Problem feeder.

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kittycat17

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I've got an almost 2 yr old coastal who just has no food drive and never has since she hatched... She will take adult mice and quails but usually only when being held.
When offered prey she shows no interest after smelling it once and it's a real battle to get her to take a mouse to the point that I'm ignoring her for weeks at a time before offering food again.
Any suggestions to try and encourage an interest in prey?
No I haven't tried live as she still has some condition on her, if that does diminish I'll try that as a last resort
8f71c055ce3aa31b6c8c80fba04deab2.jpg



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Are you holding her when she's feeding? My problem feeder absolutely freaks out if he's touched when he's eating.

When you can rule out any health issues that may prevent your snake from wanting to eat, and make sure all your temps are correct is when you can start to worry if he is consistently refusing a feed.

I just chuck a prey item in my snake's enclosure (near his warm hide) and he takes most of the time. I'll leave it in there for 3-4 hours at the most, and which point I will give up.

When my guy was being particularly fussy, I'd smear a bit of blood (just the excess you'd find in the packaging) on the mouse's nose and he'd go for it almost immediately.
 
She didn't eat for about 6 mths and I got frustrated and picked her up and put the mouse right on her mouth and she grabbed it (about a year ago) since then she will wrap my hand and then eat the mouse (I think it may be because she can feel my heartbeat in my palm and it encourages her... Not sure)
She is not aggressive at all and doesn't have that food mode that all my other pythons have

She's in a hatchie rack with 4 other snakes that are all eating fine it's at 33degrees

The only times I've successfully gotten her to strike (usually a half hearted one at that) is by moving the mouse around with the tongs like its alive
She's never taken prey when I've left it in there



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Don't stress about her not eating if she still looks fine. We have a female coastal exactly the same. She eats occasionally, sometimes when we leave the prey in the tub, sometimes she strikes. We've learnt to stretch out between her feeds, and she eats virtually every time.
 
Don't stress about her not eating if she still looks fine. We have a female coastal exactly the same. She eats occasionally, sometimes when we leave the prey in the tub, sometimes she strikes. We've learnt to stretch out between her feeds, and she eats virtually every time.

How often does she usually eat for you? Once a month? 5 weeks?
I just want her to grow a bit!! :)
Thanks in advance :)


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Ours didn't eat for months at one stage, and then started intermittently, which is when we decided to offer food less often. She probably eats about once a month at the moment. Given her feeding history, she's probably undersized, but in good health and condition, which is more important. Snakes eat when they are hungry, and it's better than overfeeding them, IMO.

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I had a male here that despite regular offerings didn't take anything for almost 12 months. Prior to this he was feeding fine. He lost a bit of condition but eventually started feeding again about 6 weeks ago.

George.
 
What temps are you offering the food at? Some snakes like the food to be very warm, others don't care. I usually thaw in hot tap water and top up with very warm water before pulling the thawed food item out and offering. Those heat pits along the jaw are very sensitive to radiated heat - they help them locate warm-blooded prey in total darkness, so you may get a better response if you serve the food item when warm to touch. It may be that the warmth of your hand is stimulating a feeding response.

As pinefamily suggests, you can leave the interval between feeds a bit longer too - it will help with increased hunger.

Jamie
 
What temps are you offering the food at? Some snakes like the food to be very warm, others don't care. I usually thaw in hot tap water and top up with very warm water before pulling the thawed food item out and offering. Those heat pits along the jaw are very sensitive to radiated heat - they help them locate warm-blooded prey in total darkness, so you may get a better response if you serve the food item when warm to touch. It may be that the warmth of your hand is stimulating a feeding response.

As pinefamily suggests, you can leave the interval between feeds a bit longer too - it will help with increased hunger.

Jamie

For her I always make sure the mouse or quail is as hot as possible but most of the time she gives it a look flicks her tongue then goes back to her hide

When she was about 9 mths old she was extremely underweight and I had to force feed her a few times as my vet and I where worried about loosing her
She had put on good condition again 4-5 mths ago but has slowed down to almost one feed every 2 mths!

It's like she's not hungry and doesn't care
Whilst my other coastals will eat no matter what! It's bizarre how different she is to her siblings



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If it is eating even mice i fail to see the problem?

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Feeding every two months is probably pretty normal for wild snakes, so it won't be a problem as far as the health of this animal is concerned.

Jamier
 
If it is eating and is of healthy weight I wouldn't worry about it.


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She's probably slightly underweight as of now she hasn't eaten since the 31st of July
More my concern is that she doesn't seem to have a food drive at all. Even when she does feed.


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If it has lost condition in that short of a time frame maybe get it vet checked. It shouldn't lose much condition in that time.


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If it has lost condition in that short of a time frame maybe get it vet checked. It shouldn't lose much condition in that time.


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I've got her booked in for next week, last time I took her she was checked over etc and the vet couldn't find anything wrong
She's never had that much condition on her due to not feeding consistently



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The picture above look like good condition.


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The picture above look like good condition.


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Picture was taken earlier in the year
Thanks for all the replies everyone :) I'll just keep going with her


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My RSP has refused to feed since 25th July this year and I believe it is due to the temperature change when he was moved to my premises.. I'm not really too worried about him not eating, more about me having to throw away the rat every time he refuses it! My Flavi is currently residing elsewhere so I can't even recycle it!

Don't stress though... my advice would be to try feeding less frequently and if it helps when you handle her when eating, then keep doing that!
 
My RSP has refused to feed since 25th July this year and I believe it is due to the temperature change when he was moved to my premises.. I'm not really too worried about him not eating, more about me having to throw away the rat every time he refuses it! My Flavi is currently residing elsewhere so I can't even recycle it!

Don't stress though... my advice would be to try feeding less frequently and if it helps when you handle her when eating, then keep doing that!

Thanks! Yeah throwing out food is frustrating (my big girls are refusing as is my males)
It seems offering less often is the go


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i only have a stimson so pretty small doesnt have much of a food response. i dont even bother trying to grt him to strike anymore i just put him in a small click clack container leave him there over night and presto no more mouse

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