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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 19/10/2009 : 23:47:04

i would not do it either, that to me is cruel..

for what its worth Karen, i got a very small mouse into Oscar tonight, tried him with a second, but he did not want it..

so he has had something..

good luck i am praying for you. i know it is stressful..probably more for us than the snakes..

edited to add, i noticed this before with Oscar, if i have handled the mouse he wont take it..lol...presumably it must make it smell more of me than the mouse so just a line of thought...probably wont make any difference to you..but who knows..

Think Oscar is just pulling a fast one on me..

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

Edited by - wolfspirit on 19/10/2009 23:52:06

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 24/10/2009 : 23:12:38

After much perserverance I managed to assist feed one rat pinky to Ziggy tonight. I did plan to give two, but the dog ran off with the second one when my back was turned, so one had to do.

I feel better knowing that he has had something, he seems to be looking for food each night but when offered is not interested so assist it was.

01.01.00 Whippets - Dylan and Tigger
01.01.00 AfricanGreys - Jasper and Ruby
00.00.15 KoiCarp
01.01.00 RoyalPython -Ebanks Blake and Gladysss
01.00.00 MojaveRoyal - Kelso
01.00.00 AlbinoRoyal - Ziggy
00.01.00 PastelRoyal - Phyllisss
00.01.00 SpiderRoyal - Wincey

Blackecho
Royal Python Admin

United Kingdom
11327 Posts

Posted - 25/10/2009 : 08:08:21

What made you decide to go down that route? - Has he lost more weight?

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 25/10/2009 : 09:44:03

Yes he's losing a gram / gram and a half a day.

Blackecho
Royal Python Admin

United Kingdom
11327 Posts

Posted - 25/10/2009 : 14:07:31

Honestly, I think you're over reacting, I mean this to put you at ease rather than to have a dig.

For instance, if your snake generally eats every 5 days, him missing a meal for two weeks is only the equivalent of us going a day without food. We could easily live without food for up to a week, so to a snake that's eating every 5 days that's the equivalent of about 3 months.

I know its not directly equatable, but just try not to panic, these animals are designed to go months without food.

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 26/10/2009 : 13:48:54

Thanks for the advice, I know I probably am over reacting, and I appreciate your honesty, but can you advise me of when I should start worrying and what sort of weight loss I should be looking for before resorting to assist feeding??

I think that because he is a 10 month old snake and only weighs in at 180 grams, compared to my younger snakes who are only 6 months and over 300 grams, this is why I am concerned.

wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 30/10/2009 : 19:33:21

Hi Karen, just a question..

you said in your post the dog ran off with a rat pup..

was the dog in the room when you were feeding Ziggy?

i cant feed Bliss when any of my animals are in the room as she freaks out, and she does not like them...they scare her

Bliss senses my animals even when they are outside the room, like behind the door and she is constantly watching to see if they are coming in..and it takes her time to settle and know she is safe

on another note, i have now got Oscar feeding, its on mice but he is taking them regular for me now..and he refused a live rat...so go figure...

so maybe something like this is bothering him..

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

Blackecho
Royal Python Admin

United Kingdom
11327 Posts

Posted - 30/10/2009 : 20:28:33

Good thinking Anne.

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 30/10/2009 : 22:09:46

No Anne the rats were thawing in the kitchen and I had warmed them ready to feed. I took one and tried to feed him, but when I went to get the other I couldn't find it. The dog turned up as i was looking for it and dropped it at my feet.

Good thinking, but no that wasn't the case.

wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 30/10/2009 : 23:30:39

shame would have made life a bit easier for you in that maybe it could have been the dog, but it still could be something like that, and he feels threatened..., or it could just be the time of year..

i have had so much hassle trying to get Oscar to feed..in the end i gave in..but for me it is different, he did lose a bit of weight to start with but not a great deal it was only a 100g but he is still at 750g so i am not to worried and he has not lost any more since being back on mice..

i agree with BE to in that it might be nothing to worry about, all the same they are to me part of my family and i would feel stressed a bit at first, if all else is well i dont think now i would worry so much...

i know of a few people who have had royals not eating for ages and one whose royal never ate for over a year..

maybe just leave him alone for a good 14-21 days and then see what happens, he is probably picking up your stress and it might be making him uneasy...

is there anyone else in the family who feeds them? maybe try getting one of them to do it alone without you there and see what happens..

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 31/10/2009 : 12:24:12

I know what you mean about the larger snakes not eating - I went though that with Gladysss, she didn't eat for nearly 12 weeks, but she is now back on the rats which is fab.

It's only me that feeds them all, they all strike within seconds of me offering, it's like bang, bang, bang, and they are all fed, literally that fast. Ziggy, seems to be hunting his rub every night but when offered food shys away.

I plan to offer him food but if he doesn't take it leave him for 5 days and offer again. My main concern is how much weight I should allow him to loose. He is so small in comparision to the baby snakes we have had for just a few months.

wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 31/10/2009 : 15:30:12

quote:
Originally posted by kashie

I know what you mean about the larger snakes not eating - I went though that with Gladysss, she didn't eat for nearly 12 weeks, but she is now back on the rats which is fab.

It's only me that feeds them all, they all strike within seconds of me offering, it's like bang, bang, bang, and they are all fed, literally that fast. Ziggy, seems to be hunting his rub every night but when offered food shys away.

I plan to offer him food but if he doesn't take it leave him for 5 days and offer again. My main concern is how much weight I should allow him to loose. He is so small in comparision to the baby snakes we have had for just a few months.

being active in his home does not always mean hunger....it can also mean stress or being unhappy, i am not saying your doing anything wrong either, just that it is another sign of stress, so it coul dbe something simple that is causing it.

The reason i aid to get someone else to try a feed was because i know of someone whose royal would ot feed for them, and the one day he was not able to do it, someone else did and bingo the snake fed...

i would still be inclined if your really worried to either offer him a small live mouse and see if he is interested then, put him in a open rub with it so you can see what is going on..

failing that i might get in touch with the breeder to see what they suggest..

the thing is you weighed him twice, once unempty and then empty, how much has he lost since the empty weight?

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 31/10/2009 : 22:51:22

I weighed him yesterday and he was 194 so since I weighed him after pooing he has lost 25 grams in four weeks, which isn't so bad but he has had a rat pinky in between so that has stopped the wieght loss. He was loosing like 1 gram a day.

And no Anne I know you are not having a go, I really appreciate all your help - truely. ;)

wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 01/11/2009 : 00:06:02

25g is not a lot, if your still worried have a chat with the breeder, see if he can come up with anything..

what size rub is he in?

sorry i cant remember,..

you could try him in a 9l or a 4l rub...i have a 500g royal still in a 9l rub...and she feeds like a trojan..and she still squishes herself into a small margerine tub for a hide...silly girl..she loves that it is so small i guess...

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 01/11/2009 : 00:09:35

forgot to add, Kaylas rub is very busy, she has two hides a water bowl and a plant that covers three quarters of her living space...oh and she has a toilet roll but she does not go in it, it is just to fill up space.

It is hard to see her for the plant in there, but she is happy and as i said in my previous post feeds really well..

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 01/11/2009 : 14:08:16

This is a picture of Ziggys rub, it's not usually this untidy but I've just opened it the first time this morning, and he has been on the rampage in the night. lol.

Where he is sleeping is roughly where the heatmat ends and the piece of bark he is hiding under is his favourite haunt but is usually situated next to the dish in the corner of the cool end.

The temps are fine, 29.3 in warm end on a stat, and 26.3 in cool end. It's a 9lt rub, so not too big.

He has been in here since I moved him from the original viv we had him in when we first brought him home, and seems much happier than he was before.

He has shown more increased activity in the evenings over the past few weeks but nothing has changed from when I first put him in there, so I don't know what else might be bothering him.

wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!

United Kingdom
5741 Posts

Posted - 01/11/2009 : 22:41:06

that angle makes that rub look bigger than a 9L..lol.

yours is not much different to this one, this is Kayla's..

you could try stretching his feeds if your still worried..leave it a tad longer, ie 7-10 days just to see if you get a better feeding response...

the only other thing i can think of is eyecaps...but if he has clean sheds then it is not that..lol

what is his rub next to? has he always been in the same place even when he was in his other home?

"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 02/11/2009 : 08:31:44

He has a clesn shed and he eyes are clear so it's not that.
The rub is enclosed by the wall at the back and on the right hand side to his left is Kelso in a clear small plastic viv.
Thinking about it - yes - I have moved him, since he was in the viv.
There are 5 snakes in a row, and Ziggy is at present at the right hand end of the row.
He was originally on the left hand end, perhaps I could try putting him back there, as that end would have received more day light than the end he is currently on.
Apart from that nothing has changed.
I cleaned him out yesterday and put in some more wood to cramp it up a bit.
I will move him today and leave him to settle back there before offering more food.

kashie
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
567 Posts

Posted - 15/12/2009 : 07:45:37

Well I had to resort to assist feeding in the end. He went down to 160 grams and i started to panic - so assist it was. I did this twice in the past two weeks BUT last night he struck and fed all by himself!!!

I'm not holding my breath but let's hope this is going to be something regular.

As it was only a mouse fluff that he ate and I have been assisting two of these, I didn't give him the 2nd one as he showed no interest. Should I feed him on a 3 day cycle instead of his usual 5 day. I dont want to increase the size of the feed as this seemed to put him off last time his started striking.

Any advice greatly appreciated.....Thanks

Blackecho
Royal Python Admin

United Kingdom
11327 Posts

Posted - 15/12/2009 : 11:04:08

No, feeding more often than every 5 days is just more likely to stress him.

Fingers crossed he'll be hungry in 5 days.

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