fasting, non eating, GRRRRR!!!!

justinO · 04-15-04, 04:35 PM

okay, i know BP's are notorious for fasting, especially over the winter months, but this is getting crazy......

I have a 4 year old male BP that hasn't eaten in over 5 MONTHS, coming up on 6 months now!

*note* he used to be a gerbil eater *

We have tried everything:
f/t mice, rats, gerbils
stunned mice, rats, gerbils
LIVE mice, rate, gerbils

we have tried taking his water away for a few days, tried recently putting him in a small dark box with a live rat fuzzy, tried assist feeding, force feeding (couldn't do it) and many of the other tips and tricks picked up from everyone........ we are about to resort to having him pumped in a week or two if nothing else works (chicken broth idea to be tried this weekend).

his temps are okay, he's still active but he's starting to really show that he's not eating, his skin practically hangs.

any suggestions? i'm getting really worried.......

Also, I had a female BP who used to eat any f/t mice i put in front of her, didn't eat eat for 4 months and ate live mice a few weeks ago...... but now won't eat again...... live or f/t

and 2 other big BP's that refuse to eat also.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR *huff*

i want them to be healthy, happy and FULL, but they are making it very difficult on their poor mother (me)....

Help!

Jessy

sapphire_moon · 04-15-04, 08:53 PM

if the snake is visibly loosing weight like you say then you should probably get a fecal done.

Check the weights on the others, and if they are not loosing any weight, or very very little weight then don't worry about it, just keep offering them prey items.

It will be about 7 months (Minus one feeding) that he hasn't ate. He was 2.5lbs then, and he is 2.5 lbs now. No worries. Nothing you can do. And if you force feed you are more likely to put the snake off feeding for even longer. JMO

daver676 · 04-15-04, 09:20 PM

I'm curious as to how he will get a fecal done if the snake hasn't eaten is nearly 6 months........

sapphire_moon · 04-15-04, 09:26 PM

lol, forgot that. Let me rephrase then, take the snake to the vet.

marisa · 04-15-04, 09:27 PM

Fecals can be taken without the snake feeding. Maybe it doesn't work everytime but it most certaintly works just fine in cases I have heard. I have had a snake not feed for a couple months and the vet got a fecal from it with no trouble.

Marisa

mykee · 04-15-04, 09:50 PM

Marisa; sounds painful.

sapphire_moon · 04-15-04, 10:00 PM

Yes it does

justinO · 04-16-04, 03:08 PM

eek!
*if* i can get a fecal from him, I would be able to bring it to a friend of mine that does that stuff like checking for parasites, however, I can't afford to bring it to a vet to have them tell me nothing is wrong (cost $50 + just for them to say "yes, that's a snake").

here's hoping the chicken broth idea does the trick!

and yes, all other snakes are fine, just being picky......

**Andy_G** · 04-16-04, 09:41 PM

If the snake's skin is hanging it NEEDS to see a vet, at least that's my experience.

sapphire_moon · 04-16-04, 10:24 PM

If the snakes skin is sagging it NEEDS to see a vet? That should be common sense.

*no offense to anyone*

Piers · 04-17-04, 03:59 AM

ball pythons "poo" even if they haven't fed in 6 months. not much and not offten but it does happen. I guess they keep a little for later, lol
piers

**Andy_G** · 04-17-04, 09:38 AM

Reason I said that Saph is because he isn't sure if he should take it...and i'm trying to reassure him to do so...

Soul_Reaper · 04-19-04, 02:24 PM

I feel your pain, my BP hasn't eaten in almost four months, she's driving me absolutely insane! I've tried everything but she just won't take it...i've lost all faith by now.

At least i haven't noticed any weight loss or out of normal behavior so i guess i'm ok for now. Damn BP's for torturing their owners like that!!!

sapphire_moon · 04-19-04, 02:45 PM

lol, my male has stopped eating again also. He is crusing around though, so I figure I'll give it another week and try him on a smaller than normal prey item. But my female has taken her 2nd 3wk old rat!

lostwithin · 04-19-04, 06:43 PM

If the snakes skin has gotten too the point where it is hanging it should have been brought too a vet long ago, my ball just finished an 8 month fast which is actually a month early and has never shown any signs of losing weight, the snake may have hit the point where it is too malnourished too eat, I would get it too a vet ASAP,
Devon