| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 15:35:00
Hi i posted on here the other day about Kane refusing to feed, and was told its probably the breeding season fast.
I've just been doing some reading and something came up that said when its breeding season royals are really active in their viv's but mine just stays in his hide or his kitchen roll tube, the only time i see him is if i take him out of his hide and out of his viv.
He's not lost any weight since he's stop eating and doesn't seem to be ill cause when he's out of his viv he is active. So do you reckon its still just a mating season fast?  Cause im still relatively new to owning royals i still get a little worried about him, sorry to be a pain! Lol |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 20:47:58
Just have to be patient I'm afraid... When he tried snatching it he actually missed, twice! He never misses! Lol |
| n/a |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 19:57:39
Never mind - it's normal, if frustrating - come spring he'll be eating like a wolf, or a python. |
| delterflier |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 19:55:36
i tryed two fuzzys last night but he still standing his ground :(
last ate on the 23rd jan
john |
| n/a |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 19:48:28
Ha cool - congrats!! |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 19:42:37
It's a pain huh? Kane is eating now, well i say eating... I offered him a smaller prey item and he snatched it away!! |
| lilcaz83 |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 19:37:19
We are having similar issues with Bo at the moment. Has fed once and has refused feeds ever since, weighed him last night and he's gained 6g since we picked him up.
My only worry is his muscle tone ... He seems a little 'flabby' but other than that he's very active and is thermoregulating so I'm hoping he'll eventually take a feed :)
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| austin_89 |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 20:42:06
Yeah Kane's in his cold hide aswell. |
| delterflier |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 19:40:33
my royal is doing the same thing,spends more time in his cold hide than anywhere and is not active atoll
hes missed two feed so far
cherrs john |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 18:32:46
That doesn't sound to pleasant... Well at the minute its been about 6-7 weeks but he's not lost any weight, i really want him to start eating again now though cause he'd only been on weaner rats 3 weeks before he went into shed which took a little over a week to complete then has been off since but in them 3 weeks he gained about 20g but is still only 200g so really want him to get feeding and bulk up a little.
Knowing my luck he'll start biting me instead of the rat! Lol like i said ill let ya know when he eats! And thank you for the advice |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 18:15:11
Oh, poor girl. No wonder you're nervous about Kane not eating.
Hopefully you'll never have to assist-feed, but it's done if a snake isn't eating and has lost a lot of weight (not normally the case with the royal fast) or in the case of a non-feeding hatchling.
Some hatchlings never feed; nature allows for this with the large clutches laid by females; in the wild these non-feeders die but a breeder may be able to start them feeding by assisting them.
In the case of my snakes, Shahi came to me, as a cf hatchling, with a very confusing feeding record; he didn't feed at first with me, and when, after about 3 weeks, I discovered that it wasn't actually known when he had last fed, I decided to assist. Normally a lapse of 3 weeks wouldn't be cause for alarm, I know.
Shiloh came with a good feeding record which I've no reason to doubt; the journey to me, or the change of surroundings, sent her off-feed.
Assisting is very gentle and not to be confused with force feeding, when the prey item is eased (still gently, but firmly) down the snake's gullet. The snake doesn't co-operate and the meal may even have to be massaged down into its stomach.
With assisting you choose a prey item that is much smaller than the snake's usual meal; you sit the snake on your knee and hold it gently behind the head with one hand, and take the prey item in the other hand and literally wiggle the head of the rodent between the snake's lips. The snake may be doing some wiggling as well, and in my case I was sweating and shaking like a leaf lol.
However, by some miracle, in Shahi's case, as soon as the rodent touched his lips, he opened his mouth. I slipped his meal further in - and then, as it touched the roof of his mouth, the feeding response took over - he gripped, coiled and started to eat by himself! It was a brilliant moment, and thereafter he struck fed like a good 'un!
Shiloh was so tiny that I had to give her pieces of mouse tail but as soon as she realised these were in her mouth, she would chomp and take them down. She liked to wriggle while she was eating, and it was pretty fiddly, with the tail dropping out and having to be re-offered, but we got there. It took three assist feeds before she ate a pinky by herself; since then she's never looked back and she too is a strike feeder ...she'd eat anything! As soon as I open her viv door she's there!
Hope you'll never have to do this for any of your snakes though, and hope Kane's fast doesn't last too long. |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 17:36:07
She was no older than 18 months, I know it wasn't the not eating but its because she hadn't eaten and then died I worry that Kane is ill aswell, silly I know.
Ill let every one know when he finally decides he would like to eat how exactly do you assist feed? I've never had to do it? |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 17:14:57
quote:
Originally posted by austin_89
Yeah his temperatures are fine.
It makes me feel a little better thanks I think the main reason I worry is cause when I had my corn snake I woke up one morning to find her dead in her viv and she'd not eaten for a couple of weeks...
Oh that's awful! But not eating for a couple of weeks wouldn't cause death in a snake - Shiloh, my youngest corn, came to me as a tiny hatchling and didn't eat for a month, after which I assisted her and she's a tiger for her grub now.
Do you know how old your corn was? Could it have been old age? And there are various nasties which, mercifully, aren't often encountered, touch wood. (Trouble is with snakes, they rarely show signs of illness until it's too late ...) So sorry to hear about her.
But rest assured, Kane, as a royal, is capable of fasting for months with no ill-effect or even much weight loss. But come the spring, he will undoubtedly be scarfing down his grub again. |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 16:38:41
Yeah his temperatures are fine.
It makes me feel a little better thanks I think the main reason I worry is cause when I had my corn snake I woke up one morning to find her dead in her viv and she'd not eaten for a couple of weeks...
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| n/a |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 16:12:36
Ah we overlapped, Richard! |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 16:10:19
Ah - worry not!
I HAVE had hyperactive royals during the breeding/fasting season, as on the occasion of Shahi's epic escape and climb up the viv stack to his lady-love (Surahi.) It was just before Halloween and I woke and thought he was the house ghost lol.
But generally the lazy lumps skulk in their hides and even now I still have the compulsion to haul them out for a quick check-over, in case they DIED in there ...
He sounds pretty normal to me! |
| richard v |
Posted - 07/02/2012 : 16:06:49
Hi Austin,
I really would not worry to much, just make sure
your temps are fine both ends, if you have a thermometer that measures
Max and min monitor both ends to see how hot and how cold they get
Especially over night. My royal stopped eating last October until
April he lost a few grams had one feed than did not eat again until July. Then
munched everytime until last week.
I took him to my vet just to get a check up and he was very happy
with him. I hope that's put your mind at rest a little.
It's just a royal thing! |
