Childrens pYthon refusing to eat??

[turtle_alex]

Hi all,
well I think I mite have a problem, and I need some advice. I have a two pairs of childrens pythons and the female of one of the pair has refused to eat since the 4/4/2010. The three other pythons are eating every five days wil out a problem and have had sheds, Im a little worried as it's coming into winter and she is tiny.
I've tryed poping the brain cavity of the pinkie mouse and although she seems interested and flicks the juice and the air around she get disinterested and goes back to her hide.
Any other ideas and if I try livies will it be hard geting her back on to thawed ones
thxs
Alex

 

[LullabyLizard]

Try getting a garden skink and use the dropped tail to scent the mouse. With my old snake, this was the only way she would eat for a while.

 

[Khagan]

How old are they? What are their temps at? It's starting to get colder so it's not unusual for some to go off their food at this time, but you probably don't want that to happen with a young snake.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

If the snake has been eating pink mice, DO NOT try to feed lizard-scented food, you may just end up with an even more difficult problem in the long run. If it was eating mice, it will eat them again when it is ready.

Most Antaresias will go off their food for lengthy periods of time, sometimes 6-8 months, without ill effects. This is seasonal, and I'm sure other keepers will be experiencing the same thing just now. Cooler weather, shorter days both trigger the non-feeding mechanism, it is quite normal. As you have previously been feeding every 5 days, the snakes won't suffer at all even if they go for 6 months without feeding. It's not unusual for them to go off food now, and not feed again until October or November, or even later in some cases.

It will eat when it's ready.

 

[dickyknee]

Try getting a garden skink and use the dropped tail to scent the mouse. With my old snake, this was the only way she would eat for a while.

No offence but pretty bad advice , why would you want to then have a snake that will only eat scented with skinks , if it eating pink mice then leave it on pink mice ...
As others have said its getting cold and most snakes will start to slow down feeding , just try again in a few days .

 

[LullabyLizard]

No offence but pretty bad advice , why would you want to then have a snake that will only eat scented with skinks , if it eating pink mice then leave it on pink mice ...
As others have said its getting cold and most snakes will start to slow down feeding , just try again in a few days .

How is this bad advise? It worked for me, and my snake. After a few feeds, you slowly ween them off the lizard. In a few months, you have a perfectly healthy snake, eating normal un-scented mice.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

He/she already has a perfectly healthy snake which eats mice. Tempting it with lizard flavoured food can lead to a total rejection of mice for a very long time. As Dicky says, it was eating mice, and it will again when it's ready. It is not necessary to pump snakes constantly with food, a month or two without feeding (or longer sometimes) does no harm at all, it's what they've evolved to do.

 

[dickyknee]

How is this bad advise? It worked for me, and my snake. After a few feeds, you slowly ween them off the lizard. In a few months, you have a perfectly healthy snake, eating normal un-scented mice.

It just is ...... Scenting is a last resort in majority of cases , why do it if the snake all ready feeds on the required foods , it MAY take a scented pinky and it MAY only ever taken them again which is a very bad move IMO .

 

[No-two]

Couldn't agree more with Dicky on this one scenting is common with getting them started but even then I think skink is the last resort i've never had to scent with skink and I've had some very picky hatchie childrens there are plenty if things that are easier to get a hold of, but still as said there's no need to scent if it has allreay been feeding on rodents, it would be silly to risk makingto problem for yourself. On another note allyhough it's a young snake they can still go quiet a while without food, I've had adult antaresia go in excess of 15months nit feeding with no side effects...

 

[squishi]

I am going to say what everyone says. If you are worried take her to the vet.
I have a male childrens which is 4 years old he stopped feeding peoperly since last mating season his last feed has been in january the one before that was november. I took him to the vet to make sure he had no mouth infections or anything that could be causing it.
The vet was so happy that i did so that he never charged me for the appointment. There was nothing wrong with him, he is still in mating mode.
Honestly a vet will give you the best advice
Good Luck

 

[dickyknee]

Not all vets will have a clue when it comes to reptiles .... a mate recently sold a snake , the new owner had it for around 10 days and it had not fed , he took it a vet who force fed it and it died shortly after .... any one with a half a brain knows a snake does not need force feeding after a 10 day lapse in feeding .... yet this vet did not .

 

[cwtiger]

I have some new childreni. They all fed well except one. I have just put it down to the cooler weather. I also have 2 carpet hatchies that haven't eaten in 3 weeks. Their temps are fine they are well within themselves they are not over handled they are lucky if they get handled for 5 mins a week so it is not stress. So I wouldn't worry yourself to much this one may just be going into winter mode before the others. I contacted the vets as wasn't sure if it was ok for hatchies not to eat and the vet said to me it is getting cold and they don't eat each week or to a clock in the wild so it will eat when it is hungry. So I will continue to offer food each week and see what they do.

 

[Aiigaru]

Lullaby, one has to wonder why yours wasn't feeding and why you wanted to feed it so bad that you scented with skinks. Anyone who has researched a little (or even been on this site for a while) should know that many snakes go off their food every now and again, and that this isn't usually a cause for concern at all. It's not like snakes need to be fed consistently

 

[squishi]

Ok my vet is fully qualified for all reaptiles. If you call the vets around you, you might find someone who is fully qualified.

 

[JAS101]

i dont think there is a need to see a vet yet [ this comes from a guy who allways says see a vet]
i just think the snake is going into cool down mode .

 

[turtle_alex]

wow thanks everyone, i didn't mean to cause any arguments, i wont be scenting just yet it hasn't been months, and i check up on the Lil girl and she doesn't look distressed at all, so ill just play it by ear. i had a coastal that did the same thing and it's a pig now, just that they are so small i get worried and the thing that was unusual was that i have 3 others and they eat fine and are still eating like piggys...i keep my temps around 32-35 in hot end and i use heatmats.
also i keep my reptiles in the garage which is connected to the house and there isnt much light, should i put a skylight or leave a small fluro on during the day?
thanks everyone i take everything on board and feel a lil more at ease now
cheers
alex