| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| cloabsizz44 |
Posted - 25/01/2012 : 13:30:09
Hi, our Carolina Dev has not eaten for a few weeks, ive tried all the usual tricks like braining and dipping in tuna to no avail! Wasnt too worried as i know a lot of snakes are going of their feed due to the time of year, but 2 weeks ago, i thought id try him on a fuzzy and he took it straight away! Last week i tried with his normal size, a medium mouse overnight but didnt want it, so offered him a fuzzy the next day and he eats the fuzzy!! So what do i do now, keep offering the fuzzys or stop in case he never goes back to bigger mice?? His temps are fine, hes not due a shed, hes in a 3ft viv and Dev is 3ft, 3 yrs and 251 grams  |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Red123 |
Posted - 15/02/2012 : 08:36:39
I have used rat weaners in the past and to be honest I didn't really feel that they made the snake gain a huge amount of weight. He gains a similar amount of weight whether eating rat weaners or adult mice. This may be helpful though http://www.leedspetshops.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=69
Really pleased that he has eaten a good meal for you. |
| smart bunny |
Posted - 15/02/2012 : 08:22:53
Cannot answer the rat/mouse question, but I'm so pleased he's finally eaten a decent meal for you! |
| Georgina |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 22:29:52
no idea about rat pups, but yeay for the eatingness xx |
| cloabsizz44 |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 22:21:59
Well really pleased to report that Dev has his first big meal in a long time!! He had a rat weiner about the size of a medium mouse which was scented in a chick thigh, left with him in the dark, and was gone after checking after an hour!! Such a relief! Are rat wieners ok for corn snakes or shall I try scenting a mouse with chick next time, as some people say rats are bad for corns? At the mo though I'm just pleased he's had a good meal :-) |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 12:47:23
the female could be putting him off his food as breeding season is just around the corner, maybe worth (if you can) move one of them. I was going to try the chick trick my baby stopped eating in nov and took 1 feed on tuesday she lost 4g in that time, going from 22g to 18g, so i'm sure 8g on the big snake will be fine. I couldn't get hold of any chicks locally and buying online would have meant buying in bulk (i would have done this if it meant crystal would feed) but i thought i'd try scenting with chicken skin first, easily available and just buy skinned breasts instead of skinless, wrapped the pinky in it and hey presto she took it, am doing to try again.
Have you tried covering his viv with a towel or blanket at feeding times so he really is in the dark and can't see anything, don't let anyone take a peek till 12 - 24 hrs later.
good luck |
| cloabsizz44 |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 10:47:02
Well hamster wee wee is not Devs thing! Didn't work! So next thing is the shaving, and the chicken leg thing seems really hopeful, i'll try that next!
He's been in his 3ft viv since we got him in september and has always eaten his med/large mice quite happily in there, but we do have to leave him too it, he doesnt like being watched!
Did think he might be kinda brumating too, and we also at xmas got a female snow who is in a 2ft viv on top of his, could this maybe be upsetting his feeding because its the breeding season and he can smell her?
Also since the end of december, which is when he stopped eating, he's lost 8 grams, is that something to worry about or just to be expected wheres he's not eating properly?
Thanks for all your suggestions and help |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 09:00:49
I had this problem with my king for a bit, normally he would wolf down large/jumbo mice and then he wouldn't touch them for weeks! I offer him a med/small and he didn't leap on the mouse but he did eat it after a while. A few months later he's back to wolfing down jumbo mice no idea what changed. The only possible though I had was that is he was trying to hibernate or knows that the ambient temp has dropped so he shouldn't eat but a smaller mouse is harder to resist as he knows he will digest it quicker than a bigger mouse? Who knows snakes are weird sometimes. I'm sure what ever it is, he will eventually start eating med mice again no problem :) |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 07:25:43
How long has he been in his 3ft viv - just a thought, but when i moved harry into a 2ft viv he stopped wanting to feed, so i moved him back ito a RUB that is 1.5ft and he started feeding again.
When i tried to move him up to small mice he didn't want them think the whiskers tickled his cheeks, so i cut the whiskers and fur off around the head, then left the whiskers longer and longer each time, he's now taking them without a problem, i haven't moved him back in the 2ft yet (lilly's occuppying it, i need to get her a bigger home first)
good luck |
| CentricMalteser85 |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 01:56:17
If the hamster is in the same room as him, he most likely can smell and live is always tastier than thawed for snakes (personally I dont know lol)
Therefore if this is the case, I suggest offering the fuzzy and shake it a little as if it were alive, with the hamster cage near bye, and as he strikes and starts swallowing, put the hamster in another room, away from snakey.
To him he thinks he has eaten the "live hamster" and hopefully you can then go to the mouse.
If the hamster is in another room then ignore the above and follow the thread for non feeders below
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21691&SearchTerms=non |
| cloabsizz44 |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 11:05:32
Hi, nope still wont eat a mouse, medium or small! He will only take 1 fuzzy. Was going to try offering a small mouse straight after a fuzzy but he wouldnt even take the fuzzy, so left with him overnight and fuzzy was gone but not mouse! Left 2 fuzzys the following week but again he just ate the one! My youngest daughter has just got a pet hamster so i am going to try rubbing the mouse in its urine tonight but if that fails i think i will definitley try the shaving thing lol! |
| Red123 |
Posted - 01/02/2012 : 21:13:51
quote:
Originally posted by eeji
this may sound bonkers but try shaving a mouse so theres no fur to put him off - he might just think its a big fuzzy :D
Doesnt sound bonkers to me. Had to do that for John, eventually we got it down to just removing the whiskers but now he eats fur and whiskers. Quite fidderly to do but worth a go. |
| eeji |
Posted - 01/02/2012 : 20:57:11
this may sound bonkers but try shaving a mouse so theres no fur to put him off - he might just think its a big fuzzy :D |
| Red123 |
Posted - 01/02/2012 : 16:49:40
Any luck with a mouse? |
| cloabsizz44 |
Posted - 25/01/2012 : 20:24:21
Yeah I think I would feel better feeding something rather than nothing! Just didn't want to make his fussiness worse! Didn't think to try the mouse straight after the fuzzy, that's a great idea! Will try that on sat when I try again :) |
| Red123 |
Posted - 25/01/2012 : 18:51:09
Have you tried offering him a fuzzy then as soon as he has eaten that offer a mouse. He may take it if he is already in feeding mode. |
| herriotfan |
Posted - 25/01/2012 : 18:43:01
If he eats fuzzies it's better to give him them than not have him eat at all. You could always give him one a week (or two at each feed if he'll take them) then after a few weeks move up a size. Anything has to be a better option than nothing! |
