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Hestia still not eating! Need advice!

centauri_aiuken

centauri_aiuken

New member
Hello. D: I've read two Kathy Love books, researched, and searched the forums. But I just want some individual advice.

My Hestia is a 15 inch female (appearance-sexed by someone with no experience- very possibly wrong) who weighs 15 grams. She's been eating two pinkies every five days since 12/23/06. On 1/31/07 she only ate one pinkie, then on the following feeding day (2/05/07) she had another just one pinkie. I tried a fuzzy on 2/10/07 and got nothing. She shedded on 2/15/07 and I tried another fuzzy today, 2/16/07, and got nothing again.

Otherwise she is completely healthy-looking! Not losing weight, drinking a lot, still doing bathroom-things, and she's been active and alert! It has been colder than usual, but her cage temperature is still good.

I'm just starting to get worried since she hasn't eaten at all in ten days, and she hasn't eaten normally in almost a month! I'm going to try pinkies again and see if she'll at least take one. That's better than nothing.

(Also, I've tried slitting, braining, etc.. All those icky things I said I'd never do.) I haven't tried sticking her in a deli cup in her viv. I might try that next, actually.
 
It's probably the fuzzy thats turning her off. Give her some pinks. I have had snakes that refused to eat fuzzys, but will take pinkys without hesitation.
 
I've had a couple of my guys that were less than thrilled when they went from pinks to fuzzies. I don't know why. Eventually they went back to normal. I'll be interested to hear how she does with a pink again. I'd also make sure it is _really_ hot, like 101F, not just thawed warm. That makes a big difference for my guys, too.

Nanci
 
Well, I tried pinkies again yesterday (2/18) and she gulped 'em both down, no problem! I tried something different, and put the feeding bin in her viv (since my house has been -cold- lately, by snakie standards). I don't know if it was the warmth, the length of time between feeding, or the pinkies that did it. But I am -so- relieved!

I was starting to get worried, with 12 or so days passing since the last time she'd eaten! Eck!

Yay, though. Thanks for all your advice! :D
 
Glad she ate for you!

Dean, you haven't seen the pathetic fuzzies we have down here. Like 3-4 grams, but fully furred with adult hair. It's weird.

Nanci
 
Nanci said:
Glad she ate for you!

Dean, you haven't seen the pathetic fuzzies we have down here. Like 3-4 grams, but fully furred with adult hair. It's weird.

Nanci
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Slightly :-offtopic but I have that problem too. When I haven't got enough of my own peach fuzzies, my local suppliers also have those fully-haired tiny mice! I've given up buying them because my snakes taking that size consistently refuse them
 
alberta_the_snake said:
alright... so what is braining?? and what EXACTLY does f/t mean??
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I'm nowhere near an expert, but this is what I do know at least.

"Braining" is the act of exposing the rodent's brain by skinning the head and "f/t" stands for "frozen thawed" which is havign a frozen mouse and than thawing it to feed it to your name. Pretty much the opposite of feeding live, as far as I know.

Hope this helps!
 
It's just to make the rodent smell more and seem more interesting to the snake, i think. both of which will encorage the snake to eat. And the snake would still take the whole mouse.
 
alberta_the_snake said:
wait.. skinning the rodent's brain?? for what purpose?? so the snake can only eat its head??? :eek1:
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Nooo, haha. Like, while the mouse is still intact, slice the head open so the snake can smell the blood from the brain. So it's more appetizing, y'know?
 
Oh I didn't read the whole thing. xD Someone else got to it first!

I thought I'd be squeamish with it too, but when you're worried about your snake not eating it kind of makes you want to do any of the gross stuff to make sure it's all right.
 
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