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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
 Posted - 07/09/2010 : 09:59:00
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I know this may sound a little odd but I think my hoggy Piglet has been eating bugs. He's not eaten anything for about 3 months now, even though I've tried everything from fish juices and rat pinkies, to naturally defrosted and using hot water to defrost them and even braining. I've got him out this morning to have a cuddle and found what looks like a spiders leg hanging out of his mouth  Is this normal behaviour for a hoggy? I'm confused as to why he'd eat a spider and not. a juicey mouse. Any thoughts or explanation for this strange diet would really be appricated? I'm not complaining if it means he's eating but just want to check it won't do my little buddy any harm. Hes a year old now and still very little.  |
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Andy_G
Egg
Canada
61 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2010 : 23:47:28
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| Young wild hognose snakes feed mainly on toads and small insects. Completely normal for yours to do this, but do your best to get him on rodents because bugs do not offer a complete diet like rodents do. Have you tried toad scenting? |
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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2010 : 12:32:45
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Not tried scenting yet, I'm trying to get a frog today from our pond. I've not been feeding him the bugs, hes been finding the himself. What should I do with the the frog once I've caught him? Do I rub the pinkie on it?  |
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie
United Kingdom
624 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2010 : 09:19:18
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That's pretty strange! As AndyG says, I do believe it's normal but I'd be interested to know how he managed to catch the spider. How did it get into his viv??
I found Baldrick with a bit of something long and brown hanging out of his mouth once, but it just turned out to be a bit of his bedding - was it definitely a spider's leg and not just a bit of dark aspen shaving? |
1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose) |
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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2010 : 14:45:00
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It was definately a spiders legs, louiseb, it was gross! There is a small hole in the lid of his viv that I've blocked up but there's still a small hole for them to get through. Im trying my hardest to get him back on mice. I spent yesterday frog hunting in the pond, and finally found one. Put it in tube with a pinkie and made sure it got plenty of scent on. I tried feeding it to him but he wasn't interested so I left it in over night and he hasn't eaten it. I've now officially tried everything, now its down to Piglet to decide when he eats next. He seems happy and lively enough and he's not losing weight, so I'm not worrying too much just yet. |
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boze
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2010 : 22:31:03
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Cool, have you tried warming the pinkie, putting it in a little dish (I use a penut butter jar lid) inside his viv and covering the viv with a dark jumper or something?
D |
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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2010 : 14:49:28
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| I've tried warming it up and leaving it on kitchen roll over night. He used to always eat over night so I normally put it in his viv before I go to bed a and take it out in the morning as it usually stinks by then. I use kitchen roll as I don't want him eating aspen but would a plastic lid make any difference? I'll try it when I try feeding him again next week. |
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie
United Kingdom
624 Posts |
Posted - 13/09/2010 : 14:26:27
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| If he's been filling up on spiders, he just might not be hungry. It is a bit gross, I agree - and I quite like spiders! Maybe he'll be more interested in taking pinkies when he's gone for a couple of weeks with no arachnids... |
1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose) |
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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 14/09/2010 : 22:19:43
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| This is must last plea for help. Piglets condition is starting to go down hill. Hes still not lost any weight but his body and skin condition aren't what they were. His skins gone dry and lose. I've tried frog scenting a pinkie today and force feeding him but he ended up getting stressed out so I decided to stop. I think I'm going to lose him soon. I really don't know what else I can do, and I don't want to see him suffer. I'm at my wits end and was wondering what you guys would suggest? Does anyone know of any good herp vets in Bristol that I could take him to? |
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Andy_G
Egg
Canada
61 Posts |
Posted - 15/09/2010 : 04:45:01
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| I don't know what you mean by his skin condition, but if he has not lost weight, it sounds like he may go into a shed cycle from what you have described? |
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie
United Kingdom
624 Posts |
Posted - 15/09/2010 : 13:08:18
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I think that if he hasn't lost weight he's probably not starving, but it would probably be a good idea to take him to a vet for your own peace of mind. You might need to make sure he hasn't got any internal parasites, which would affect his general condition and put him off eating.
I've done a quick Google of reptile vets in Bristol and it's come up with
the Golden Valley Vet Hospital in Nailsea, and The Zetland Vet Hospital in Redland - I can't tell you if they're any good but you could give them a call and see if there is anyone there who might be able to help you.
Let us know how it goes. |
1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose) |
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diggler
Snake Mite
8 Posts |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 01:13:16
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| please let me know if you resolve the situation and how ,my older male is driveing me insaine with not eating good look to you hope we all turn out fine |
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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 10:20:02
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| Thanks everyone. I'll keep you all posted on how he's doing. X |
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie
United Kingdom
624 Posts |
Posted - 28/09/2010 : 15:16:58
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| Any news on the little fella? Has he been to a vet, or eaten anything? |
1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose) |
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Shelly
Egg
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 28/09/2010 : 19:35:27
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| Hey LouiseB. Thanks for asking about Piglet. Sadly he's still not eaten but he's gone into shed and is currently coming out of blue, so thought it'd be best if I waited until after he's shed to then take him to a vet. I'm thinking it's a good sign if he's shedding. What do you think? |
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie
United Kingdom
624 Posts |
Posted - 30/09/2010 : 12:08:22
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Yeah, shedding is a good sign, and it would explain why his skin looked a bit off colour before, and also why he didn't want to eat.
Once he has shed, you could try feeding him again before you go down the vet route? |
1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose) |
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Topic |
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Bug eating hoggy!
