| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 20:39:39
Please can someone help me.
I have posted on here a few times about my snake not eating and he has been eating on and off (mainly off) for over a year now. He has never been a regular feeder and he is really small. At the moment he is off his food again.
I really have tried everything with him and nothing seems to work :(
I really dont want this to make him ill.
He is over a year old (he was 1 in August), temps are all fine and i really have no idea what to do with him anymore.
I'd even be willing for someone to come here and see him for themselves, i really dont know what to do and it is getting to the point where i am getting so upset, im thinking he might be better off with an experienced owner.
I really really need some help please :(
Tash |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Toki |
Posted - 07/10/2011 : 15:43:47
Something that's freaked one of ours out is tweezers.
Also ... do you just plop the pinkie straight in front of him? With one of ours we have to lift the lid of his feeding tub very very slowly, and oh so slowly put his food in, otherwise he has an absolute freak. The pinkie's warmed and we wet the head. When he's used to it being there, we slowly move close to him rub it against his nose and he takes it slowly and drags it away.
This is for a hognose mind, but it's a feeding tip none the less lol.
Good luck with him! Let us know how you get on. :)
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| NatashaK |
Posted - 07/10/2011 : 11:41:41
Thank you for the advice everyone :)
Will do all the points above and let you know how it goes.
Hopefully feeding him wont be problem after his shed... its keeping him eating that will be the challenge!!!
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| lotabob |
Posted - 06/10/2011 : 23:12:43
I would shrink his setup as small as you go. To steal GP's wording only enough room for a warm side hide and a waterbowl. Its not the recommended setup but getting him feeding is the priority. As well as that you want as little fuss, noise, vibrations and cover the tub almost completely just give it a slit of light to know what day and night is. |
| kdlang |
Posted - 06/10/2011 : 22:25:19
Don't think so unless he can't get access to the heat. I'd still consider usisng a bit of newspaper to cover 3 sides of his faun evern though they are near a wall. Anythings worth a try. Try no handling as well until he has had 3 feeds inside him. Hopefully he will sort himself out after his shed |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 06/10/2011 : 12:27:40
Tried feeding him again yesterday but still no luck. Looked at the little bugger this morning and he is as milky as anything!
Going to wait for him to shed (i guess shedding is a good sign that he is ok) and i'll let you know what happens!
Is there such a thing as having TOO MANY things in his faun?
:) |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 18:11:48
yep he's in our bedroom so its nice and quiet there.
Really dont know what we're doing wrong... :( |
| a33272 |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 17:32:41
where is he in the house, is he in a area thats quiet busy or close to kitchen etc. might be worth putting him somewhere nice an quiet |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 15:25:52
Oh actually 2 sides are covered where the wall is!!! |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 15:24:27
Yes I still handle him twice a week... We tried not handling him at all but that didn't help.
Not sure of the exact size of the faun its about a foot and a half. None of the sides are covered and he spends most of his time under his coconut in the warm end (but he does sometimes go in the cooler end)
The thermometer is a digital one and the stat is a habistat one. We measure the temps in the middle of the warm and middle of the cool end. |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 13:46:03
are you still handling him at all?
how big is the faun and is it enclosed ie. 3 sides covered?
what type of thermometers are you using and where are you measuring the temps?
does he often stay predominantly in the warm or cool end of the viv? |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 11:12:21
We are using a heat mat with a thermostat and we have 2 thermmometers on each side so we know his temps are always fine.
And yes I've tried something like that too, it's almost as if he is scared of the pinkie! No idea what we are doing wrong. Really don't want him off the food for another 4 months :(
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| kdlang |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 23:05:56
He is rather on the small side for a yearling. What are you using for heat, regulation and measuring?
Have you tried putting him in a small tub (like a cricket tub size) with the pinkie and leaving him with it overnight so the only thing he can do in there is eat? I tried that with one of my iffy feeders. I covered the sides and top of the tub in newspaper and popped it inside his viv half on the heatmat so if he did eat it he could have some access to heat. In went snakie and mouse. Then I covered the viv and left him completely alone overnight and kept the room quiet. Thankfully it worked although he is still a fussy feeder and I still haven't found his 'thing' yet. |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 22:26:09
I'll try my best.
He is in a faun at the moment, he has 2 hides, a little plant and his water. His temps are 28/29 on the warm end and 19 on the cool end.
He is about 1foot and 3 inches long, our scales are broken so don't know the current weight, he isn't worryingly thin though.
We try and feed him once a week but at the moment he avoids the pinkie as soon as it gets put in front of him.
Had him since October last year and he was feeding perfectly until December when he went off his food till march. This was when I took him to the reptile shop and they got him feeding again. From march he was feeding ok until June. June - July he didn't eat. He then was ok in august and even the beginning of September. We were feeding him 2 pinkies every Saturday. He then only ate one of the 2 pinkies and now it's back to avoiding them again.
I really don't think all this stop/ start eating is good for him but I must say his character has never changed.
He sheds fine too.
We have tried feeding him in and out of the faun, braining, scenting, heating the pinkie with a hair dryer, leaving it there overnight (can't think of anything else)
I live in north London and I'm really wondering whether he'd be better off with an experienced owner now :(
I love him so much and I dont want him to get sick. I already know that he is small for his age (the man in the reptile shop said so)
Let me know if you need any other info.
Thanks |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 21:57:18
as Karen said above, we need a bit more info please  |
| Kez |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 21:49:00
I'm so sorry I can't help, I've only just brought my snake home and she's the first I've ever owned. I understand how worried you must be though and hope you get things resolved soon. You've definitely come to the right place for help, everyone here is so helpful and friendly.
Good luck to both of you x |
| kdlang |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 21:40:32
Can you give us detailed information about your set-up, usual feeding regime, length and weight of your snake, exactly what you have tried, photos? A feeding/nonfeeding run down may help too.
The most important advise I can give you at the moment is to make sure you keep track of his weight. If he isn't losing weight then you don't need to worry as much. Where abouts are you in case someone could come and see you to see if they can help directly. |
| NatashaK |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 20:54:40
Yep braining, heating, scenting it with tuna, leaving it overnight... everything! The thing is, he does eat (sometimes) for a few weeks but then goes off the food again for a few months!! the longest he went was about 4 months!
Really dont know what to do anymore :(
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| mkmattyk |
Posted - 30/09/2011 : 20:51:33
have you tried dipping the food in marmite, no joke, and braining???? |
