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Rosie
Yearling
United Kingdom
113 Posts |
 Posted - 08/09/2008 : 23:06:09
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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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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2008 : 06:47:55
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| Good work Rosie, lots of useful info in there. |
 
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saddleninja
Yearling
United Kingdom
268 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2008 : 08:29:20
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| i got one started once after soaking the rat in chicken stock, wether is was the stock or coincedence |
1 amel
1 okeette
2 normals
1 rosy rat x
3 royals
1 cali king
1 publean milk
1 yemen chameleon
2 orange spotted agamas
1 colombian rainbow boa
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2008 : 16:21:10
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| Nice one rosie |
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royalboy
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
19 Posts |
Posted - 13/09/2008 : 19:33:49
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| great work that really helped my revision on royals |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 13/09/2008 : 20:08:47
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| 1 thing I'd add to the list is the viv size. Royals are notorious for letting big spaces put them off their food. |
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Gingerpony
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2663 Posts |
Posted - 13/09/2008 : 20:32:10
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I think Lewy should definitely make this a 'sticky'
one thing thats seeming to work with Queenie at the moment is offering a mouse which he'll strike and constrict then leave, leave the mouse in over night then wiggle it infront of him first thing in the morning and he'll strike, constrict AND EAT! |
Dumerils boas, BCO hybrids, Sinder Hypo boas, cornsnakes, ratsnakes, Day Geckos
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 13/09/2008 : 20:52:13
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Strange snakes, Im waiting for Zavvi to give me a challenge  |
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Colin S
Yearling
United Kingdom
148 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2009 : 19:53:28
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When Grace took her first fed from me, I took her out of the viv and put her in a medium sized `Breeding Box`. She struck first time, constricted and ate. OK it took her some time, but it seemed to work and i will be doing that in the future  |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
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osouthlondon
Hatchling
United Kingdom
54 Posts |
Posted - 17/03/2009 : 13:00:29
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| Is there a way to tell how big a rat to feed my royal? I have given him pinkies and rat pups of all shapes and sizes, I have let him strike feed and take them from the floor of the feeding tub, all produces the same results: He gobbles it down with little or no hesitation. I do worry about whether or not I am giving him enough though, as the pinkies were definitely too small, hence the change to rat pups; some of which are massive and some of which are really small. I don't know his weight and haven't got any scales right now but he is still very young (The guy at Crystal Palace Reps told me he was born Dec '08) and looks pretty healthy. |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 17/03/2009 : 14:31:08
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| Give them something roughly the girth of the snake. |
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Squishy
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 25/04/2009 : 00:56:53
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my royal was bought at around 18 months old and has never eaten anything but live food.
I don't know much about the previous owner but i think my snake was fed live from birth and i have been desperatly trying to get him onto thawed or even pre-killed rodents as my local pet shops know i have a snake that don't eat and wont sell me live rats.
To feed him now i have to take him into the shop where i bought him and he is fed in the back room but doing that is a hell of a hassle as i then need to take him to work with me a few days after that so i can get him home as the pet shop is shut by the time i finish work.
Anyway i have tried the methods described at the start and no luck. So does anyone have any more ideas.
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I wan't to work with cobras.
http://huntersareus.ning.com/
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dazb
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2847 Posts |
Posted - 25/04/2009 : 08:49:38
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that is not the ideal situation at all...
Have you thought about breeding your own rats...? That way you could slowly wean him off slowly by killing the rat just before offering itm and eventually fully convert it to F/T... |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
Posted - 25/04/2009 : 18:39:00
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| you are causing him more stress by taking him to work,i know it is the only option but you wil have to find a supplyer for rats,try other pet shops and explain your situation you will find one. |
Members map-------Want to be on the map?
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Squishy
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2009 : 05:22:52
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quote:
that is not the ideal situation at all...
Have you thought about breeding your own rats...? That way you could slowly wean him off slowly by killing the rat just before offering itm and eventually fully convert it to F/T
I know but not much else i can do. I'm considering finding somewhere else to stay so i can breed rats for him as i cant do it here. Also i don't know the first thing about rat breeding.
quote:
you are causing him more stress by taking him to work,i know it is the only option but you wil have to find a supplyer for rats,try other pet shops and explain your situation you will find one.
He don't seem too bothered at work anyway he sits in a nice dark corner of the room undisturbed by anyone and it's fairly warm anyway. I know it's not perfect but i can't see what else to do. As i said I'm considering moving out to breed my own anyway.
I wouldn't have bought him in the first place if i wasn't prepared to stick it out and overcome the problems he might have and I'm not going to pass him off to someone else just cause i have a bit of bother with him. I'll sort this problem out eventually but any other suggestions would be most helpful. |
I wan't to work with cobras.
http://huntersareus.ning.com/
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Edited by - Squishy on 12/06/2009 05:23:51 |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2009 : 12:53:15
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feel a bit stupid now after making the same topic more recently  i had forgoton about this one even though i replied to it,my memory is terrible Will get some one to remove mine. |
Members map-------Want to be on the map?
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Edited by - lee2308 on 12/06/2009 13:00:33 |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2009 : 15:51:04
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quote:
Originally posted by lee2308
feel a bit stupid now after making the same topic more recently i had forgoton about this one even though i replied to it,my memory is terrible Will get some one to remove mine.
leave yours where it is  |
"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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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
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Vazzza
Yearling
United Kingdom
131 Posts |
Posted - 13/08/2009 : 14:04:58
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I have a question about feeding outside a viv.
As i have read that you shouldn't handle your royal for 48hrs after feeding, how can you possibly feed outside the viv as you would need to handle to get him/her back in...
I'm sure i'm being really stupid and the non-handling only applies once digestion starts or something along those lines, but i just wanted to be sure!!
Cheers!
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0.0.1 Royal Python
0.1.0 Girlfriend
0.0.1 Sister |
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matty18714
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2016 Posts |
Posted - 13/08/2009 : 17:40:35
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| As long as you dont cause the snake to bend or twist too much, its fine to pick them up and put them away. |
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Topic |
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Feeding tips
