Feeding Tips

People asking for Help as there snakes are not eating.

Start with the first and most important thing to do is to Relax and stop worrying.

When your snake stops eating you need to take into account the following,

1. Is your Snake going into Shed
2. Has your snake been moved recently
3. Are your Temps correct
4. Is the Husbandry correct for you snake (size of viv, hides, greenery)
5. Is it wintertime or breeding season
6. Is your snake showing any signs of illness/stress

So after asking yourself all of these questions, this is what you do,

1. Weigh you snake and monitor for any weight loss,
2. Change the time period that you offer
3. Reduce food size that is offered

Ok so now we have the basics covered, when offering there are a few things that you can do to intice your snake to take the food

1. Warm up the food (hair dryer, hot water, etc)
2. Brain the food (slit head)
3. Leave food in viv, cover up and leave for 24hrs without looking,
4. Place snake into a tub and take it for a 15- 20-minute drive
5. Scenting food (with other foods, supplements)
6. Placing on a jacket (place skin of a chick over food)
7. Offer different food types (gerbils, rats, mice, chicks etc)

Ok once all these methods have been tried, and you snake is still not eating then it may be time for a visit to the vets to give you snake the once over (this may only be necessary if it shows signs of illness or has stopped eating from one of the obvious reasons.

There are 3 other methods you can use to try to gety your snake to feed, but these are only to be done as last resorts and usually after being advised to from a vet.

1. Live food
2. Assist feeding
3. Force feeding

Of these methods live food would be the preferred and less stressful method,

If this still does not work, then it may mean you have to assist/force feed you snake, but this MUST be at the last resort stage, once you snake hasn’t been eating for over 6 - 12 months, and would be advisable to get some one who knows what they are doing to assist you, as it can be very daunting for you to do it, But I must warn you this will be very stressful for the snake as well.

I've never heard of "4. Place snake into a tub and take it for a 15- 20-minute drive" do you mind me asking how that helps? I'd have thought that it would just stress the snake out? Please don't think I'm saying that it won't work, I've just never heard of it

I look forward to your reply

4. Place snake into a tub and take it for a 15- 20-minute drive

i've haerd about this, whats the thinking behind it? do you put the food in with the snake or try feeding when you get back? is it maybe somthing to do with the vibrations of the journey "stimulating the juices" so to speak? is it all glaringly obvious and i'm just being dumb?

If you're being dumb then so am I buddy

hehe, well at least i'm not alone!!

Lol its supposed to be down to the vibrations, but I have yet to see if it works. Another rescuer once said that he bought some plate that vibrated and the food moves slightly so to encourage a feeding response. Never tried that either lol.

taking the snake for a drive will help get the gut flora moving a round (via the vibrations)

i have tried this and found that it has worked, i was taking a couple of my fussy feeding royals to a friends house to offer either live or fresh killed, they fed, but when i tried it in my own home they wudnt feed, so i put it down to the journey, so wot i used to do was put snake with a log for a hide, into a tub and go for a 15 minute drive, on returning home i offered a feed and the snake would take.

hope this answers your question.

wow, that may explain alot. I have peolpe bring snakes to me, when all other methods have failed, to assist feed, they arrive, i offer the food and bang!
I always thoguht it was just my sheer skill!

works a treat lololol