I thought a thread like this where people could post ideas and tips as to when a ball python stops eating or won't what they do or have done in the past? Something helpful for the new person in the hobby or person who just doesn't know.

When do people need to worry? At what point do you start intervening? What do you do then?What's some basic things one should look over at first right off? If things look good husbandry wise.... Do you give them Vitamin B or appetite enhancer? When do you make the choice to go to the vet? and so forth.......

I have only had ball pythons about 3 years now myself...and other then a picky eater switching from live to frozen..I have had very little issues myself with ones not eating.... So my experience in this area is not that of some I'm sure of. Who might have larger collections or more years in the hobby overall. So I hope you can share some advice, tips or ideas and even experiences over the years that have worked for you :)

Thanks ahead of time for sharing :)

Change up the food, change up the environment, smaller tub, bigger tub, papertowels, wood shavings...

Prekilled, FT, live...

Basically test things out until the animal likes what it gets.

And I have had animals that go off feed for a while.

I am only concerned if the animal is loosing a SIGNIFICANT amount of weight.

If not, keep testing!

Once I understood that they will go off feed during breeding season(winter) I quit worrying to much about mine. I don't have many so not as drastic a thing as if 40 or 50 went off feed in the middle of summer for whatever reson.

In general I think i'd agree with Ladyohh though. If they go off feed, except for breeding season, think what it was that might have changed in their invironment to have caused it and correct it. They can go for extended periods no matter the reason so there is no reason to panic. A scale is a must though. If they start dropping weight quickly then there's reason for concern, and a vet visit might be necessary.

I typically give them a dose or 2 of Metronidizole (sp?). Make sure to give the correct dose. Thats only if they start to lose significant weight and wont eat any type of rodent. I have only felt I needed to do that a couple times. Most of the time they start eating eventually on their own. There is no single answer because of the number of reasons that the snake may not be eating. Many times for the beginner it has to do with how their snake is setup.

I had a large male that would not eat unless I covered the feeding tub with towels... I guess it liked the dark... Luckly I dont have to do that anymore.

That brings up a good point. I think a lot of newer folks are told they should feed in a separate tub so they animal doesnt bite you when you stick your hand in to pick them up. I think that is a bad move to feed in a separate tub if you have a picky feeder. Just leave it alone in its cage or tub where it feels comfortable and it will tend to eat better.

Noah.... good point... however I have a flordia king that will charge you EVERY time you open the cage cause she thinks she is gettin fed. I have started feeding in a seperate container and she is not as bad as she used to be.

I had a buddy that slid open her tub.... and you would have thought he was gettin charged by a cobra.... the amount of backpeddling goin on.

I understand wanting to do it for a snake like that and my point was about picky feeders which that snake is obviously not. I just dont think its necessary for your average keeper or snake.

That brings up a good point. I think a lot of newer folks are told they should feed in a separate tub so they animal doesnt bite you when you stick your hand in to pick them up. I think that is a bad move to feed in a separate tub if you have a picky feeder. Just leave it alone in its cage or tub where it feels comfortable and it will tend to eat better.

I agree with this....I don't feed in separate tubs either. I don't either for my few boas or carpet I have...When it's feeding time it's feeding time....If I go and try and take anyone out at feeding time then I'm asking for it :lol: Between feeding times I have had no problems.

I'm not saying the same will happen for everyone either.

If we're talking about captive bred ball pythons not eating. I'd first check my husbandry and make sure it's tweaked just right. Temps maybe a hidebox ect. If everything is good to go, then I wouldn't and don't sweat it. I think thats an important thing for people new to keeping ball pythons to realize.

Ball pythons do and will go off feed. When they do, don't sweat it. Keep them clean and hydrated and they'll come back around when their ready..

:yessir:

I understand wanting to do it for a snake like that and my point was about picky feeders which that snake is obviously not. I just dont think its necessary for your average keeper or snake.

True....

she is far from picky... she will even try to eat you if you smell like prey

However.....

That was the only way I could get that one ball to eat. He would not eat in his enclosure.... Im just passing along what worked for me with the one I had.

If we're talking about captive bred ball pythons not eating. I'd first check my husbandry and make sure it's tweaked just right. Temps maybe a hidebox ect. If everything is good to go, then I wouldn't and don't sweat it. I think thats an important thing for people new to keeping ball pythons to realize.

Ball pythons do and will go off feed. When they do, don't sweat it. Keep them clean and hydrated and they'll come back around when their ready..

:yessir:

Yes CB ball pythons is what I was referring to here :yessir: This was one of the hardest things for me to deal with when I first got my ball python. Not sweating it when he didn't eat... Now he goes up to 4-5 months sometimes without eating...then regains it...But I think what helped me the most not worrying was to hear it from actual people and not just a book though. :)

as long as it's a "normal" seasonal fast you just wait it out.
at other times of the year i won't pull out the secret weapon unless an animal has gone at least four months without feeding (depending on it's size, of course). what is it ? it's not really a secret, but it works like a charm. take 'em for a car ride, and within' a few days, they'll be eating again, if not that night. that's for sub-adult animals and up.
for never-fed neonates, i give 'em a month, and then i'll go straight to the assist feed. there's no reason to let a youngin' languish without food for longer than that IF IT'S NEVER EATEN BEFORE. the longer they go without startin', the crappier your chances get of getting them on feed. i strive to make the assist feed session as short and stress free for the animal as possible, once you miss on the second chance, just forget it 'till next time. try again in 3 or 4 days.
just remember, every situation is different, and like larry said, husbandry is job one. environment is key.
ck

Okay I will start my statement with I will not ever assist feed....

That being said I do all the normal stuff different prey, live, FT, larger hides, smaller hides, more bedding, less bedding, different bedding, different spot on rack, higher, lower....etc...

I just picked up 2 normal bp's from a friend today that have refused to eat for him since they hatched and one has already pounded an asf hopper...:rockon:

As for adults I just wait them out....I have had some go almost a year without food before

If we're talking about captive bred ball pythons not eating. I'd first check my husbandry and make sure it's tweaked just right. Temps maybe a hidebox ect. If everything is good to go, then I wouldn't and don't sweat it. I think thats an important thing for people new to keeping ball pythons to realize.

Ball pythons do and will go off feed. When they do, don't sweat it. Keep them clean and hydrated and they'll come back around when their ready..

:yessir:

Couldn't agree more man! Paitence is a virtue you must become familiar with when it comes to ball pythons. The tips Heather mentioned all work well as long as you try them over a period of time. Frequently offering food when the ball just isn't interested will only cause more stress and only prolong the fasting period.

If one of mine refuses a meal I just offer food again in a week and if I get another refusal then I might not offer again for another 2-3 weeks. In my experience they always pick back up when they are ready. It is frustrating when you are trying to raise a particular animal up for breeding and he/she decides to go on a diet, but many other aspects of BP husbandry are pretty simple so I guess this is their way of keeping us on our toes.:devil:

Kevin makes a really good point about not offering food too often, having a rat/mouse running over a snake that isn't feeding will just stress it out. Last year I bought an adult female that went off food for 7 months for me. I just really watched her weight, contacted the breeder and asked what they were eating at their facility to make sure I was offering the correct food. Eventually I decided to offer her an ASF and after 1 she's now eating live rats like nobodys business.
I also think it's a good idea to offer non feeders hides and disturb them as little as possible to let them acclimate. If it's a snake that you've fed and it goes off feed I'd be much less worried than if it was a new acqusition and hasn't eaten for you.

First of all, I totally agree with Larry. Ball Pythons are just going to go off food every once and a while. The most important thing to remember when this happens is to not panic. Just let your snake be for a week or two and then try offering it food. As for a younger animal who cannot afford to be off food for an extended amount of time, here are a few of the things that I try. First I'll offer a different type of food item, if this doesn't work I'll place a hide box in the cage with the animal. The next thing I'll try since I keep all of my Ball Pythons on unprinted newspaper, is switching the picky animal to a more natural substrate such as aspen or cypress mulch. These are just the things that I do, they may or may not work every time, but most of the time one of these will do the trick. Sorry for the long post.

Travis Whisler

Okay I will start my statement with I will not ever assist feed....

just send 'em over bro, i'll do it for 'ya...
ck

Okay I will start my statement with I will not ever assist feed....

I understand that assist feeding is a last resort, but not ever? I got an '08 male albino that definitely would have died if I had not started assist feeding him. He showed up at something like 42 grams (at over 3 months of age), and within a week was down to 37. I do not know what was going on with the breeder that sent him, but he was very underweight. It took a little while, but eventually he started eating on his own and is now eating f/t rat pups like nobody's business. He's one of the best eaters in the house now. I know that some animals that won't eat on their own are probably just meant to die, but in this case at least, I had a perfectly healthy animal that for whatever reason (probably the care of the breeder) needed a little help.

I understand that assist feeding is a last resort, but not ever? I got an '08 male albino that definitely would have died if I had not started assist feeding him. He showed up at something like 42 grams (at over 3 months of age), and within a week was down to 37. I do not know what was going on with the breeder that sent him, but he was very underweight. It took a little while, but eventually he started eating on his own and is now eating f/t rat pups like nobody's business. He's one of the best eaters in the house now. I know that some animals that won't eat on their own are probably just meant to die, but in this case at least, I had a perfectly healthy animal that for whatever reason (probably the care of the breeder) needed a little help.

i've only ever had to "jump start" ch animals. but man, once they get goin'...
BAM !
ck

Nope, never....not unless I am creating a pet.

I have done it before but none that I ever would consider breeding, one of many things I take into consideration of what I want in a future breeder.