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Health Issues/Feeding Problems Anything related to general or specific health problems. Issues having to do with feeding problems or tips.

not eating, tried everything, suggestions?
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Old 03-31-2011, 07:36 AM   #1
visceralrepulsion
not eating, tried everything, suggestions?

as an adult i rescued my male corn snake lars from a bad living situation. this is my first mating season with him. and hes all the typical male snake....allover his tank, trying to get out, very active. and as you guessed refusing food. its not been 67 days without food. he seems happy and healthy, and i know i was told not to worry, but i am haha. hes not losing any significant weight, some, but not an alarming amount. ive tried leaving him with the mouse overnight, ive tried braining, ive tried chicken broth, ive tried about anything i can think of or been given the idea of, to no avail. any other suggestions? im also going to look into getting him a live chick and seeing if that doesnt spark his interest. because me wiggling the mouse at him and everything else ive tried surely didnt work. i figure its worth a shot. and if all this doesnt work, i may just have to stick it out and keep trying on schedule. but is there anything that i should be using in his water to give him extra nutrients? ive read in the forums before about using gatorade in the water of fasting snakes...yay/nay? help!
 
Old 03-31-2011, 07:45 AM   #2
Nanci
If he's an adult male, stop worrying! He'll eat when he's ready, when the spring mating hormones go away. He can go much longer than a couple months with no harm. If you really want to tempt him, try a FT rat pink.
 
Old 03-31-2011, 07:52 AM   #3
visceralrepulsion
i cant help it ahhhhh haha. but ill try! ill also try the rat pink when i can get to the store. thanks.
 
Old 03-31-2011, 08:15 AM   #4
Nanci
I would also reduce feeding attempts to every three to four weeks. And if you have a scale, it might make you feel better to weigh him every few weeks so you can see he isn't really losing much weight. He'll only be losing grams. I _know_ how stressful it is the first time, I quite clearly remember my first adult male snake that did this. He _will_ start feeding again when he's ready. When his mind is no longer on romance.
 
Old 03-31-2011, 08:21 AM   #5
visceralrepulsion
i got a scale, but its way off, i need to have my boyfriend calibrate it for me. ill be okay. i just keep stressing, then not worrying, then stressing again. haha. ill cut back on feeding attempts, i dont want to stress him out etc.
 
Old 03-31-2011, 08:48 AM   #6
Nanci
You know Angela (ratsncorns)? She bought a spotted python at Daytona, in August. That snake _just_ ate a couple weeks ago. Refused and refused and refused everything for seven months, and then one day, bam- eating regularly now. THAT is stressful- a new snake that never eats one meal for you for more than half a year! And she, the snake, is just fine.
 
Old 03-31-2011, 09:47 AM   #7
Dorgrim
hey! If it makes you feel better...i had my male corn go 6 months without eating! and once he realized it was time to stop breeding he took a mouse. they just get too distracted! and dont care about anything but sex hah.

Also! ive had other snakes like my rat snakes go months without eating while i switched them over to f/t from live mice. It will take time but dont worry! 150 million years of development nature has built one of the greatest and most efficient predators you could imagine they will eat when they feel up to it!

I know sometimes it helps to wait two weeks in between feedings as well, for snakes that stress easily (japanese rats raahhg!) two weeks gives them more time to relax
 
Old 03-31-2011, 01:21 PM   #8
Dreamsnake
I was just in your shoes; for ball pythons the breeding season is fall and winter. Titus went nearly six months with only eating three or so times. He lost a little bit of girth. Now he has taken three f/t rats in a row, but still hasn't pooped since November. I was constantly hovering over him, checking him several times a day. I need more snakes to thin out my attention and not stress out these guys too bad.
 
Old 03-31-2011, 01:48 PM   #9
visceralrepulsion
eeeek. yeah thats a long time for those snakes to go without eating. gosh i hope lars doesnt make me wait for like 5 more months or something to eat. ill absolutely have an aneurysm! but im playing it cool. ill wait a couple weeks before i try again. and maybe by then ill have found a place to buy him a live baby chick, or i can atleast get him a rat pink =]. if he doesnt eat eventually though hes going to be eating by means of a foot enema up his behind =p. and i dont think hell enjoy that as much as a nice meal after all that lusting!
 
Old 03-31-2011, 01:55 PM   #10
Nanci
A baby chick is too much for all but the hugest adult cornsnake. Think in the 1000 gram range.
 
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