Please help BP not eating like usual

To anyone that can help. Here is my problem.

I have a female het pie. I got her as a baby in 2008 along with het pie male. I switched them over to F/T couple months later. As normal baby bp's they never missed their weekly meals. The male is always the one we don't have a problem with. Now the female is offered food every week either F/T or live after a month of her not eating. Last meal for her was on 5/17/10 live adult mouse. I tried feed her F/T every week when the male eats but she refuses. I bought live couple days ago. We used tongs like normal,even just put mouse with her she showed no interest.

Before I get all the normal Questions. I'm going to write this just so I'm not repeating myself. This isn't statement isn't meant to be a smart ass comment I'm just stuck and writing this so maybe someone can help because they might have come across same predicament.

1.Temperature is correct
2. humidity is correct
3. no mites
4. no mouth rot
4. no respiratory problems
5.clean cage once a week.
6. clean water all the time
7 I'm also aware about their change in feeding habits but this isn't normal


What I forgot to mention is the last months mouse still hasn't come out. She isn't under any stress. Last time years ago I had a non captive breed bp and he had trouble going so somebody recommended putting gatorade in bowl and raising humidity level and that worked. Butt i'm kind of worried about her not eating. She is losing weight. BTW I live 20 minutes west of Winston north Carolina and I can't find a herp vet anywhere. If anyone lives in NC and knows of one please let me know. Any suggestions? Please help i'm running out of ideas. thank you jeff

The best herp vet that I know of is in Raleigh...

http://www.avianandexotic.com/

Also, here is the site to the North Carolina Vet College in Raleigh with their clinics contact info on it. That's about the best I can come up with for you for herp vets...

http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/vth/clinical...aes/index.html

A few months without food is nothing to worry about. She is getting to be an adult now, and fasts are fairly common. Right now I've got a girl that hasn't eaten more than a couple of small mice in six months. However, weight loss is reason for concern. Parasites could explain both the weight loss and lack of feeding response. A general cat/dog vet can do a fecal float and check for parasites. But if it comes back negative for any bugs or worms, and you are positive she is still losing weight, it may be time to find a herp vet.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about her not defecating. If she's only got one mouse in her system, she may simply be taking her time in releasing it. Try giving her soaks in 85* water that is roughly 1/2" deep. Half an hour is enough time to loosen things up without the water cooling too much and stressing her. Try this twice a week until she goes.

thank you I'll definitely do that I forgot to mention we give her a good soak every other week or so she loves the water. Actually both don't mind it. thanks again

thanks vyp i'll put them in bookmarks and call them monday or Tuesday thanks again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

A few months without food is nothing to worry about. She is getting to be an adult now, and fasts are fairly common. Right now I've got a girl that hasn't eaten more than a couple of small mice in six months. However, weight loss is reason for concern. Parasites could explain both the weight loss and lack of feeding response. A general cat/dog vet can do a fecal float and check for parasites. But if it comes back negative for any bugs or worms, and you are positive she is still losing weight, it may be time to find a herp vet.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about her not defecating. If she's only got one mouse in her system, she may simply be taking her time in releasing it. Try giving her soaks in 85* water that is roughly 1/2" deep. Half an hour is enough time to loosen things up without the water cooling too much and stressing her. Try this twice a week until she goes.

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I second this. I have a snake that only accepts food once every 2 to 3 months after she hit 900g, she's lost like 100g then put it back on. Its pretty crazy, but she's fine. It sometimes just depends on the snake.

i only had my bp for 3 weeks now, so i'm pretty sure im not that realiable to get advice from. but happened to my BP where he refuses to eat, what i did was to hit the back of his eyes with the f/t rodent and he get's pissed, and i'll do it for like 3 times and he'll be like, "WTH is that comming from, i wanna eat you noW!!!!!!" then strikes the f/t mice.

i hope that works for u too.. goodluck.

ps: specificially, that's like 2 to 3 inches from his eyes.

Hi,

Or it could scare him into not eating for even longer.

It's called tease feeding and is not always a good idea.

If you do want to tease them into striking it's probably best to do it on the back third of the snake as close to the tail as you can.

The idea is it makes the snake strike defensively and when it bites realizes it is food and coils and constricts.

I have used it to start some hatchlings that have never fed but this is a well grown on snake that has already eaten on its own we are talking about - I'm not sure it's even a good idea to try it if I'm honest.


dr del

no offense but "temps are right" is not very helpful. It would be more helpful to tell us what kind of enclosure she is in and how big it is. The exact temperatures that your thermometers are reading. Your heat source and what device is controlling it.


I did have the same thing happen to my '08 female a while back. She didn't eat for about a month and then just started eating again. If she is anywhere around the weight of my '08s then she is probably around 1000g which means she could go many months without eating and be perfectly fine. Also, if she is around 1000g she should be eating small rats, not adult mice.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

I did have the same thing happen to my '08 female a while back. She didn't eat for about a month and then just started eating again. If she is anywhere around the weight of my '08s then she is probably around 1000g which means she could go many months without eating and be perfectly fine. Also, if she is around 1000g she should be eating small rats, not adult mice.

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Not necessarily, mine is terrified of small rats. So I feed her weanlings.