Feeding questions.

Alrighty, I am having some dilemmas with Lickity and I don't know whats what. Heres her feeding Records. I bought her last September 26th. She went to the Vet October Friday 13th, had a physical exam but no fecal. Her first meal with me was October 15th, then 17th, 24th, 31st. Nov. 7th, 14th, 21st, 25th, and 30th. Dec. 5th, 10th, 19th, 28th. Jan. 2nd, Then she went off feed until Feb. 14th, 23rd, 28th. Skipped and the last time she has eaten was March 27th.

I know its normal for them to go off feed and as you guys know I'm a worry wart kind of Mommy. I just bought a scale two days ago off of Ebay. $19.95 and a ten year warranty. I'll be worried until it gets here.

See on last October 13th when she went she weighed in at 81 grams and the Vet said that she was a little underweight, then somebody on here said that was just WAY to skinny, which ticked me off because if it really was that bad the Vet should of simply said it was that bad.

As of lately I just feel totally incompetent with my Snake babies. Maybe its because Jake (Corn Snake) was my first Exotic EVER, and I'm new to them both. I don't know? Did anybody else go through this with their firsts? I don't know if I'm overfeeding, underfeeding, not getting something, or realizing something, or doing something wrong.

Keep in mind with the feeding I just gave dates off when she ate not what she ate or how many.

I also did something I feel stupid about. I'm obsessive compulsive about washing my hands and have been even before my Exotics. Well I messed up the day the Rescue Leos got here. Andy helped us carry them up and just to be nice I showed him my setups and animals for just a second because he rushed out of here. My big mistake in the anxiousness was I forgot to wash my hands before picking Lickity up. The Rescues turned out to have Pin Worms. I have they Panacur and the Leos have one week of treatment left and I will have extra and would like to treat her with some and yes I know less is more.

Shes not to skinny visably but she hasn't gotten longer. I know Corn Snakes and Balls are different but how much? Jake grew longer every month, but yes he was eating and I know that how often and how much they feed has everything to do with how often they'll shed.

So I broke down finally and just yesterday Jeff went to the Pet Store and picked up the regular order of Small Mice and we tried feeding them live, which is my second dilemma, a moral dilemma. I threw one and watched last nite, she wasn't left unattended. Lickity struck twice and missed and I thought the poor little Mouse was going to die of a heart attack. I've done it before. I thought a little brown house Mouse was cute which we found because the Cat had it cornered so all three of us were chasing it. We finally caught it and two minutes later it died of a heart attack. Its torture for the Mouse that doesn't get eaten.

So what do you guys do about stunning the Mice? I would feel REALLY bad to stun it and then she doesn't eat it so then its sitting there hurt.

I also have a question about inventions. Those co2 chamber things. I read one idea about two coolers and dry ice. My friend told me about and hes not a Reptile Person but hes smart, at least smarter then me. He said to take a tupperware and take the key board cleaner and put a sealed in the tupperware big enough for the key board stuff. He said the key board cleaner has no chemicals and is just compressed air, or pressured air? Does it sound like a good idea or do I need to explain it more?

How do you guys get through it and not feel so bad? I mean with the live Mice and or Rats. I thought I had the feelings under control. I said colored Rodents are cute and albinos are feeders. I don't like albinos. An the ONLY Rodents I like are Rats. I have two Pet Mice and I take care of them but I don't even like them. Their not good Pets. They are to small and smell and bite at my fingertips and they hop everywhere. Stinky buggers. The Rats can hop but they won't go off the bed or couch or chair. I've caught them try to twice but they stay where they are for the most part. An even when they were new they didn't jump right out of my hands.

I mean these Mice were ok with me before they saw the Snake and now they HATE me. My good friend told me to stop thinking of them as Mice but just a hamburger for Lickity. I WILL do whatever I have to do for her but I still feel evil doing it. How do you guys deal?

ALSO....right now her hot side is at 86.5 and cool at 78.8. It is night time here. In the Summer I'll get a night drop but in Winter I don't because I use a space heater. In the day she doesn't get above 91, maybe 92. Shes in a rubbermaid and I use newspaper. She had a dry hand towel in there but took it out to wash it.

Do you guys think (I offer two hides to my Critters) that they have "preferred" or "favorite" hides? She has a big stone green water dish and two logs, one is small and one is large. The small one is on the cool side right now and the large on the warm side. Well she seems to "prefer" her smaller log. I have other Critters that do this to. Well thats all for now and I would REALLY appreciate ANY advice you have to give for now.

Wow

Yes, they do prefer snugger hides over bigger ones, they like to have something touching them on all sides, so will choose security over thermo-regulating.

Get those warm side temps up - I keep all of mine at about 92 on the warm side and 82 on the cool side.

Get that corrected and the hides identical and small and leave her alone for the week, then drop in a live mouse and if everything else is spot on - she should eat it.

I'd also take a sample of her next fecal into the vet for a fecal test to make sure she didn't contract the pinworms, and if she did, so she can be treated.

It also seems you feed her on a irregular schedule. Pick a day of the week to feed her and do it on the same day every week. Also try to feed her in the evenings, some prefer to eat when they know it is almost dark out. Like Robin said, get those temps stable. They should be 92 on the hot side and 82 on the cold consistently.

They are those temps in the day time. Those were my night readings and I get a night drop in temps in Summer. I've tried every night since then. Two nights ago, she ignored the Mouse, and last night she chased it a couple of times and then when it ran over by her head she completely shyed away. Somebody told me it was odd she won't eat live. Last night the live Mouse would sit in the corner and stand its tail straight up in the air and then it started waving it really fast and beating its tail against the tank. Why did it do that? I honestly don't know what else to try with her and I can't read her. A couple of nights ago she chased my tongs, so last night I offered f/t. Didn't take it, then I tried the live and that got her moving but she didn't take that. I am utterly confused.

I forgot. Bill part of the reason her feeding schedule is hectic is because alittle later I switched to feeding her every five days. Since she was 81 grams and a baby. This probably is me though with a weird schedule and a weird offering of foods. I just want her to eat. Should I try a live Gerbil? I don't know about live Gerbils or Rats though. I don't want to end up having any more Pets because she didn't eat them. I just can't wait for that Scale to get here so I can find out if shes underweight or not.

If she is then off to the Vet for some force feeding. If not then I'm not sure what my plan is. Should I try giving her a chicken leg? I read you can feed those. I just wish I knew what she wanted!

Originally Posted by Leighanne

They are those temps in the day time. Those were my night readings and I get a night drop in temps in Summer. I've tried every night since then. Two nights ago, she ignored the Mouse, and last night she chased it a couple of times and then when it ran over by her head she completely shyed away. Somebody told me it was odd she won't eat live. Last night the live Mouse would sit in the corner and stand its tail straight up in the air and then it started waving it really fast and beating its tail against the tank. Why did it do that? I honestly don't know what else to try with her and I can't read her. A couple of nights ago she chased my tongs, so last night I offered f/t. Didn't take it, then I tried the live and that got her moving but she didn't take that. I am utterly confused.

You don't need a night time drop, keep her temps stable 24/7.

Originally Posted by Leighanne

I forgot. Bill part of the reason her feeding schedule is hectic is because alittle later I switched to feeding her every five days. Since she was 81 grams and a baby. This probably is me though with a weird schedule and a weird offering of foods. I just want her to eat. Should I try a live Gerbil? I don't know about live Gerbils or Rats though. I don't want to end up having any more Pets because she didn't eat them. I just can't wait for that Scale to get here so I can find out if shes underweight or not.

If she is then off to the Vet for some force feeding. If not then I'm not sure what my plan is. Should I try giving her a chicken leg? I read you can feed those. I just wish I knew what she wanted!

Do not feed her a gerbil and absolutely no chicken leg. Do you have a recent pic of her? It needs to be a full body shot to see how thin she is. How often do you handle her? What is the humidity?

The night time drop is natural from the room. So how would I control that and keep her good day temps up at night? Same with the cool side temps if their inadequate. I'm not sure I know how to raise those without another heater source. I don't handle her ever unless I have to clean her. An I take humidity is all that important even if their not shedding? Maybe I get that stupid thought from my Leos because its only ever important during a shed. I don't know! I'm gonna go clean her now because the live Mice pooped in there.

I personally don't like her small hide because she doesn't have any room to move once she gets herself jammed in there. No room to hunt. I've never had success feeding her when in that log, she eats on the nights shes not in there and roaming around. What do you think of me taking away both logs and replacing them with two tupperwares of the same size? I tried to make a humid hide like this once and she never used it and knocked it around. The hole was on the side though not in the top but I'd still think she'd knock it around. Not heavy enough to sustain her weight is what I'm saying. Geesh I got the right heating equipment and still didn't get it right.

I am also sorry because I have no availability to pictures. Her back bone protrudes minimally but I thought that was normal with Balls to be able to feel or see their back bone a little? Shes still thick in her middle. Lose skin is a sign I know, but shes not all lose. She looks almost the same as when I bought her except shes got chub in her middle.

I'm thinking my plan now is to change both hides to something....I'm thinking of what I can locate. Leave her alone for a week and then mist her before a feeding. I haven't tried that. Besides keeping her temps stable without another heat source, which I'm confused about she has at least everything I thought was needed?

One thing I notice is that even though you may not like how tight the hide may be, your snake does.

It sounds like you are just need to leave her alone for a while. Just leave her with her hides, plenty of fresh water, and constant temps of 92 and 82.

Also, I would not suggest variating away from Mice or Rats. NO CHICKEN LEGS

Let her be, give her some space, and see what happens in the next couple of weeks.

Well I just got done cleaning her and changed both hides. I went through my dishes and found two of similar size. Since I got the impression there was something amiss with my hides. I can variate between which ever she chooses she likes. Shes now nice and clean, lots of water and I changed her Thermometer. The one I had didn't read humidity which as I stated I didn't know was all that important except for times of shedding. I put a new towel in to because she seems more comfortable covered up to me for sure. If I can see her she doesn't like it. Maybe I can get ahold of some cell phone pics to, maybe. Otherwise though I don't own a camera and my scanner doesn't work. Blah. I will leave her alone until next Tuesday on Jakes feeding day and try again if shes out and about.