Feeding Irregularities

[vovalyosha]

So on Oct. 26th, I got three baby corns. Two of them eat like champs, take 2 pinkies happily every 5-6 days and shedded perfectly on the 14th (male amel) and 20th (female amel). The third is a little girl stripe who is terribly sweet and who I am having problems with.

Her feeding schedule
November 3rd - 2 Pinkies
November 8th - She refused
November 13th - She took one
November 20th - She took one (I was stuck late at work and got home around 2 am to feed everyone)
November 27th - She refused (fed late on the 26th, finished up after midnight)
December 1st - She refused

Like... she smells the pinky and jerks away like it's repulsive. I've tried wiggling it, having it wet, driving around the block.. I really don't know what to do. Whenever she takes one, it's a relief, but I don't know what else to do. I've never had a snake refuse before and I'm worried sick. I know someone used chicken broth?

Anyways, she has a heating pad under her tank (she's the only one with a pad, strangely. The lamp broke so I'm using the pad until I can get a new lamp.) that is regulated and correct temps. She has water, a few places to hide, a branch to climb.. I'm just very confused by her behaviour. I know she hasn't shed yet and it's been a little over five weeks since I've gotten her and she is VERY likely to shed soon, so that's what I am hoping for. I am just going to be a worried mommy until she eats and I think she'll be okay for not eating that long, but I could be wrong?

I just pulled her out and she was as calm as ever and just sat in my hand, crawled around a bit, and sat still once more.

 

[Nanci]

If she's blue, she should be shedding within a couple days now.

 

[vovalyosha]

I haven't seen her turn blue yet, so I'm hoping I just missed it or something. Either way, her sporadic feeding is what's bothering me most and I don't know how to get her to take pinkies more regularly..

 

[bitsy]

Have you tried leaving her alone with a pinkie overnight?

 

[vovalyosha]

I did that last night while at work and pulled it out at 9 am this morning when I got home. It was moved around, but that's it.

 

[Nanci]

Well, plenty of snakes won't eat, or are reluctant to eat when blue, which is why I mentioned it. She _was_ eating, so you know she eats. Every once in a while I run into a snake that won't eat multiples. They just don't like to. Have you tried slitting the pinks?

 

[vovalyosha]

That's true, at least I know that she will eat. I will give it a few more days, then, and see what happens. I did brain the one I offered yesterday, but not the one I left in over night. She seemed even more repulsed by it, jerking away and doing everything she could to get out of the container.

 

[Nanci]

I'd wait five days between refusals.

Is she active, or hiding away?

 

[toxiclight]

One of the three hatchlings we kept eats very sporadically...and when she eats, she will ONLY eat if the pink is beheaded (braining doesn't work, nor any of the myriad other tricks we tried. We only gave her a head out of desperation because we were worried about her losing weight. Once she ate the head, we popped the body in with her and she gobbled that down as well)

We still offer whole pinks to her, but when she doesn't eat them, we end up beheading just to make sure she gets something in that tiny tummy :/

Sporadic, picky eaters are not fun. But she's the calmest and best behaved of the three...and she's the blizzard I desperately wanted...so we do what we have to to keep her going.

 

[vovalyosha]

Nanci, she has been pretty active, but this past day I didn't see her once.

One of the three hatchlings we kept eats very sporadically...and when she eats, she will ONLY eat if the pink is beheaded (braining doesn't work, nor any of the myriad other tricks we tried. We only gave her a head out of desperation because we were worried about her losing weight. Once she ate the head, we popped the body in with her and she gobbled that down as well)

We still offer whole pinks to her, but when she doesn't eat them, we end up beheading just to make sure she gets something in that tiny tummy :/

Sporadic, picky eaters are not fun. But she's the calmest and best behaved of the three...and she's the blizzard I desperately wanted...so we do what we have to to keep her going.

That's crazy,but it gets the job done. I will try that next. This little girl is just the same, the calmest of my trio and an absolute sweetheart. Do you behead before or after thawing?

 

[vovalyosha]

Getting ready to attempt once more. No shedding or signs of bluing.

 

[vovalyosha]

It's a no go again. It has been six weeks exactly since I received her, so I am going to hope she sheds tonight and will readily eat tomorrow morning with Vova, Nikita, and the other two.

 

[diamondlil]

Did you throw away the pinky yet? If not, would you try pouring boiling water over it until it's pale and rubbery and give it to her while it's still hot. I know it sounds odd but it's a technique that has worked for a lot of us with reluctant feeders since it was first recommended

 

[vovalyosha]

Oh, no, I had thrown it away right before posting. I will try that next I guess. I was planning on moving them to small fuzzies and that's all I have, so I guess another package of pinkies are needed..

 

[Pugsley]

Did you throw away the pinky yet? If not, would you try pouring boiling water over it until it's pale and rubbery and give it to her while it's still hot. I know it sounds odd but it's a technique that has worked for a lot of us with reluctant feeders since it was first recommended

Also, after doing the boiling water trick, but the deli with the snake and the pinkie under a pillow. I do that with some of mine. Turn the room lights out and don't bother it (stay out of the room as best you can) until the next morning.

 

[vovalyosha]

Alright, she refused the mouse today, no surprise there. She smelled it a bit more, but still wouldn't take it. The other two I got with her took their mouse with gusto, so I know that it's not the room temp that is bothering her for some reason. I tried the boiling water trick and it's in there with her now, but she won't have anything to do with it.

I'm going to put a bowl of water in with her, as she's in the feeding rubbermaid, and set her in the other room until tomorrow morning with it. I thought about taking her to someone around me who might have better luck with her, but then it hit me.. I hardly know anyone near me who even has reptiles, let alone dealings with non-feeding babies. Anyways, here's to hoping she takes this one tonight!