| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Rosie |
Posted - 08/09/2008 : 23:06:09
There are many reasons why you're snake may not be eating;
1. Is your snake due to shed soon (eg eyes going blue, colour dulling down) soon?
2. Has your snake been moved recently or home changed?
3. Are your Temps correct for both the hot and cool ends?
4. Is the Husbandry correct for you snake (size of viv, hides, greenary, not near tv's due to vibrations)
5. Is it winter time or breeding season as males do go off thier food in the winter
So after asking yourself all of these questions, this is what you do,
1. Weigh you snake and monitor for any weight loss over a period of time you feel comfortable with eg 1 week, 2 weeks, etc
2. Change the time period that you offer so instead of offering food once a week, offer once a fortnight.
3. Reduce food size that is offered for example if you are offering a medium mouse, try offering a small mouse.
here are a few tips for when offering food;
1. Warm up the food (hair dryer for a few mins until warm to the touch hot water - leave the food in the water (not boiling) for 15-20 mins until warmed through)
2. Brain the food (slit head open)
3. Leave food in viv, cover up and leave for 24hrs without looking, making sure the room is kept dark and quiet for a long period of time
4. Place snake into a tub and take it for a 15- 20 minute drive (this gets the digestive system going)
5. Scenting food (rubbing the food on things snakes find more yummy such as chicks, gerbils etc)
6. Placing on a jacket (skinning a chikc and placing the skin over food)
7. Offer different food types (gerbils, chicks etc)
If these methods fail it may be that your snake is suffering from illnesses such as internal parasites or other illnesses causing it not to eat. I would recommend seeking a vets opinion or having a faecal sample looking at (taking fresh poo into vets to try and identify internal problems).
There are 3 other methods you can use to try to get your snake to feed, but these are only to be done as last resorts and usually after being advised to from a vet.
1. Live food
2. Assist feeding
3. Force feeding
Of these methods live food would be the preferred and less stressful method,
As for the legality of this method, this is how it stands,
Live feeding is Legal, but only as a last resort before assist/force feeding, But if frowned upon by AR and RSPCA,(these will try to prosecute you)
But you are at a bit of a dilemma, as they will try to prosecute for 2 reasons,
1. cruelty to live rodent - when feeding live
2. cruelty to snake - if left to starve and die
therefore if you are going to feed live, you must do it in the privacy of you own home, without an audience and do not go advertising that you are doing it, Also DO NOT leave unattended, and only leave live food in for 15 - 30 minute period, and remove sooner if you see the food attacking the snake
If this still does not work, then it may mean you have to assist/force feed you snake, but this MUST be at the last resort stage as it can be VERY stressful for the snake and can harm the snake if not done by someone who does not know what they are doing.
I'd prefer people to contact me directly for instructions on force/assist feeding as it needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing as like I said, snakes can endure serious damage through it such as broken bones and suffocation. If you need instructions for this, please contact me and I will help as best I can whether its me showing you personally or giving step by step picture guides
Hope this helps and if I've missed anything out, please feel free to add!
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Pecs |
Posted - 11/01/2014 : 18:38:32
I mix Avipro Plus in with my snakes water if any of them go off their food for over a month. It quite often kick starts the appetite and gets them feeding again. Found it to be more effective with the females than the males. Some of my mature males will refuse to eat throughout the breeding season. I can not be sure whether the Avipro Plus is the actual cause of a snake starting to feed again, but it appears to work and it's fairly cheap so I always keep a tub on the shelf. I've never had to resort to force feeding or live feeding yet. |
| Zoe |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 01:15:07
Weighed my boy and he's 405g Si am I right in thinking he should be on weaner rats now? |
| Zoe |
Posted - 29/04/2013 : 10:32:44
Cheers lotabob, ill def move him onto rats and weigh him |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 28/04/2013 : 18:41:42
Sounds like you e got a feisty one there. They will always appear hungry though, they are opportunistic and will eat whenever they can. It's why we have to meter their intake for them, if we fed them every time they appeared to be hunting they'd be perfectly round, like a beach ball. Their instinct is to eat when they can (though royals are also programmed to not eat for long periods, go figure that one out) as their next meal in the wild could be months away.
For weighing, put the snake in a tub, weigh it then deduct the weight of the tub. Might be worth switching to rats rather than having to feed two of everything all the time, it works out cheaper too. |
| Zoe |
Posted - 28/04/2013 : 15:15:20
Any input appreciated |
| Zoe |
Posted - 25/04/2013 : 11:05:44
My Oscar needs weighing so I can gauge exactly what to feed him, I realise that but he has been on large mice. Well last week he ate 2 large mice. This week I opened viv dangled mouse and whoooompf - he struck it that hard he knocked it out the tongs it hit the lamp then the wall and landed on floor. The tongs went with a clatter not that it bothered him is he scoffed the mouse quick. I offered another mouse straight away and he took it a little less violently but still struck coiled and ate quick.
Had him 6 weeks and still no poop, but not looking bunged up.
Each time I go near viv he comes out his hide for a look. Is he hungry? Greedy? Should I worry?
I feed every 7 days - he's a sub adult |
| DaveG |
Posted - 24/04/2013 : 13:10:09
this is a great info sheet for newbies like myself, thanks Rosie  |
| rustyp1974 |
Posted - 24/03/2013 : 16:50:05
I would feed him if he'll take it, Mine has only pooped once since Jan :) |
| Zoe |
Posted - 24/03/2013 : 11:13:20
I got my boy out last night, he was very active and curious
Still no poop!
Any advice
Shall I feed tomorrow? |
| Zoe |
Posted - 23/03/2013 : 13:42:10
So, my little boy ate on Monday and has still not pooped. Do they get constipated?
Can I handle him yet? Had him 2 weeks, shed first week, ate second week, both without a problem
Should I feed on Monday as planned? |
| Zoe |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 18:29:10
Good lord - they poo as big as that. He had a large mouse and there's another 13 in freezer so won't change til he's eaten them but he ate it with ease, his mouth went round it easily and soon down into the body. When it was inside him there was no bump where the mouse was
Should I move him onto something a little bigger when mice are gone?
Jumbo mice?
Rats? |
| Leucistic |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 16:54:50
Haha you will deffinately know when they poop lol both smell and volume 
My cb12 mojo lad went recently after a shed and it was size wise as big as my staffy can produce.
My lad often will go in a similar place but I think this is just coincidence, I spot check my rubs every day anyway as you dont want it left in there with them.
Seems like you have caught the royal python bug, before you know it you will be shopping for a girl |
| Zoe |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 16:05:39
Haha that was my next question - will I def know when he's pooped? My mates got young corns in rubs with kitchen roll so their poo easy to see and just like small bird poo. Mine is a sub adult royal almost 3ft long
Do they wee in same place? I have slate under heat lamp and I noticed couple cream stains on it which I wiped with steriliser.
I'm a bit obsessed with my boy :-) |
| Leucistic |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 12:33:40
quote:
Originally posted by Zoe
Mine ate approx 36 hours ago and has stayed in his hide ever since. Is this normal? Is he just digesting? When is he likely to poop and to they poop quite easily?
After a feed mine digest for a couple of days so dont worry about that as its completely natural. BEst to leave them to it, no handling as you dont want them to regurge.
My Royals poop usually every 4/6 weeks, but pee once a week. Most royals will leave a massive poop deposit after a shed also  |
| Zoe |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 12:03:58
Mine ate approx 36 hours ago and has stayed in his hide ever since. Is this normal? Is he just digesting? When is he likely to poop and to they poop quite easily? |
| rockroyal |
Posted - 30/07/2012 : 18:07:48
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
Good work Rosie, lots of useful info in there.
this is fantastic I've even bookmarked this thread |
| coxcats |
Posted - 24/05/2012 : 20:44:32
lol, he is very laid back. Likes being stroked and sleeping inside my hoodie.(and my pjs!) He is just a lazy git! |
| n/a |
Posted - 24/05/2012 : 20:04:09
Lol - sounds like he's lazy - and very laid back. Some strike feed; some feed like your lad, but they can suddenly change their feeding habits. All part of the charm of snakes. |
| coxcats |
Posted - 24/05/2012 : 19:23:44
I have been feeding my snake roughly every 7/8 days. He has gone from mice to rats in the last fortnight. The last 2 feeds he hasnt struck at them, just sniffed them, opened his mouth and dragged them off the log. Is he just being lazy? I feed him in his viv. |
| Foxysausage |
Posted - 15/05/2012 : 16:49:18
Thanks so much hodgie:) I didn't think it was good to leave them any longer.
We bought a 24L RUB (purely for the high sides) to use as a feeding box as he climbs out of any other one we have!
Hoping to line the outside with paper and set it up as somewhere to feed him. Idea being the isolation with food will entice him to om-nom-nom :) |
