Assist feeding Question

[killimike]

Hi all,

A friend of mine had some issues with a snake in the past, but was only recently telling me all the details. They said that they had been sold a snake that was not feeding. Because it needed to eat but was so tiny, they said they were advised to 'force feed' it crickets, as anything else would be too big.

I have never assist fed, but have never heard of people using crickets. Is this ever advisable?

 

[Crystal..Discus]

Crickets? Haven't heard of using them. I just dip the smallest pinkie I can find into egg whites and use a plastic, rounded chopstick to help it down the snake's throat (or give it a mouse/rat tail.) IMO if you've never had experience with a non-feeding hatchie, best find someone near who can show you a few times.

I can't remember who it was, but they have a turkey mince recipe that you can give a non-feeder as well.

 

[killimike]

Thanks Crystal! My info is all second hand on assist feeding, but it has all been tails, legs, pinkies, mince etc, never crickets.

If I ever had to assist feed, I would definitely watch someone else do it a few times first!

 

[saximus]

The San Diego Zoo Diet is more for monitors I think.
A cricket wouldn't be much smaller than a pinkie mouse or especially a tail and surely wouldn't have the same nutritional value. I didn't even think snakes could eat crickets :/

 

[euphorion]

There is no reported and peer-reviewed evidence that discusses pythons eating invertebrates. I would not ever suggest crickets as a food source, rat tails can suffice until they are big enough for newy-mice.

 

[killimike]

Thats what I thought Sax [EDIT:and now shooshoo], I just wanted to get the perspectives of you people who actually know what you are talking about, unlike me!

 

[pythonmum]

What kind of snake? For Morelia, here's what I do...
1. Use a cotton bud with one cotton end cut off to gently open the mouth by rolling outward under the upper lip. When the snake opens up, move the bud to the back of the mouth to keep it open.
2. Hold a warm, damp pinkie mouse behind the head with blunt forceps (can dip mouse in egg or oil if you wish, but water from thawing is my usual) and place this firmly in the snake's open mouth.
3. If possible, have someone else pull the cotton bud out of the side of the mouth so that you can move the head of the mouse down the throat of the snake. Keep your thumb and index finger gently on the upper and lower jaw so that it cannot regurgitate the pinkie.
4. Keep shoving the pinkie down the throat. It will probably 'pop', but carry on, shoving as much in as you can until you can close the jaws over the meal.
5. Now start to gently massage the meal down the snake's throat until you reach the stomach area and the snake stops trying to regurgitate the meal.

It is always best if someone with experience can show you what to do. This is a real juggling act, because you have to control the snake's body with the rest of your fingers and the snake is resisting with all of its might if it is in any sort of reasonable condition. It will evacuate its bowels and bladder on you, wrap around the hand holding the forceps, etc. This is not a procedure to be undertaken lightly.

When a hatchling is a bit older I can usually get them to open up by pressing the head of the food item against their mouth, but the cotton bud trick is a good stand-by. If you are dealing with a smaller species such as Antaresia, you may need to use a tail, but these have very little nutrition. A whole animal is much better. Before going through this process, ALWAYS offer the meal as a regular feed first. Assist feeding is a last resort.

 

[jham66]

I use the loop on the back of a small paper clip to pry the mouth open. You just give it a gentle wobble and it slips into the mouth. I find this works well because the teeth cannot get any purchase on the metal. I usually get the food in far enough that the feet and tail are the only thing out of the mouth, then put them back in the container and into a dark place. I find they fight to get the offending mouthful out for a short while, but then 'forget' and just swallow it....

 

[kawasakirider]

I find they fight to get the offending mouthful out for a short while, but then 'forget' and just swallow it....

Lmao

 

[killimike]

Thanks for all the info guys. So no crickets? It's what I thought, but I just wanted to check before I told someone they had been given dodgy advice. The whole business is in the past, so there's nothing riding on it now, just the question of what is good husbandry.

 

[sookie]

Crickets.okay,my lizards and my gex like crickets.can you imagine trying to constrict on a cricket?funny visual image....hahahahaahahahaha.