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Good idea or bad idea (for force feeding)

antsterr

antsterr

Always mostly awesome
I've got this very very stubborn butter corn that I purchased this summer who turned out to be a non-eater. I've officially tried every trick in the book but nothing has ever worked besides force feeding. I've got a new idea here.
I've been force feeding it pinky heads, it's pretty easy to get them down so I was thinking. What if I could tie a pinky head to a pinky and when the little guy goes to swallow the head that I've pushed down in to his throat he would then have to swallow the pinky as well. I got this idea from a python forum where many people power feed by tying rats and rabbits together.
%100 cotton string? good idea or bad idea. It is pretty much a last desperate attempt. I've kept this snake alive by force feeding for 4 months now and it's still only 9 inches long.
 
I can't help but think the string would be a bad idea. I just chopped up the pinkies and then the fuzzies for Lil and fed each piece in after the first one had travelled down to her stomach. It wasn't nice, we both got covered in gore, but it worked well
 
I have never had to force feed my snake but I can't help but think that string or cotton wouldn't be good for the snake. But maybe on the other hand it would be better than not eating at all/only eating little.

Sorry I couldn't be much help.
 
I guess it's much harder for a 9 inch corn snake to handle a string than it is for a 8 foot reticulated python. I'll have to try the chopped up mouse method, maybe a fuzzy rather than a pinky. Something with some more solid bones might make it easier.
 
something to try

Have you tried washing the thawed pinkie with a mild hand soap such as dial or ivory?
If not you may be surprised.
Go ahead and thaw your pinkie then wash it with the soap.
Rinse thoroughly and place the pinkie and the snake in a new deli dish, place in the dark and leave undisturbed for several hours.
I had a few that I was force feeding and this worked. They are doing well and haven't missed a meal since. And I had been force feeding these guys for a couple of months.
None of the usual tricks such as scenting with anole, braining, live, live scented etc..etc...worked but the washed pinkies did.
If it doesn't work and you need to continue force feeding try getting the smallest pinkies you can find and force feeding the whole pinkie.
I had the ones I was force feeding on whole pinkies. It is better then only heads. Or you could force feed the back leg of an adult or weanling.
 
The washing method has worked well for us too - also used it before scenting with anole and that worked on almost all my stubborn feeders.

Don't use string - even fine thread is a real risk to the health of the snake - before it is digested it can move through the intestinal tract and cause severe damage by cutting through the intestinal wall - same problem that cats run into from eating tinsel off christmas trees.

A better alternative for force feeding is to use the hind leg from a thawed fuzzy or hopper mouse. It should be the same size as a whole pinky mouse - much easier to force down - put it in foot first and it has considerable meat on it. I have had several snakes start feeding voluntarily after getting a few meals of this,


mary v.
 
Believe me when I say I've tried every trick. Soap, brained, live, anole, chicken, tuna, overnight, deli cup, clay pot, paper bag, cardboard box...

I don't think cotton string would cut it's belly up, tinsel is made of metal, cotton string? or wool? If mouse fur is digestible wouldn't wool be?
The idea is, is that the guy would be force to open his mouth and swallow the pinky, maybe teaching it that he needs to open his mouth to eat, he's never opened his mouth with out me forcing him to. Brained pinky almost worked once he was pushing his face in to it but then quit and never touched it again.

Today I was able to force whole pinky down. I let it thaw slowly for a few hours rather than using hot water and it was thawed but quite stiff (rigor mortis?) it was much easier to force in to his mouth. I put it in until he stopped trying to spit it out and then waited for a few minutes holding it in place then set him down under a clay pot and he eventually swallowed all the way. I guess I'll just keep on trying.

Can anyone give me advice on brumation? can you burmate a 10 inch snake? I hear that sometimes in the spring after brumating the eating instinct kicks in.
 
The snake carrying on and swallowing the rest by itself sounds promising to me, it's a further step towards it starting to eat by itself, Lil did that a few times before she ate her first live pink
 
diamondlil said:
The snake carrying on and swallowing the rest by itself sounds promising to me, it's a further step towards it starting to eat by itself, Lil did that a few times before she ate her first live pink
Click to expand...

It's encouraging to see him do this. The first three times I force fed he did this, he even sort of constricted once on a live one I forced in to his mouth, but for for the last two months he's spit everything out if it wasn't already past his mouth, It's a good sign.
 
Yee-Ha! Malachi (my butter corn I've been talking about) ate today! this is so fantastic!
The final trick that worked was wrapping up a soap washed pinky in shed skin from an anole. 10 minutes later he had taken the bait! It took him a good half hour to swallow the pinky but he got it all down. I'm really happy right now.
 
Just found this post while searching through old info..........could we have an update on how your snake is doing now? I followed the thread and it peaked my interest - I'd like to know how it turned out!
 
I agree this is a good thread and needs an update. :)

How do you guys open the snake's mouth and keep it open long enough to stuff a pinkie in?
 
SnakeNbake said:
I agree this is a good thread and needs an update. :)

How do you guys open the snake's mouth and keep it open long enough to stuff a pinkie in?
Click to expand...



I use a Specula.

Here is a set from the The Bean Farm.

speculaweb_lg.jpg
 
I was just looking for this thread again to link someone to and found your question about how the snake is doing.
35 grams, 21 inches and eating fuzzies every week. Also getting very very yellow.

snake07.jpg
 
made up that he is doing well. he looks amazing.

i will have to try that trick because my snake isnt eating. i still gt a few more things to try but if not ill do that.

thanks for sharing. its a real help

lee
 
Just a note here,

I had a corn not eat on his own for almost 2 years. I tried everything, and forcefed him Lots and lots of time. Did more for that snake then most might have patience for. (other then the snake lovers like me at this board :) )

anyway, He FINALLY ate last week, and the only thing that got him to eat was to fast-thaw the pinky.

My vet suggested it, and yes it worked.

I was worried to try it, cause I figure boiling the mouse, you know, is not good for snakes right? But apparently if you fast thaw it, it keeps the smell down and keeps the pinky from becoming too soggy on the insides. Even if it cooks it a wee bit, the snake seems to tolerate it.

So, just my two cents there, but my snake has Finally seemed to kick into feeding on his own and figured someone out there might need a last option resort to try.

Keep safe and good luck everyone! also, nice looking butter! your patience really really paid off

:)

-Crow
 
i seem to be having the same problem with one of my new 07 hatchlings.....how do you go about opening the mouth without hurting it?
 
howhigh402 said:
i seem to be having the same problem with one of my new 07 hatchlings.....how do you go about opening the mouth without hurting it?
Click to expand...
Toothpick with the sharp tip clipped off. Slide it in from the side of the mouth and then use it to keep the mouth open while you get the pinkie started.
 
o ok....I got ya and one more question once the mouth is open I just like put the pinkie in and push it gentliy down the throat a little bit...?
 
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