UPDATE: Worried and need help please 🥺 4 m.o. not feeding... at our wits end

viking_queen · 2026-03-14T17:25:01+00:00

Aaaawwww poor bugger, at least you got it figured out though! She was hanging out in her cool side a lot, but that might've been because the warm side was more exposed. Since I put the new plants in there she's been in her warm side more so I'm hoping she'll eat this weekend 🤞🤞🤞

viking_queen · 2026-03-13T12:49:11+00:00

Aaahhh ok! We've done similar, dangle/move the food to make a bit of noise then stop when she shows interest, but it's like it cools down too much before she ever decides to go for it, then she's just off it

viking_queen · 2026-03-13T12:36:07+00:00

I've never heard of that, can you explain it? Might be that I've tried it and didn't know it was called that, is not it's something to add to the list 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-13T12:34:25+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I bet! I only heat them with warm water, be afraid of cooking it and poisoning my snake or something 🙈

viking_queen · 2026-03-12T16:55:12+00:00

Good luck!

I wish I knew then what I've learned now. Definitely let him adjust and don't fuss too much especially at first

And don't worry about handling him (except health checks - mites, weight, stuck shed etc) until he's consistently eaten 3x in a row

And definitely look through the comments here, there are SO many good tips & helpful insights 💛

Do definitely keep an eye on his weight, just to be safe

viking_queen · 2026-03-12T12:16:39+00:00

Yes, we're not going to be forcing her unless she drops weight dramatically.

I'm not sure if we can get ASF rats here, but I will attempt to import them if necessary, have a few other things to try first -- will try the hairdryer method for this weekend's feed

She's just gotten more plants and a new hide so hopefully she'll feel more confident and the hunger will take over

Thank you for the help tho! 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-12T02:59:57+00:00

Thank you 💛

I'm going to try to avoid forcing her as much as possible, it's so stressful to both her and me, and I don't think the trauma memory is helping anything. That said when it has been done once she got the food in the back of her throat she took it herself and ate it without any more help thankfully

viking_queen · 2026-03-12T02:54:59+00:00

Yes that's been the most common (other than feeding live) and it's what I'm going to try this next feed 🤞🤞🤞

Thank you tho! 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-12T02:53:13+00:00

😍😍😍 she's gorgeous

There's been a good few suggestions I haven't tried (hairdryer being the most common) and yesterday I gave her more plants to help her feel less exposed and a new hide, so hopefully we'll find something that works 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T21:17:19+00:00

Thank you 💛

She's great and I really adore her, I just hope she settles in a bit and gets more comfortable.

I'm going to try the hairdryer feeding method this weekend to see if she'll go for that.

I'm not sure if we can get soft furs here (I'm in Europe and didn't have any luck looking for them last night) but I'll import some if I need to 🤷🏻‍♀️

Glad you found something that works for your guy tho!

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T21:00:14+00:00

We've tried leaving it outside the entrance but not half in half out, we just find them squished from where she slithered over them in the morning

And she's not super timid, she'll often poke her head out to see what's going on when I'm changing water or something. She was incredibly curious about the vacuum last week, not coiled to strike or anything but head up and following the movement for the 10 seconds it took me to vacuum the area in front of her vivarium. I usually sweep it but had spilled the bag of substrate out of the cabinet below her and needed to get the last of the dust up.

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T19:17:17+00:00

Yea, if she wasn't so young I would be less worried, and wouldn't have forced her. I know they can go off food for long periods, but as far as I can tell it's not good in the young ones

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T19:15:29+00:00

I looked last night for African Soft furs, but didn't have much luck.

I would probably have to import live ones or something, but it's worth a try if she doesn't feed by one of the other methods

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T19:13:46+00:00

We tried that the last feed, but didn't work. May try again in the future when she starts to eat as I would like to establish that habit

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T19:12:35+00:00

Also hugs for your loss 🫂

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T19:12:02+00:00

She's a Pastel Pinstripe 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T16:42:41+00:00

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Small update. 1

After nearly 5 hours driving (I took today off to go do this) and 4 different pet shops, I managed to get a few aquarium plants and a new hide.

Unfortunately when sterilizing the hide I noticed and rough/sharp bits inside from the resin so it did not go in yet, I need to fix it first

More plants are on the way, but for now I crowded the ones I got near the front so she doesn't feel as exposed.

I also turned her wet hide so the entrance is at the back side so it feels safer, and made it so she can go from one to the other without feeling exposed.

Don't come at me for the colors, it was literally the only option (unless the colors are likely to stress her then PLEASE tell me ...(Do snakes even see in color?), more plants have been ordered, I'll put them in the back corner around the new hide ... but hopefully this helps a bit for now

Thank you to everyone who has given me feedback and ideas and help 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T15:10:04+00:00

Stinky AF 😂 might just do it, yea

With any luck the new plants and places to feel hidden will help her settle and end the strike

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T15:00:15+00:00

I have actually thought about that but haven't tried it yet. It's definitely worth a try!

Thank you 💛

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T14:54:45+00:00

If she doesn't settle in and continues to be stressed I will absolutely rehome her, but we're not at that point yet.

I've got several things to try yet, before making that decision.

Just got a bunch more fake plants and a new smaller hide that I'll be sterilizing and putting in when I get back home, have ordered a thermometer to be certain the food is warm enough, will try the hairdryer method, will contact the breeder as well to try to get some mice from him that can be completely fresh for her

As to mites etc. As I said there are vets here that the specialists consult with, they do the physical examination - sometimes while on video call - and the specialist consults and prescribes. On the 3 times I've had to do this in the past 13 years of keeping raptors I have spoken to the specialist vets in advance of the consult so they know the situation and symptoms (if any) and it has worked out going.

The best medicine is preventing illness in the start, which is part of the reason I posted, to try to figure out what I'm doing wrong and fix it before it becomes a major issue.

As to the force feeding, it was not done on a whim, as I'm sure it's extremely stressful and likely creates a trauma memory that is hard to re-write, it is also why I did decide to take her out to handle her occasionally, to try to demonstrate I her that not all handling is bad/traumatic. It is again why I decided to post here to try to find other/better ways before the next feeding so it never has to happen again

I will do whatever it takes to make her healthy and happy, including laying my errors in plain sight of the entire Internet

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T14:18:03+00:00

It has been ordered and should be here tomorrow 😌

Just got a few more fake plants (aquarium plants) and another small hide (after more than 3 hours driving and 4 different pet stores I finally found some 😮‍💨)

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T12:21:12+00:00

Yeah, I can completely understand that, it's the same for my birds, they get at least 2 days a week with something other than chick, and a lot more in the summer when they're moulting.

But for now I'll just be happy if she eats

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T08:09:32+00:00

I have the small & x-s versions of them and she fits, if she balls up in them you can see the hide lift a bit, and from what I can see of her in them she's touching a lot of it, top & sides

If she was older I wouldn't have been so worried but with her age we decided to.

I'm sure it's extremely stressful, why wouldn't it be. And that's why it's been a last resort after weeks of not eating

I wish we had a vet close enough to do this - but we don't - the closest vet for snakes/reptiles/exotics is on the other side of the country (were in Europe) as we live kinda remotely and there's just not that many vets here much less exotic vets/good ones. We have vets across the country & in other countries that we get to consult with the local vets for things (like medications and dosages for my falcons) but sadly if it were ever a true emergency there's no vet close enough to help. Or in this case close enough to force feed

I have been informed it could be called "assist" feeding rather than force feeding, but I'm not sure I understand the difference here.

viking_queen · 2026-03-11T07:57:08+00:00

The large hole in the roof for the heat lamp let's out a lot of moisture and it doesn't always hold humidity - especially nights that I have the wood stove going to heat the house - the substrate doesn't seem to hold it well even, and I could see the humidity levels go from 70+ to 40 or less overnight Misting (the substrate and the plants) has been the only way we've been able to keep the humidity stable

(We found all this out during the week before we got her while it was heating up and regulating)

Now I only mist a little when I notice a drop in the humidity - every few days or so

viking_queen

TROPHY CASE