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 Assist feeding
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 16/12/2011 :  09:25:31  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
My hoggy Baldrick has not eaten for more than 3 months now, and he is starting to look really skinny, he has loose skin all around his upper half and his head is getting bony. I want to try assist feeding him but so far I've been unable to a) hold him still for long enough, and b) actually get his mouth to open. I'm on my own so I only have two hands to do the job with - it doesn't seem to be enough! Can anyone give me any tips for getting him to open up? If I can't do it myself I'll have to take him to the vet and it gets pretty expensive...

1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose)

Kehhlyr
Hognose Admin

260 Posts

Posted - 16/12/2011 :  15:04:54  Show Profile  Click to see Kehhlyr's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
There is a way to do it, I shall terrorise one of mine to show how it's done. Purely due to the explanation being awkward.

-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
SOME OF MY ANIMALS


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jakeduff13
Snake Mite

United Kingdom
16 Posts

Posted - 17/12/2011 :  13:23:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
hi, Are you posting a video up of you assist feeding? ide really like to see that.
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andi
Egg

United Kingdom
62 Posts

Posted - 17/12/2011 :  22:52:07  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
have u tried everything u can think of? wot is he usually feeding on? if he on bigger than a pink maybe go back to the pinks? have u tried to get hold of a frog? have u tried dipping the food in egg yolk? braining the food? warming the food dry and wet? have u tried moving him into a smaller viv for a short time? its not easy to assist feed and can sometimes stress them out more than is needed! wot about scenting a pink with another animal like a chick?

1.1.0 royal python
1.1.0 western hognose
1.0.0 milksnake
1.0.0 blood python
0.0.2 crested gecko
1.1.0 bearded dragon
1.0.0 yellow achie
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 19/12/2011 :  10:46:24  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi Andi, I usually feed him on large fuzzies, but I have gone back to pinkies for now. In the past, I found that braining the pinkies helped, but this time it doesn't seem to be tempting him. I've tried wet and dry, smaller viv, and taking him for a drive. I haven't tried frog scenting because I don't really have access to frogs, but I hadn't heard of using egg yolk, so I might give that a go. I did try using cod liver oil and sardines, though, to no avail, so I'm not hopeful that scenting would work. Raw eggs rather than cooked ones, I presume?

Kehhlyr, it would be great to see a video of assist feeding, but I wouldn't want you to stress out your hoggy unnecessarily. Perhaps if you could just explain how you get the mouth open, as I do know the theory from there?

1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose)
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andi
Egg

United Kingdom
62 Posts

Posted - 21/12/2011 :  23:46:38  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
yeah raw egg yolk, it was advised for royals and i would presume that it would be fine for hoggies, but my non feeding royal who in a yr has eaten twice has now fed twice on chicks which have yolks in them and his appetite has picked up fantastically in comparrison, but it certainly helps, plus in the wild hogs will take eggs if they got the opportunity :o)

1.1.0 royal python
1.1.0 western hognose
1.0.0 milksnake
1.0.0 blood python
0.0.2 crested gecko
1.1.0 bearded dragon
1.0.0 yellow achie
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 22/12/2011 :  09:43:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yes, that's true about them eating eggs in the wild, I didn't think of that. I am doing some baking tomorrow so I'll set aside a bit of egg yolk from that, thanks for the tip!

1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose)
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MrsA82
Hatchling Hoggie

144 Posts

Posted - 22/12/2011 :  19:26:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The sardine trick worked for me. But I did leave a small bit of sardine next to the pinkie rather than just scenting as scenting alone never worked for me


1.1 Extreme Red Albino Hognose
0.1.0 normal 100% het orange albino hognose
0.1.0 Normal hognose
3.5 Royal Python
0.1.0 Cornsnake
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 12/01/2012 :  18:41:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Just an update on my boy. In the end I did have to take him to the vet because he had lost too much weight. He's now eating by himself again, but he's decided that now is the time to start shedding! Very frustrating, but I hope he'll still be hungry when he has his lovely new skin...

1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose)
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mort13
Egg

United Kingdom
55 Posts

Posted - 17/01/2012 :  18:56:39  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It sounds like you've had a bit of a nightmare with your little boy there. Glad he started feeding again in the end, and I hope he keeps his appetite up for you once he's shed.


0.1.0 Western Hogose, 3.3.1 Corn snakes, 1.0.0. MBK
1.0.0 T-Albino Cape House snake, 1.0.0 True Olive House snake
R.I.P Echo,my sweet girl
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