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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
 Posted - 27/05/2009 : 17:35:19
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As a owner of a royal python you are more than likley to encounter times when your snake wont eat,this can be for a number of reasons and the most important thing to remember is dont panic,this is a common thing for royals.
A royal can go long periods without food by choice (natural fasting) which is common during the winter months and breeding season and causes more stress to us than them.
If your royal has stoped eating the first thing to do is to start making a record of their weight,if they are holding their weight ok then dont get worrying just make sure that they have fresh water to drink.The next thing to do is to stop handling your snake, just change the water with minimal interaction.
POSSIBLE REASONS FOR NOT EATING
1..Have you recently bought or moved your royal..if you have it is recommended to give your royal a week or 2 to settle into it's new enviroment with out handling it at all as a move can be stressfull
2..Is it due to shed..this can make a snake very uncomfortable and blind during the blue stage of shedding,in the wild a snake would curl up in a hole and not resume feeding until the shedding process was completed.
3..Are your temps at the correct levels..royals need steady and correct temps to regulate their bodies,if they are not right they will be unable to digest their meal therefor wont eat it.
4..Vivarium set up..(husbandry)if your viv is too big or not enough or right size hides and foliage a royal may become stressed by open saces and not enough coverage for it to hide
5..Size of prey..if your offering prey that is way too small they might not see it as prey and just ignor it..if it's too big they may becomethreatened by it and shy away, also make sure the prey item if fully defrosted and heated before offereing it.
6..Illness..If your royal is showing any kind of illness take it to a vet asap.
7..over handling..Over handling of a royal may put them of there food to,so avoid handling during periods of not eating
WHAT SHOULD I TRY ?
There are many methords to try and get your royal to eat,they are not garunteed to work but well worth trying
1..Super heating..really heat the prey with paying more attention to the head using a hair drier.Doing this close to the viv will let the smell of the prey get to the snake.
2..braining..this involves slitting the skull from the back of the head to the nose to expose the brain.
3..Leaving prey..leave the prey in the viv on a piece of paper with a hide covering it for 24hours with out looking.
4..Take for a drive..taking it in a tub for a 15-20 min drive might stimulte the stomach juices
5..scenting..you can try scenting with other prey items such as mice, rats, gerbils, chicks, multis, rabbits. wash the prey item under warm water to remove as much of the natural scent as possible then rub all over with the item you're scenting with, paying particular attention to the prey item's head. you don't need to buy a gerbil to try gerbil scenting, for example, ask a keeper or pet shop for some of their hair or faeces to scent your prey item with.
6..Alternative prey..other prey items are available such as mice,rats,gerbils,day old chicks and multis amongst others
there are loads of methods to tempt non-feeders, the most common are listed here but please ask if you're still struggling
AS A LAST RESORT
After trying these methords and your snake is losing a lot of weight you can try these mothords as a last resort.
1..live feeding..This should be done under strict supervision as injurys could be caused to your snake and in the privacy of your own home and not infront of a audience.There are serious legal impliaction if these guidelines are not followed
2..assist feeding..this is where you assist the snake by gently opening his mouth and placing the head of the prey in to start him off.
3..Force feedingthis is where the prey is forced down the throat of the snake.
I RECOMMEND THAT STEPS 2 & 3 ARE ONLY DONE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF SOME ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING |
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Edited by - lee2308 on 27/05/2009 23:06:09 |
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2009 : 17:43:04
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Nice job  Sticky. |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2009 : 18:00:01
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| been stuck in bed all day so had to do something,could you correct any thing that is wrong matty. |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2009 : 23:06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by lee2308
been stuck in bed all day so had to do something,could you correct any thing that is wrong matty.
you mean to say you were in bed ALL day and the only thing you could think of was the forum...
well...there is no comment is there...  
nice write up by the way |
"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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Edited by - wolfspirit on 27/05/2009 23:07:12 |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2009 : 23:13:45
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quote:
Originally posted by lee2308
the forum comes first,well thats what the mrs keeps telling me.lol
your poor Mrs...you shoud let her join in here..
that could be fun |
"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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A guide to non feeding royals
