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Braining a mouse?

If you use a razor blade, don't hold the pinky with your fingers. Use tongs. don't ask me how I know. Well, I used an Exacto Knife.

have you tried the paper lunch sack trick, too?

Good luck!
 
It needs to be a really small bag though, right? Like a lunch bag? I don't currently have one of those. And she's not eating right now. I put her in the little petri-like container, covered with a towel back in the viv. It's been 45 min. already.

:shrugs:
-Daneale
 
Daneale give her a little more time. Sometimes when they stop feeding, they need extra time to feel comfortable. If possible, keep her in the feeding container, in her viv overnight.
 
Rich in KY said:
Daneale give her a little more time. Sometimes when they stop feeding, they need extra time to feel comfortable. If possible, keep her in the feeding container, in her viv overnight.
Click to expand...
And don't peek! The little container works for a lot of people. My one little thing just didn't like that and I read about paper bags, so I tried it. I've had to use one 3 times in her life so far, and it worked twice.

If she doesn't eat over night (knocking on wood that she does), you might try the bag trick in 3 or 4 days. Be sure to fold it down and tape it shut. Mine escaped once. Still no idea how, as the tape was still on.
 
Thanks again.
I'm going to leave her in there overnight with the debrained, slitted tiny pinky. Hopefully she'll get bored enough, or at least sick of being next to it, to just eat it.

All your help and encouragement means a lot to me.

-Daneale
 
Hey SnakesRule.

Yeah. She's in the viv with the mouse, "grounded" overnight.

If this doesn't work, I'm going to have to try live. I'll have to call around and hopefully find somewhere that has a really tiny one, though.

The idea of feeding live upsets me a bit though, but my wonderful boyfriend said he would do it if need be.

If it comes down to it, I'll order the tools online to make a "pinky milkshake" and force feed her, if I have to.

Hopefully, I won't have to do any of this.
If she could just get one meal, or even a head down, I wouldn't worry as much........

-Daneale
 
Before you even think about force feeding, you need to try scenting a pink with chicken broth, or tuna water, or anole scent.

I had luck recently getting one of mine to eat using a pink head. It is gross to luck at but was well worth it.

I know Bruce had good luck using the paper bag trick.

Keep us updated.
 
daneale777 said:
The idea of feeding live upsets me a bit though, but my wonderful boyfriend said he would do it if need be.
Click to expand...

Not to be harsh on you, but then WHY are you owning a snake if you can't feed live? It's a part of snake keeping, you have to deal with it. Some snakes just are picky and ONLY feed on live whatever you do.

And before you even think of force feeding, try something like scenting or putting a pinkie in chicken broth. Force feeding is a last resort, and only professionals should do it with experience. You can always get her to a vet to check for parasities. Have you done that yet?

Also, you would be suprised at how big a prey item a baby snake can take. Don't worry.
 
Rich in KY said:
Before you even think about force feeding, you need to try scenting a pink with chicken broth, or tuna water, or anole scent.

I had luck recently getting one of mine to eat using a pink head. It is gross to luck at but was well worth it.

I know Bruce had good luck using the paper bag trick.

Keep us updated.
Click to expand...

She didn't eat.........
I did try scenting with tuna.
And I did try the pink head.

...........
Still trying to decide what to try next.......

Thanks Rich.

-Daneale
 
Daneale many of us have experienced this before. Don't lose hope. If one thing doesn't work try the next. Your lil snake is hungry. It just needs to realize that the pink is food.

Is you have tried tuna and feeding it only the head, I would suggest scenting with chicken broth next. Make a few slits on the back of the pink. Heat the broth to 100*+. Soak the pink in it for a minute or so. Then drop it in with the snake.

Make sure you are waiting 3 days between each feed attempt.

Also, you can combine using chicken broth with the paper bag trick if you can get the paper bags.
 
Thank you, as always Rich.
I think I'll try just the head in chicken broth, in the bag next.

She's still so tiny, just the head seems to make more sense at this point.

In three days or so.

Good plan.....


And thanks for the encouragement.
My other two snakes, one the same age and one a month older are getting bigger and bigger so fast. One of them is actually eating two pretty darn large pinkies about every five days.

-Daneale
 
Thanks david for the..hope lol, and yeah Im getting a girl, from KAthy Love this wednesday, so she said that she is and excelent eater for her, so hopefully all goes well (fingers crossed) :)
 
diamondlil said:
You said she was feeding ok, then stopped? Any changes at all at that time?
Click to expand...

Hey Diamond.
Yeah, she was feeding okay for about two months. It's been about five weeks, I believe, since she ate. I'd know more precisely, but my records from that time, somehow got lost. That bad Murphy guy again, I suspect.

And no; there have been no changes, at all.

Thanks for asking.

Sincerely,
Daneale
 
I don't know if you've done this already, but my first suggestion is to check and recheck the viv temps. Stop handling except for putting in the deli for feeding attempts 5 days or so apart. Tape paper around the viv to give the snake complete seclusion.
Before anything else, I'd say try a live red (day-old pink). Any time you attempt a feeding, leave the snake in it's deli in it's viv overnight with no checking at all. If the live pink isn't eaten in the morning, leave it in the deli all the next day, again without checking. (If it's still not eaten after this, freeze it, and try another live one 5 days later).
A lot of people have also had success with washing a pink in ivory soap. Weirdly enough, Lil used to need her live pinks washed before she'd eat them!
Fingers crossed for you. (The reason I'm suggesting other things before trying tuna or chicken broth is because we're not talking about a hatchling that's never eaten, but one which has stopped for some reason, but others may well disagree)
 
diamondlil said:
I don't know if you've done this already, but my first suggestion is to check and recheck the viv temps. Stop handling except for putting in the deli for feeding attempts 5 days or so apart. Tape paper around the viv to give the snake complete seclusion.
Before anything else, I'd say try a live red (day-old pink). Any time you attempt a feeding, leave the snake in it's deli in it's viv overnight with no checking at all. If the live pink isn't eaten in the morning, leave it in the deli all the next day, again without checking. (If it's still not eaten after this, freeze it, and try another live one 5 days later).
A lot of people have also had success with washing a pink in ivory soap. Weirdly enough, Lil used to need her live pinks washed before she'd eat them!
Fingers crossed for you. (The reason I'm suggesting other things before trying tuna or chicken broth is because we're not talking about a hatchling that's never eaten, but one which has stopped for some reason, but others may well disagree)
Click to expand...

Diamond, that is so funny.
I was just coming online to ask if anyone thought that "overhandling" might be the problem, and you had already answered it. That really makes me think it may be the answer. My daughter and I take her out pretty much every day and hold her for at least a few minutes. I've been doing that even more lately to make sure she's alright. That may be something new.......Hmmmmmm.

Also, does it make more sense to use a live pinky, rather than a live anole? The anole, I figured we could keep as a pet if she didn't want it. I don't want mice as pets; but it looks like you're saying I could just freeze it, if she doesn't go for it. Am I correct?

Thank you! Thank you!

-Daneale
 
Crikey, yep, no handling at all is what I'd suggest. I think with a live anole there'd be a risk of it biting her too, so a live red would be safer IMO :)
 
And yep, any non-eaten pinks can be fast-frozen. You could 'flick the top of the pink's head if you want to kill it before freezing, but they die very fast in the freezer on the fast-freeze setting
 
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