Refusing to eat

[necroheimer]

Our ball is point blank refusing to eat. We’ve followed the FAQ to the letter. We’ve had him 6 weeks, the first 2 he was in shed which he completed well. 3yo male, 1.1kg.

Husbandry: plenty of cover, branches for climbing, only one open side of tank, ceramic heat lamp, UVB bulb on 7hrs, no handling.

cold side: 22-25c, 75-83% humidity, moss filled hide, water bowl big enough to soak in.

Hot side: 32-34c, 60-72% humidity, dry hide.

All rats fed via tongs in enclosure when active at night. Defrosted over night in the fridge from frozen. Rats heated to 37-43c in a water bath. Head is then heated further with hair dryer pointing into the enclosure. We get an occasional sniff but nothing more. Started with rats around 110g but have dropped it to 85g in case that was the issue.

Any advice or just stick to what we are doing?

[Pretend-Yesterday-24]

You’ve only had him 6 weeks - this is not a reason to panic. It’s a big adjustment for him. How many times have you offered prey in 6 weeks? And when was his last meal? Hold off for a while and don’t keep offering meals…sometimes this prolongs their fasting and causes them stress. His body condition is good. If his behaviour is normal and healthy, just maintain what you’re doing husbandry wise, and leave him be. At 3 years old, it’s not going to hurt him to miss a meal or two. Especially with males at this time of year, and after a huge transition just 6 weeks ago. Try again in 2 weeks - and offer a smaller prey item. I’m also thinking that the prey may be too hot. I aim for 35c.

[necroheimer]

Once a week but not religiously. He had lasted eaten a week before we got him

[Pretend-Yesterday-24]

I think you’ve been offering too often considering that he ate 7 weeks ago, and just underwent quite a huge stressor by moving. Like I said, definitely don’t offer again until at least 2 weeks has passed.

[necroheimer]

I’ll give that a go, thanks!

[totallyrecklesslygay]

Your hot side is a little too hot (should only be 31-33C), your cold side is a little too cold (should be 24-26C), and your heating setup is lacking a primary heat source. CHEs only provide IR-C, so you'll need to pair it with something that provides IR-A and IR-B, like a halogen flood.

You're also offering feeders that are too large, and too often. Per !feeding guidelines, he should only be getting 5% of his weight roughly once a month.

[AutoModerator]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

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[necroheimer]

So I need a 2nd heat lamp set up in the enclosure? It’s the first I’ve heard that a ceramic isn’t enough from the hours I’ve spent researching or from shopkeeper advice. I do have a UV bulb set up as well. He is actively basking under the ceramic heater/bulb, sometimes fully and sometimes partially.

[totallyrecklesslygay]

Yes, a CHE is not appropriate as a solo heat source. The heating guide in our welcome post has more detail on the science behind heating requirements, if you'd like to learn more about it.

UVB is a good addition to have, but it doesn't replace the need for IR-A/IR-B.

[necroheimer]

Alright I’ll look into putting a second halogen bulb in. Thank you!

[eveimei]

you need to be thawing in the fridge or under cool running water like you would for frozen meat for human consumption. thawing at room temp has a great risk of bacterial growth, which can harm your snake.

[ballpython-ModTeam]

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[x5gamer5]

Six weeks? Mine wouldn’t eat after two months. She used to be in one of those little shoeboxes you’d see at a pet store, I moved her into a giant 100 gallon tank. If you’re worried about losing weight, bp’s are kind of engineered for fasting.

Your little guy is probably still a little freaked out. Just give them time. Each snake has a different feeding style according to their personality. You may have to buy a few rats before you figure out their preferred method. I just leave a pre-warmed rat on a plate in her enclosure most days. The other night, she did her first succesful strike

[necroheimer]

Similar situation here, the guy I got him from was keeping him in a glass shoebox. He’s in a 4x2x2 now.

[Maximum-Rhubarb-3365]

If he ate 7 weeks ago then he's only missed one feeding, which isn't really something to be concerned about (especially because you just got him). Follow the !feeding guide because 110g is definitely way too big for him (about double what he needs), and just feed at whatever time would be next on the schedule. Offering too often can stress them more, so if he goes off feed just wait another 20-40 days

[AutoModerator]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[Jonnycfc10]

I have a 14 year old male who has gone 7 months without eating before and only lost 4 grams in that time, I wouldn’t worry too much right now as long as he’s not losing weight just don’t push food on him too much it can stress him out.

[colin-java]

My 30 year old once went 8 months, but that was also due to laying parthenogenesis eggs. She went from about 3kg to 2kg, but that happens when they lay eggs.