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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 :  19:14:29  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Well, this is week 5 of Clarice not eating. I was just wondering if something i am doing is wrong?
-She is normally kept at 26-29deg with 33-34deg hotspot. She always has fresh water and plenty of places to hide, she is kept on aspen and was eating 2 pinkie mice every week. I have included a pic of her viv, which gives her plenty of room as she is not very big yet. Any advice?

hc-burrel
Snake Mite

Netherlands
30 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 :  19:42:56  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Whats the size of the terrarium?
If stil eating pinnkies i supose its a young snake
When little hognose snakes are housed to big they get scared of by al the open space.
You can try housing him smaller.
My 2008 yungsters are housed in boxes of 12x18x7,5cm but bigger must be possble

My snakes:
6.4 Heterodon nasicus nasicus 01-07-2009
2.0 Heterodon nasicus nasicus 05-10-2008
1.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus
1.0 Heterodon nasicus nasicus - Albino
0.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus - Hetro highcontrast albino (green)
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae
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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 :  19:50:00  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
About 50x30, she is around 30cms long and 35grams in weight. She is very active so i moved her to a bigger viv. She stopped eating quite a while after i moved her to the bigger viv. She will actually take fuzzies but i have been trying to tempt her with little pinkies, she is a really in between size i think. I am despairing with her, im so worried.
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dippydigger
Snake Mite

United Kingdom
13 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 :  20:32:48  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Our Hoggies go through times like this, Our male didn't eat for 9 weeks last year. We also put iradiated peat in their vivs to allow them to dig tunnels etc. In the meantime are you sure she is taking water, have you her seen her drinking. If not try bathing her in a small tank for ten mins a day in warm water. This will help preventher getting de-hydrated. Also a viv that is too big can interfere with eating as the hoggie is so inqusitive it will spend all its time exploring and not eat. If it helps to know, we have a new Malagasy Hoggie who hasn't eaten on her own for 12 months.

1:1:0 Western Hognose.
2:2:0 Royal Python.
1:1:0 Mexican Kingsnake
1:2:0 Snow Corn
1:0:0 Amel Corn
1:0:0 Common Boa
0:1:0 Malagasy Hognose
0:1:0 Hermans Tortoise
0:2:0 Horsfield Tortoise
1:1:0 American Green Tree Frogs.
2:1:0 Kids
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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 :  20:44:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yeah, that helps a bit. I keep having to top up her water, so i think she is drinking although i have never seen her. She has a moss box also which is damp. I wondered about dehydration so i have soaked her a couple of times in a small amount of water, but i never left her too long as she always looked worried (if a snake can look worried!). I have tried feeding her in and out of her viv. I am at loss for what to do next which is why im asking for advice. When you say on her own, do you mean you have to force feed her?
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dippydigger
Snake Mite

United Kingdom
13 Posts

Posted - 15/09/2009 :  22:09:52  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Sadly we do have to force feed her every fortnight. She was wild caught, which we only just found out, this does make a difference as wc animals are notoriously poor feeders. At the moment we give her a small sand eel, which slides down quite easily, although you have to watch out for the fangs at the rear. She is very healthy and sheds regularly, so as long as we have too we will help her out. We have found a place now that will sell us single frog legs so this is the next step. Don't forget though that as the snake comes into season it will stop eating for a time. It is worrying especially with the Hoggies as they have such individual personalities.

1:1:0 Western Hognose.
2:2:0 Royal Python.
1:1:0 Mexican Kingsnake
1:2:0 Snow Corn
1:0:0 Amel Corn
1:0:0 Common Boa
0:1:0 Malagasy Hognose
0:1:0 Hermans Tortoise
0:2:0 Horsfield Tortoise
1:1:0 American Green Tree Frogs.
2:1:0 Kids
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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 16/09/2009 :  19:52:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
:-) thank you! I feel so worried about her because i am so fond of her. She really does have a great personality, in a way i never considered a reptile could have! Single frog legs sounds like a good last resort, is it a shop or an internet based thing?
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Kazerella
Hognose Admin

United Kingdom
746 Posts

Posted - 21/09/2009 :  14:02:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Most hoggies (especially males) will go through a period of fasting when uncomfortable. Moving to a new viv must have upset her a bit, but she should strat eating again soon.

Just keep trying

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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 23/09/2009 :  19:10:14  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Just thought id give you guys an update, she still* hasn't eaten. But i took her to a really good reptile vet for a check up, and he said she seems in excellent condition and just to keep trying. He did suggest that i bathe her in warm water for 10 mins which i did (and she hated!) in case she was dehydrated. Just a thought if anyone else is struggling to get theirs to eat! Will post when she finally eats again!
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Kazerella
Hognose Admin

United Kingdom
746 Posts

Posted - 24/09/2009 :  16:31:52  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Have you tried scenting yet?

I put a pilchard in the bag with the frozen pinkies when Wilbur wasn't eating. That worked

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hc-burrel
Snake Mite

Netherlands
30 Posts

Posted - 27/09/2009 :  18:47:09  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Bathing the hognose wil only stres her out, they realy hate water.
They also dont drink so often, can be hard to spot them drinken.

Just keep checking out the wheight every 1 or 2 weeks
My hognose male once refused to eat for about 2 months
Scenting is an option but refusing to eat can be a normal thing to do for hognoses

My snakes:
6.4 Heterodon nasicus nasicus 01-07-2009
2.0 Heterodon nasicus nasicus 05-10-2008
1.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus
1.0 Heterodon nasicus nasicus - Albino
0.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus - Hetro highcontrast albino (green)
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae
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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 28/09/2009 :  16:24:37  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Ok, Clarice finally ate something!! The solution- rat pups! Managed to find some small enough, so tried one today, and she munched it down faster than Ive ever seen a snake eat!! I am very pleased.

Also, i know they hate water, but i went to an exotics vet and that is what he advised. Im not a vet myself so i thought i should take his advice.

Anyways thought id post and let you all know, in case anyone was having the same problem!
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hc-burrel
Snake Mite

Netherlands
30 Posts

Posted - 28/09/2009 :  23:48:23  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I never use water on hognose snakes, they only have drinking water.
Even when they are about to shed skin, i rarely spray water

Once one of my hognose had problems shedding his skin...
Advised by 2 vets i start bathing him once a day for a week till things should get better... instead this only stressed him out even more and he also caght a serrious lung inflammation which killed him!

mabe this sounds weird.. but be carefull trusting a vet when it comes to reptiles
only few vets realy know something about reptiles
most vets have just bin on a sort of information day (dont know the english word)
most times reptiles where not taken in the education

once i where at a vet in Amsterdam. He sounded like he realy knew everything about reptiles but at the end he needed a lot of books to find out how to help a simple ratsnake.
He also advised bathing my hognose.

My snakes:
6.4 Heterodon nasicus nasicus 01-07-2009
2.0 Heterodon nasicus nasicus 05-10-2008
1.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus
1.0 Heterodon nasicus nasicus - Albino
0.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus - Hetro highcontrast albino (green)
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae

Edited by - hc-burrel on 29/09/2009 00:06:53
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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 03/10/2009 :  12:42:31  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hmmm, must take vet advice with a pinch of salt then. He was very good though, told me a lot about the hogsnose species in particular, so i felt comfortable trusting his advice. I dont know, its difficult isnt it to know what to do for the best sometimes. Thank you for your advice though, this is why forums like this are so valuable!
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Paulusworm
Hognose Moderator

United Kingdom
65 Posts

Posted - 04/10/2009 :  08:00:12  Show Profile  Click to see Paulusworm's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
Where do you live? I can ask around and see if there is a rep vet in your area who has a good reputation if you want.

0.0.1 Royal Python, 1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.0.1 Bosc's Monitor, 1.4.1 Phyllium phillipines
0.1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose
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stiggle_2
Snake Mite

28 Posts

Posted - 04/10/2009 :  12:03:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I live in leicester. The vest i went to has a good reputation, its in sileby and its called chine house. What do you think? Have you heard of it?

On a similar note, do you know anyone who breeds royal pythons round here? I am after a new addition to my family! ;-) Im all set up, just need a nice healthy snake!
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