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-   -   Help! Im new to hognoses and my female hasn't eaten in going on 3 months! (https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=643860)

BlueCrowned 01-08-2018 12:05 AM

How is your snake doing?

Saphire4260 01-08-2018 12:09 AM

She still hasnt eaten, I talked to my vet again and she told me about a powdered mix for snakes that I could try tube feeding her with, i dont know how i feel about that but I am going to mix some of the powder into her water, it wont be much but I figure its at least some calories

jhh273 01-09-2018 10:26 PM

Make sure she does not get dehydrated. If she does she will probably not start eating. I soak my non eaters in warm water half a day to hydrate them. Over the years I have tried many scents for obstinate babies and salmon water, Vienna sausage water and frog or toad scent seems to pull most of them through. I have read many times to not use frog of toad but I never had problems switching them back to no scent. It is better to have one eating with a little scent than a dead one. Good luck.

kalel5011 01-14-2018 08:33 PM

The enclosure looks a bit bigger than I've seen.

I wouldn't suggest the sand personally.

I'm also not opposed to the simplest answer here.... Maybe, nothing is wrong. Mine went without eating for more than six weeks, then just started eating again. Then stopped for another three weeks.

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Saphire4260 01-15-2018 11:44 AM

@jhh273 - Ive actually justvput in a larger waterbowl so she can soak in it because she had seemed to like soaking when I took her out to soak her. When i have the stuff in her water ive been soaking her, what it dosnt have the powder she ends up soaking herself and swimming in the water bowl but if you think i should do it on those days to I will. I havent tried Salmon water uet but I certainly will.

@kale5011 - I could try making it smaller if you think itd help, but ive been wondering if it is that as well. But if it is just because of winter will snakes over do that? Or will they start eating before winter ends? Is it the same as a stress feeding stike?

hotlips 01-31-2018 12:49 AM

Many years ago I had a pair of W. hognose snakes & they didn't eat all that well in winter. Keep in mind that snakes know it's winter not just by temperatures but also by the length of the daylight. Not necessarily a light right over her cage though...might try a 'daylight' bulb going in the room? I used UTH for mine in 10 gal. (separate) aquariums, & used Carefresh for a substrate. It allows them to burrow, but doesn't have the drawbacks of sand. I agree with enclosing reluctant feeders in a bag or container with dead prey overnight, sorry that didn't work. It's discouraging for such a small snake to lose weight, as they don't have much to spare.

I have tube-fed my share of snakes over many years, even tiny ones- it's not that hard and better than trying to force-feed prey into a snake's mouth. I can give you pointers if you like. One such snake I had to do that with was a Texas longnose snake that I got from a pet store: it wouldn't eat for them & I knew it needed help...I traded them one of my young corn snakes for it, a well-started easy pet they could actually sell. I still have that longnose, he's about 32" long and about 16 1/2 years old now. They are lizard feeders by nature, but as a c/b, he had been started on pink mice, it's just that the pet store had no luck or patience. After I settled him in at home & he refused normal prey items, I gave him a tube-feeding. After that, he perked up and wanted real food a week later. I never had to do it again, though I can't promise you that of course.

What's important about tube-feeding is that it gives a snake that's weak from not eating enough energy to FEEL like eating again. It's like being in a hospital without an I.V. to get your energy back when you're sick & have no appetite...you need that boost to stay out of a downward spiral. FYI, I use Gerbers chicken babyfood thinned with a little water so it's thin enough to go thru the tubing*. (*use a human urethral catheter of appropriate diameter, attached to syringe -without needle, of course) Lubricate the catheter with a tiny dab of olive oil (or similar edible oil), & you can add a drop or two to the liquid baby-food too. You need to be gentle, but firm & patient too...keep the snake level or with the head up slightly afterward as you put them back into the cage, as what goes in can slide back out pretty easily...

Saphire4260 02-02-2018 12:20 PM

Thank you so much for that advice, if she dosnt start eating soon I will try that.

Saphire4260 02-10-2018 11:11 PM

Hi! So she still hasnt eaten but the weirdest thing is happening. Shes gained nearly 4 grams in the past few weeks and this is without the mix in her water. Im not sure whats happening with this... she also seems to be going into shed again

hotlips 02-10-2018 11:32 PM

She's over a year old, right? I wonder if she's eggbound? Did your vet do any scans? (x-ray or ultrasound) Some snakes produce infertile eggs without ever breeding, and it can sometimes cause real problems too.

Saphire4260 02-10-2018 11:57 PM

I think shes almost exactly a year old


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