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 still not feeding plz help
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diggler
Snake Mite

8 Posts

Posted - 17/09/2010 :  01:05:31  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
my 2and a half yr old male hoggy refuses to feed i have tried everything from braining to scenting in tuna he just does not want to know,i have tried takeing him out of his viv n placeing in a small box ,i have tried feeding in his viv at night and leaveing him in darkness all night ,he just goes over to mouse flicks at it maybe lays across it for a few minutes then just goes to other side of viv,he has eaten one small fuzzie in about 4mnths i am at my wits end
before this started he would eat a large mouse a week no probbs ,he is still lively is okay being handled but will not eat
i reacently purchased a 6 mth old female who is in another viv at opposite end of room will this have any bearing on adult male not eaing , local reptile shop says just to keep trying him but i am worried that he is just getting stressed at the scent of food ,any ideas plz feel free to contact me

Shelly
Egg

United Kingdom
50 Posts

Posted - 17/09/2010 :  10:26:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hey diggler. You already replied on must bug eating thread. My little piglet is doing excactly the same, I've tried everything too. Its so frustrating so I know how you're feeling. Sorry I can really offer any advice, as you've done most of what I've tried. Have you tried frog scenting? That's the only method that he showed a little interest in, even though he still didn't eat. Good luck and keep me posted on how he's doing.
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 17/09/2010 :  12:33:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Although it didn't make him eat, when my Baldrick was messing me around with not feeding, I gave him a bath in Powerade. I saw it recommended on here and I though it was worth a shot. He didn't eat afterwards, but while he was in the Powerade I thought he seemed to perk up a bit - I think they can take in liquid through their vents, and it has glucose in it, which might stimulate them a bit. Other people have said it makes their snakes eat, so it could be worth a try. But use the orange one, not the blue, as apparently it can stain them!

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 :  20:27:45  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Shelly

Hey diggler. You already replied on must bug eating thread. My little piglet is doing excactly the same, I've tried everything too. Its so frustrating so I know how you're feeling. Sorry I can really offer any advice, as you've done most of what I've tried. Have you tried frog scenting? That's the only method that he showed a little interest in, even though he still didn't eat. Good luck and keep me posted on how he's doing.


thanx for getting back to me i will let u know how vinny goes on ,if no joy in a cpl of weeks will give the "bathing in powerade" a go what have i got to loose lol
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diggler
Snake Mite

8 Posts

Posted - 18/09/2010 :  01:09:39  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
hya shelly n louise
just to let u know vinny has had a good "play out " tonite he was out for about an hour and was very lively n friendly, i hope piglet and baldrick are doing okay
my little baby (yet to be named) is also doing fine and she came out for a little play aswell i just hope vinny eats soon as he is the only snake we have ever had feeding trouble with
we also have three corns a cali king a milk snake and a boa. but hoggys are by far the most intersting and rewarding snakes we have ,will post pics ltr
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 20/09/2010 :  14:12:25  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hoggies just like to be awkward - they are really fun to keep and handle but they certainly make you work for it! Baldrick went for 3 months without eating, then just started up again as if nothing had happened. He never does respond to any of the "tricks" I've read about here and elsewhere - he just eats when he feels like it and he seems to be perfectly healthy. I wouldn't worry too much unless your hoggy starts to lose weight.

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

11 Posts

Posted - 24/09/2010 :  02:22:59  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi,

I haven't posted for a while, but I found now I'm in the same situation. My Marcel has always been really very greedy. I always judged his level of hunger by how active he was in his viv and if he was trying to get out. 4 days after his last meal he was giving the usual signs. I put him in another container with a thawed fuzzy....and nothing happened! He just sniffed and backed away! I couldn't believe it! I've tried several other time since then and have even given him a live fuzzy. He just hissed at it and pretended to strike. Based on what people are writing on this site, I'm just going to have to face the fact that he is just being a hoggie! I'm not worried yet as it has only been just over a week. He's with another thawed fuzzy now, but I think I'm going to have to give it to my spotted python soon as a snack....
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie

United Kingdom
624 Posts

Posted - 24/09/2010 :  14:35:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I used to give my hoggy's cast-off meals to my corn snake, but she's on a diet now so I have to throw them away!
A week isn't a long time for a snake to go without food at all - if I were you I wouldn't even offer him any more fuzzies for another week, then try him again. If there is always food available, he has no incentive to eat it, but if it only appears periodically, he might be more inclined to grab it while it's 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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kiwiseventytwo
Snake Mite

11 Posts

Posted - 25/09/2010 :  00:33:42  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks Louise. I'll get a weight on him now and start to offer him a fuzzy once a week.
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Andy_G
Egg

Canada
61 Posts

Posted - 26/09/2010 :  06:14:42  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
What are his temps?
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kiwiseventytwo
Snake Mite

11 Posts

Posted - 26/09/2010 :  12:41:34  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
His warm side is 29 degrees and I don't have a thermometer on his cold side. Right now I'm only using a heat mat since it's still pretty warm in the house. He is rarely on his warm side and usually likes to hang out underneath his water dish.... I weighed him last night and he's 87 grams.
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Andy_G
Egg

Canada
61 Posts

Posted - 26/09/2010 :  18:36:17  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I keep my hognose much warmer than that and have never had any feeding issues. I believe many keepers who have hognose snakes that feed infrequently keep their snakes too cool. My temps are 26-27 ambient, 32-33 hot spot. This is just my way of doing things, but if it works...don't try to fix it...right?
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kiwiseventytwo
Snake Mite

11 Posts

Posted - 30/09/2010 :  22:39:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I turned his heat lamp on yesterday and now his warm side is 31 degrees. I'll give him a fuzzy tomorrow or Saturday and see what happens. Thanks for the advice.
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kiwiseventytwo
Snake Mite

11 Posts

Posted - 03/10/2010 :  03:02:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Marcel ate today! Not sure if it was the increase in temp or the fact that I let him mellow out for a week. Thanks again for the advice!
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crazysnakeman
Snake Mite

18 Posts

Posted - 14/10/2010 :  11:43:08  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hey mate,

Ive been having the same problem with mine, but finally got him eating again! I noticed with one of my royals, it will only eat if he cant smell the rodent anywhere but on the actual mouse - ie, if the room smells of mouse, OR if the feeding tank smells of mouse, he couldnt seem to distinguish between prey, and general surroundings - again, no idea if this is what was actually going on! i disinfected his feeding tank, and tried again, and boom, he took the rat.

My hoggy went off feed this year, and i tried everything i could find! eventually, for no real reason, i started wondering if it was the same as the problem with the royal - disinfected the feeding tank, and boom, he took it!

No idea on the science behind this, but it may be worth a shot.. have you tried changing your rodent supplier? maybe the mice just arent palatable for him.. try going down a size? they get lazy sometimes.. boiled egg seems to work too.. not sure what i can suggest that other people havnt already!

good luck
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