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Hank's not eating

kjhawk

kjhawk

Kelly
I got Hank on Wed 3-17-10 at that time was told he had eaten pinkies last Thursday. With the big move waited until Sat 3-20 to try and feed. I actually started him on a hopper d/t his size and length according to monson scale. At the time he was 61 grams. He opened up and went to try for it, then backed off smell it and decided it wasn't for him. Left him in the feeding box for about an hour, still nothing. Threw that mouse away, put Hank back in his house and waiting for another day. Then on Mon 3-22 stopped and picked up some fuzzies, figuring maybe the size and hair was intimidating to him along with the move. Took him out, weight down to 60 grams, attempted to give him the fuzzy, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with this mouse. Left him again for an hour, stayed on the opposite side of of feeding tub. Next day stopped at store picked up pinkies ( as we were going to have to feed Hank pinkies and Noodle was almost out). Noticed that night his eyes were starting to cloud up. Let him be. On Wed attempted with a pinkie and a smaller feeding tub, HOPING AND PRAYING that he would eat just one little mouse as it now has been almost two weeks since he has eaten. Well, NOTHING... I'm starting to get frustrated and a little worried he isn't going to eat. He's now down to 59grams. Well Thurs he is very cloudy, had him out only a matter of minutes to check his eyes. Figured OK we don't want to eat because we are going to shed. Checked him Friday night eyes clear, hoped that Friday night or Saturday he would shed. Still as of this morning NO SHED. However the last couple nights when out he has been VERY active. Tank has been in the right humidity levels, by use of spray bottle and towel over top to keep it in. So WISH me luck that TONIGHT is the night that Hank will finally eat and I can take a relaxing breath. He is now on 17 days without food. However hanging on to 59 grams. If he doesn't eat tonight I might just have to try the paper bag thing I've been reading about on here.
 
The time to take a deep breath is now! Calm down...slow down. I know it is stressful, but your snake can actually go a loooooong time without eating and it will not hurt him in the least. Really, honestly, truly.

Although he should be eating hoppers, you can't take him straight from pinkies to hoppers, especially for his first feeding at a new place. You are on the right track to stay with pinkies until you get him settled in and eating well at your house. Then go to fuzzies for a bit, then on to hoppers. Slow and steady. :)

Also, it's probably too much to offer food every 2 days. You can actually make him get into the habit of not eating by offering food too often that he ends up refusing. I would wait at least 5 days between offers. Remember, the longer you go, the hungrier he gets and the more chance of him eating.

A small feeding bin (small enough that he can't get away from the mouse) or the paper bag are great ideas, but instead of waiting only an hour to remove the mouse, give him several hours, even overnight. Place the feeding bin or paper bag in his viv if he's gonna be there all night.

Good luck, but you don't need it! All will be fine if you take a breath and slow down. :)
 
Many, many snakes don't eat when they are blue. And many are blue long before it is visible to the human eye. And some will not eat immediately after a shed! Relax. Your snake is 61 grams- he knows how to eat.

I'd wait for him to shed, stop bugging him. Offer a HOT fuzzy, with some slits in the back, at dusk, in a feeding container the size of a 4x6 Gladware (with holes) covered up with a dish towel, and set a timer and don't check on him for an hour. If he doesn't eat, I'd do one reheat, and let him sit with it for another hour. If he doesn't eat, I'd repeat the same thing in five days. Don't worry- he'll feed for you!!
 
Well.... attempted to feed last night. Gave him pinkies in a small 4X6 gladware. Made holes in the gladware, placed him then the pinkie, placed the cover and place it all in his viv. Then covered the viv with a towel to give him darkness and hide from any movement in the house. After 1 1/2 hours nothing. Rewarmed the pinkie, and replaced it. Left him for another two hours didn't move the towel at all. Check at that time point. Still nothing. Discarded pinkie& let him out. So much for eating last night. Will try again on Thursday. Hopefully by then he will have shed and will want to eat after 3 weeks without food. :(
 
kjhawk said:
Well.... attempted to feed last night. Gave him pinkies in a small 4X6 gladware. Made holes in the gladware, placed him then the pinkie, placed the cover and place it all in his viv. Then covered the viv with a towel to give him darkness and hide from any movement in the house. After 1 1/2 hours nothing. Rewarmed the pinkie, and replaced it. Left him for another two hours didn't move the towel at all. Check at that time point. Still nothing. Discarded pinkie& let him out. So much for eating last night. Will try again on Thursday. Hopefully by then he will have shed and will want to eat after 3 weeks without food. :(
Click to expand...

Shame Shame you DIDN'T try the paper bag!!!!
 
yes I know but since he has not eaten for me at all since bringing him home and stressing him out with the 4X6 gladware in his viv. And already having waited 3 1/2 hours with no progress I wouldn't stress him out any more. Just hopefully he will shed sometime this week, and Thursday will be the day. Today makes 5 days since he came out of blue with no shed. I have been checking the humidity which is withing recommended range.
 
Well Hank shed last night!!! YIPPIE!!!!!!! We are hopefully one step closer to him eating now. Now to give him a day or two and then try feeding again.
 
kjhawk said:
Well Hank shed last night!!! YIPPIE!!!!!!! We are hopefully one step closer to him eating now. Now to give him a day or two and then try feeding again.
Click to expand...

Wait a full 5 days since last feeding to try again to be sure he is good and hungry. When you feed cut the slits then make sure it is good and hot and try the paper bag approach. You don't want to stress him and him associate the feeding with something negative.
 
well it has been 5 days since any shed or feeding attempt. So we attempted again today with the feeding of pinkies. Warmed the pinkies, cut the back. Left him alone in the feeding bucket for 1 1/2 hours no interest what so ever. We had to leave to go to family easter dinner so placed him and pinkies in paper bag, one fold and stapled shut placed back in viv with cover on and covered the whole thing with a towel. Nice, dark and quiet since there wasn't anyone home. Came home 6 1/2 hours later, still found him in the bag with pinkies. I don't know what to do any more. I'm thinking I'm going to leave hime completely alone for the next 5 days other than opening the tank to change water everyother day. I am out of ideas, and can't figure out what his issue is.
 
Might have to try lizard scenting. Rub the pinky on a lizard and then offer it to him. Sorry the bag didn't work.
Sidenote: I had a 2 year old male that quit eating August of last year completely. I brumated him this year and kept a close eye on him. He came out in February and hasn't missed a meal since.
Good luck with whatever you try next time.
 
Well I don't have any access to a lizard. When I got him he was 61 grams he is now weighing in at 56 grams. He hasn't eaten in 23 days and is only down 5 grams with a shed. I'm just hoping he will figure it out and want to eat one of these days.
 
It's a good idea to leave him alone for awhile. It can't hurt and it just might help.

Here are some other things to check that may be affecting his desire to eat:

Have you ensured that your temperatures are in the proper range? You want somewhere in the mid 80s for his hot spot, with 85 being ideal. You need to measure this right on the glass above the UTH.

Does he have good places to hide? You should offer at least 2 hiding spots, one on the warm and one on the cool side. These hiding spots should be nice and snug for the size of your snake.

If these things are fine, don't worry, he will eat eventually. I got a new snake 3 days after you got yours and since he is so big, I'm only offering food every 7-10 days and he didn't eat for 2 weeks before I got him. He didn't eat the one time I've offered so far, but that's OK, I'll try again. The female I got at the same time did eat and she took a f/t, even though she was on live. Each snake is different and they will eat in their own time.
 
yes his viv is fine, he has two hides, one on each side. The temp is in recommended range with the UTH and a lamp dimmer for control. He spends most of his time on the cool side. I'm sort of wondering with the previous offering we were giving him that he is thinking food is negative. so my plan now is to just let him be, and only deal with him for changing water. see if that makes a difference. ya just wouldn't think that something so small could appear to be so stubborn.
 
Not sure if this helps, but I will tell you what i did with my 6 foot corn. Jake had not eaten since Jan 28, until March 27. We brought him home on Feb 1st, and tried feeding him every week with negative results. then we waited two weeks, and nothing, waited another two weeks and he took.

I was buying him small rats, or jumbo mice, and nothing. Not even interested, may have been searching for luv.

Then one day I decided to purchase two small rats, about about 4 inches long plus tail of course, and a few pinkies. i had been feeding him in a separate container and nothing. I decided to try wiggling a small rat at him, while he was in the warm side, and as i introduced the rat, he smacked it right away...wow success. I then let him swallow it down, and then placed a feeding dish inside his viv in the cool side taking away the hide. He worked his way to the dish and took the small rat, then shortly there after ate the two pinkies which I threw in as bonus.....he then hid in his hide for the next week, and is now in his hide in Blue.

Hope this helps.
 
well another unsuccessful feeding attempt. Two pinkies, figuring if he does decide he wants to eat with his size two pinkies would be good. He is now down to 54 grams, down 7 grams since I brought him home. Attempted to feed by just cutting the back with little nips. No interest. Attempt to scent with tuna since we don't have any access to a lizard, nothing. Left the pinkies in a small dish outside his "favorite" hide over night. (I know, feeding in the viv not a good idea but for him right now, if I can get him to eat that way, I'm doing it. At this point eating is more important than him thinking my hand is food.) Found two wrinkled pinkies in the viv this am. I'm at my wits end, can't come up with any other ideas as to what to do to try and get him to eat. So it's back to leaving him alone only for water changes and try again in 5 or so days.
 
again, did not eat today. tried the paper bag thing again, no luck. I think his will is stronger than mine. ;)
 
underweight

Whats the best way to fatten up your snake if he is underweight?

I have a 3 year old male corn that weighs 658g lots of people have been telling me they see spine and I only saw it myself today that he does seem a little underweight.

I gave him a mouse and a rat on Saturday small ones the rat didn't even have his eyes open yet.

Should I feed him more often or just more food on feedings.

Thanks for the help

He did eat well BTW
 
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