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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.

Male corn not eating....
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Old 05-09-2005, 07:33 PM   #1
jv3679
Question Male corn not eating....

Hi, my 7 year old male corn has refused 2 frozen mice in the last 3 weeks. I took him to the vet and they found no visible reason for his behavior. They forced feed him and told me to give him some pinkies in about five days later.

Do you think an adult 3 to 5 feet long would be interested in pinkies and if so how many should I give him. I have not been consistant in his warmth needs but his has made it so far. I am taking steps to give him better light and heat.

If I have to go back to the vets should I request my Corn to be checked for parasites.
 
Old 05-09-2005, 07:50 PM   #2
DAND
Males will go off feed during breeding season. How long have you had him? Do you have any females too? The pinky idea is laughable. For an adult corn to make a meal out of pinks it would take quite a few to even make a difference.
 
Old 05-10-2005, 08:40 AM   #3
jv3679
Question Male corn not eating

I have my corn now for about seven years. The vet also suggested I purchase a uvb heat lamp so I went to uvheat.com and bought the uvb heat lamp for day time use and a mega heat generator for the night, can temperature make a differance?

Should I continue to try another mouse or wait a while? I buy my frozen mice four at a time from Petco but found a better deal online. Is it wise to buy a batch of 50 if I only feed my corn 1 or 2 mice every ten days.

Sorry for all the questions but I am concerned about my snake.


Thanx
 
Old 05-10-2005, 10:41 AM   #4
Jynx
well, that vet doesn't seem very reputable vet after force feeding an adult thats only been having feeding problems for 3 weeks. Adults just don't eat as much as juviniles do. two mice in three weeks is a little less than what he should eat, and may be cause for a little worry, but as was stated above, adult males often go off their feed during the breeding season...its perfectly normal. Some will go for as long as 2 months or maybe more because their sexual appetite is out weighing their desire to eat. He should bounce back. I wouldn't have suggested going as far as a uvb light. Those can be very expensive (sometimes upwards of $50+ per bulb as I'm sure you know now), and though they are beneficial to alot of reptiles, ther aren't necessary for corns. It may help to have a small wattage uva light, such as a sun glo bulb. They produce uva wavelengths that help to stimulate appetite and promote natural activity in a lot of animals so it may help in your case. Just make sure the temps in your viv are not to high, and that there is a cool spot he can thermoregulate to. Temps can make a difference in a lot of cases. If it is too cold, your corn may not be eating because temps are not high enough to digest his food peroperly. If the root of your problem is an infection, higher temps ( around 85-88 on the hot side) may produce an artificial "fever" to help fight off any infection. Remember though that corns are not high temp snakes, so exposing him to higher than average temps can do more harm than good. Corns are use to a temp gradient of about 78-82 during the day and about 74-77 at night, with a heat pad so that they can thermoregulate their own temps (when it comes to their comfort, they're the experts, not us).

Since you already have the bulb, I would say to raise his temps to about 85 to 88 on his hot side for about a week (remember it is important to still keep one side cooler. 80 should be fine) and continue offering meals. Sometimes a fine mist of water may help stimulate appetite by slightly raising humidity. Continue to offer him meals. If it starts to get towards the 2 month mark and his feedings still aren't back to normal, a bacterial culture and stool samples should be taken by the vet because whats affecting him is probably internal.

Bulk mice in higher amounts can be very cost effective and very convenient even if you have only one snake. If they are sealed well, frozen mice can last for up to a very long time.
 
Old 05-10-2005, 05:43 PM   #5
MegF.
My male went off food for 3 months. As yours is an adult I'd agree with everyone else's assessment and figure he's in breeding mode. I'd also get another vet!! Force feeding a snake is very stressful for them, and should only be a last result. I'm surprised he didn't regurge! Where do they find these people??? Must have gotten their diploma with the Sear's home correspondence course.
 
Old 05-11-2005, 07:06 AM   #6
DAND
Quote:
Originally Posted by MegF.
Where do they find these people??? Must have gotten their diploma with the Sear's home correspondence course.
Or maybe out of a Cracker Jack box?
 
Old 05-19-2005, 05:40 PM   #7
jv3679
Question Thanx for all your support on my cornsnake...

My corn ate one mouse with a little help and seems to maybe getting ready to shed( he stays in his hide space). Just in passing, I'am presently using wood chips for my snake bedding but I came across some material (condensed corn husks) which when you add water it expands and is supposed to snake friendly. Has anyone tried it?
 
Old 05-19-2005, 10:31 PM   #8
blink070
Unhappy

I've had my corn about 2 years now...he hasn't eaten in about a month and a half...I think it's just because of the breeding season but it is hard not to worry.
 
Old 05-29-2005, 12:25 PM   #9
jv3679
Hi Again,

My corn is now eating. Thank you for your support. Just one more question on uvb light for corn snakes. Is is wise to provide it for them or is it just hype? If it is good for them can you suggest a good sight for them. I just purchased one from UVHEAT but am sending it back. Too expensive and it blew in one day.
 
Old 05-29-2005, 01:10 PM   #10
DAND
UVB lighting is not necessary for corns/snakes.
 

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