5 days. Do you feed him in a separate container? I'd wait a week from the last time you tried. I'd put him in a feeding container. I think it's smart to try a smaller mouse- often that will get them going- even a rat pink. I'd feed at dusk, cut slits in the mouse's back, cover the feeding container, make sure the mouse was very hot, not bother him for an hour. If he hasn't eaten in an hour, I'd do one more reheat and try for an hour. You _might_ try leaving him overnight, if you haven't tried that before. If he doesn't eat- wait a week. I have a whole bunch of snakes refusing right now- males. The first time I had a male do the springtime hunger strike to me I really freaked out. Now, for me, if anyone refuses, they skip their next scheduled feeding and try two weeks later. That is big adults, not babies.

[tango08]

Hi
Thanks for all your advice, i did get to get hold of some fluffs today and the best thing happend Tango was straight on one !! ate it with- in a min of putting it and another in there!!! so so pleased although its not a huge amount just eating one i know but i hope this will get him back into eating , ever since i put the new stuff in his viv filling it with all sorts of viv plants and hiding places ,big pebbles he has been much more intrested in his inviroment i hid the mouse fluffs in there and he was surching and found one with in a min , he is trying a lot less to get out of his doors now and is now chilling out in his hamac with a plant hanging over it , thinks he is hiding !!
carnt tell you all how pleased i am that he is eating and i will now give it a week and give him another i always fed him at around 5-6pm in the eve every tuesday later as the nights draw out, and he got to the point where he was just playing with the mice and desprate to escape!! but now he looks much more relaxed and always exploreing ! his viv is full now but i guess thats how he likes it just have to spend more time cleaning it all, but that will be worth it , i carnt put a price on him we all love him dearly and my 10 year old son is so pleased as we have had upset moments since he wouldnt eat he belived he never would and was so scared of loosing him now he has learnt and so have i , thankyou for all your help again and i will post as soon as i get him back on normal sized mice but wont push him for a while!! xx