Stimson feeding. Out of ideas

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Camm8

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Ok so my yearling stimmy has gone 3 weeks without a feed. He's gone 121 days without a shed. He's always fed perfectly for me every week. None of his conditions have changed. Food size hasn't changed. Tonight I've tried braining his fuzzy rat, tried all his usual techniques of touching his nose. Touching his tail. Leaving it outside his hide for an hr. Even tried something I read about putting it in egg yoke. He's been fed rats for as long as his feeding records date back. Starting to get to the point of wondering how long is safe for a yearling to go without a feed.... Only other idea I have is try mice.... I've read about mice drops or something that can be used to help get hatchlings feeding. But can't find anything on the net about buying it.
Any further ideas or a link to buy the mice drops would be appreciated....
 
Do you mean he has not eaten the last three weeks but he was in brumation for the rest? The most important factor that you need to look at is your snake dropping weight? If it is not dropping weight then don't worry. Was the fuzzy rat that you posted for this snake or another? How big is your snake weight wise and thickness wise because I would think that a fuzzy rat may be a little on the small size for a yearling unless it is small for its age.
 
Hi Camm.

3 weeks without a feed is nothing for a snake, even a yearling. I didn't fee my adult stimmie for four months over winter. She barely lost a gram. I wouldn't worry about it just yet. Sometimes they don't want to eat. Leave him alone for a week or two and try again. In the meantime, check to make sure the temperature in the hot end of the enclosure is about 32 to 33 degrees. Another thing: has anything changed in the enclosure or in the environment nearby? That can sometimes do it.
 
I usually feed him fuzzy rats. I questioned whether they were to big for him even tho he has taken them in the past. So I tried a pinky I had and figured if he took to it id just feed him a second. Tried all the methods I mentioned and nothing. Then got a fuzzy out and tried that aswell with the same result. I wouldn't say he really lost any weight looking at him. One thing I noticed the other day was a dry patch of skin on his head behind the large middle scale between the eyes. But he's showing no other signs of shed other then not feeding. I'm thinking of getting some hopper mice tomorrow so they are on the smaller size of fuzzy rats and try again in a few days. At least over the few days I may see some more signs of shed. If shed doesnt progress more and he doesn't take the mice in a few days ill be getting really concerned. He only ever refuses food at shed and normally he would refuse and then 2-3 days later shed. But this is my 3rd attempt in 3 weeks. His temps set between 34-36 at the hot end and 27 at the cool end.

- - - Updated - - -

How long is to long for a yearling stimmy?
 
Welcome to the joys of Stimson ownership! Mine hasn't fed in months, nothing to worry about they are notorious for it. As the weather gets warmer and more stable things will get back to normal. There are plenty of threads on here that start with " help my stimmie won't eat" and they all end well. Even in indoor enclosures when you don't cool them over winter they somehow sense the seasonal change and just go off their food. Just offer your normal sized food item every two weeks until it takes and then go back to your normal frequency. If you worry about the waste buy a carpet python to eat the refused items, they are pigs!


Joe.
 
They're not cats or dogs, or mammals or birds. They don't need feeding on a "regular as clockwork" schedule - this may suit you, but it may not suit the snake. Seasonally they can go off food for months at a time (they have to - many of them only eat a meal 2 or 3 times a year in the wild) without harm.

I ask the question though - why rats? A Stimson's python will live it's entire life in perfect health eating only mice, and adult mice are probably more nutritious than undeveloped rats.

Like all Stimson's, it will eat when it's ready, not when you're ready for it to eat. May not even be till Xmas, but it will do no harm.

Jamie
 
I wouldnt worry too much, my female stimmi went her yearling winter without eating because she didnt want too, have you changed where you buy your food from? Some snakes are fussy ie one of my stimmies will only take her mice wet and it cannot have colour otherwise its a hassle to get her to eat it, another requires his food laid out for him he refuses to strike and another couldnt give a rats
 
I wouldnt worry too much, my female stimmi went her yearling winter without eating because she didnt want too, have you changed where you buy your food from? Some snakes are fussy ie one of my stimmies will only take her mice wet and it cannot have colour otherwise its a hassle to get her to eat it, another requires his food laid out for him he refuses to strike and another couldnt give a rats

How do you think snakes get on in the wild?

Jamie
 
Most so-called fussy eaters are a product of the keeper's belief that they need to be goaded into eating far more often than they need to. The two significant factors with regard to python feeding are smell and temperature (for those larger ones which eat warm-blooded prey). Pythons are largely active at night, and some live deep in caves throughout their lives. They find food by smelling it with their tongues, or by detecting the heat from a mammal or bird with their heat pits. To pander to a snake and allow it to dictate to the keeper to the point where it won't eat coloured rats or mice is ridiculous, and is largely an artefact of bad management in the beginning. This in turn is a result of the (usually new) keeper not being prepared or experienced enough to wait them out. There are a few individuals which have a preference for quail or mice or rats, but they are not nearly as common as some threads on APS would indicate.

Jamie
 
Welcome to the joys of Stimson ownership! Mine hasn't fed in months, nothing to worry about they are notorious for it. As the weather gets warmer and more stable things will get back to normal. There are plenty of threads on here that start with " help my stimmie won't eat" and they all end well. Even in indoor enclosures when you don't cool them over winter they somehow sense the seasonal change and just go off their food. Just offer your normal sized food item every two weeks until it takes and then go back to your normal frequency. If you worry about the waste buy a carpet python to eat the refused items, they are pigs!


Joe.

I've got a 3 year old wheatbelt who takes all the refused along with her own meal. She's awesome. Put a rodent on the bench and bam she's at the enclosure door waiting lol.

I went rats only because that's what his feeding records were for as long as they go back. (before I got him) but I did want to switch to mice because I from what I read there is more nutrition in mice. Going to leave him alone and covered up for 2 weeks and try again. I just need to not stress and let nature take it course.
 
They're not cats or dogs, or mammals or birds. They don't need feeding on a "regular as clockwork" schedule - this may suit you, but it may not suit the snake. Seasonally they can go off food for months at a time (they have to - many of them only eat a meal 2 or 3 times a year in the wild) without harm.

I ask the question though - why rats? A Stimson's python will live it's entire life in perfect health eating only mice, and adult mice are probably more nutritious than undeveloped rats.

Like all Stimson's, it will eat when it's ready, not when you're ready for it to eat. May not even be till Xmas, but it will do no harm.

Jamie

Funny that you mention that mice are better than a young rat. I recently read an article written by a vet suggesting that mice are better for reptiles than rats and he states that he has seen problems with constipation caused by the coarse rat fur.
 
I wouldnt worry too much, my female stimmi went her yearling winter without eating because she didnt want too, have you changed where you buy your food from? Some snakes are fussy ie one of my stimmies will only take her mice wet and it cannot have colour otherwise its a hassle to get her to eat it, another requires his food laid out for him he refuses to strike and another couldnt give a rats

I think Jamie answered this adequately in post #11.
 
Or maybe I found what worked for my snake? If there is no hassles feeding her this way why change and waste food items if I dont have to? I dont doubt if I left her without food long enough she would eat what she is given. But I dont wish to do that. There is nothing wrong with my husbandry, all animals are individuals and have preferences. The coloured mice was only discovered when I started breeding my own and found she wouldnt take them after being fed store bought white mice most of her life, that was not bad management. She will take them if I brain them and continuously offer them, but I preffer the ease of picking out the white ones for her. I am not a breeder, she is a pet and family to me and due to my emotional attachment do not mind giving what she preffers.

And in saying that how many breeders force feed hatchies? Are you saying they have bad husbandry? To quote you, how would they get on in the wild?..
 
Do you think it would be wise for me to swap him to mice? More nutrition and possibly if I brain the mice it may entice him to eat?
 
Do you think it would be wise for me to swap him to mice? More nutrition and possibly if I brain the mice it may entice him to eat?

Imo, it cant hurt to try, braining on devoloped mice is eaiser if you go through the lower jaw rather then the skull I have found.
 
Ok cool thanks for that. I'm going to get some today and I'll try again in a few days.
 
hi, as with the other stimie owners my girl went off her food for 3-4mths and even now she will only take food if i pinch the nose of it and make it bleed, she is kept with year round heat as i have no intention on breeding but she is only just now taking food every 2weeks again, i worry that one rat isnt enough but i have to trust her instincts and she has only ever lost 20grms - i tried braining and the egg idea and leaving food in over nite but if it doesn't move (with me dangling it near her) she wont even strike or take notice of it. she is 2.5yrs now and 880grms at 1.2mtrs. Its hard not to worry tho but i am sure if left in peace for a few weeks it will come around :) good luck
 
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Or maybe I found what worked for my snake? If there is no hassles feeding her this way why change and waste food items if I dont have to? I dont doubt if I left her without food long enough she would eat what she is given. But I dont wish to do that. There is nothing wrong with my husbandry, all animals are individuals and have preferences. The coloured mice was only discovered when I started breeding my own and found she wouldnt take them after being fed store bought white mice most of her life, that was not bad management. She will take them if I brain them and continuously offer them, but I preffer the ease of picking out the white ones for her. I am not a breeder, she is a pet and family to me and due to my emotional attachment do not mind giving what she preffers.

And in saying that how many breeders force feed hatchies? Are you saying they have bad husbandry? To quote you, how would they get on in the wild?..

The colour of the mouse will not effect if it eats it or not. Force feeding hatchlings has more to do with the fact they eat small birds, geckos, frogs ect not domesticated rats and mice.

Also you might want to have a look at what Jamie posts on other threads, clearly he knows what he is talking about.
 
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