Burmese python not eating

Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:36 am

Hi All !
I really need your help. I have a burmese python. He is about 3.5 meters in length and about 11kg. We got him from a local breeder that wanted to put him down because he have not eaten for 2 months and was starting to loose weight. So iv had him for 4 months now and still hes not eating. I gave him countless rats of all sizes and every time he kills the rat,starts to eat,but as soon as the rats head is in he spits it out again. I had him at the vet and they could not find anything wrong with him. They did some x-rays, taken hes blood for tests and they had a tube down hes thought. The vet cant find anything wrong with him. He is healthy ,has no mites and we also made sure that he temp. is spot on. They did pump some food into hes stomach. So he was all-right ,but he must have eaten by now according to the vet,but still the same story,he kills the rat,start to swallow,but not even halfway in he spits it out again. He weighs 8 kg now and the vet told me we have to put him down if he does not eat soon.Its gonna be a real shame to put down such a beautiful animal.Please if anyone have anything i can try,please help. The only thing i can still think of is that he wants different food. But will he really rather starve to death than eats rats?
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby Lukas » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:57 am

Maybe offer him a rabbit. Otherwise put him in low-hot water for about an hour a day for three days in a row. Then offer him a rat on the forth day. Usually works for me with the ball pythons.
Good luck
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:04 am

Thanks allot ! Will do so !
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby Fox Snake » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:48 am

Also try piglets and chickens I had a python that just wanted to eat chickens nothing else
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:58 am

Hahaha ! Thank you so much, i will definitely try everything i can! I will let you know how she is doing !I really hope this works.
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby Bushviper » Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:25 pm

What also works is very small rats. By the time he thinks of spitting it out he already has it inside him. A few of those and he should be looking forward to eating again.
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby Reynard » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:23 pm

Maby give him some privacy? My hypo rtb refused to eat. Then I put him in a tub with a blanket over sothat he is alone and it's dark. I'm still doing it but I assure you he eats without hesitation.
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:53 am

Thank you Reynard ! I will try that,i have never tried feeding him in the dark,the light was always on,hopefully that will work.I will try all of the ideas you guys gave me. I think the small rat idea could also work. Ill try this weekend and let you guys know! Thanks again everyone for the new ideas !
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby it_bit_me » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:10 am

Hannes you have been hanging with the right crowd man. Anyone willing to give me snakes after 2months of fasting sure will be a good pal to have around.
If I'm gonna be an old, lonely man, I'm gonna need a thing, you know, a hook, like that guy on the subway who eats his own face. So I figure I'll be Crazy Man with a Snake, y'know. Crazy Snake Man. And I'll get more snakes, call them my babies, kids won't walk past my place, they will run. "Run away from Crazy Snake Man, " they'll shout!”
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:24 am

Wahahaha ! Thanks man !
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby Serpent » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:34 am

Hannes how are your cage temps? If the snake is not warm enough it will not eat.
Make sure it has a large bowl of water and a decent hide box too.
Are you feeding frozen thawed, live or freshly killed rats?
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:45 am

Hi Serpent, He only eats live stock,but every time i give him a rat he kills it,and then he starts to eat,but for some reason the rats not even halfway in then he spits it out again. The cage temps is about 28 on the cool side and 34 on the warm side.I never bothered with a hide box because she is so big, maybe i must make her one this weekend!
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby Bushviper » Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:51 am

Try leaving a dead rat in the cage over night. If he is eager to grab the food try the dead small rat on some tongs right in front of him.
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:47 pm

Yes that i have tried!everything he kills i leave overnight with the hope that he will eat it. He olso wants nothing to do with dead prey,i have even poked him with it and tried to piss him of but nothing,he just turn hes head away.
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Re: Burmese python not eating

Postby hannes » Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:35 am

Hi EVERYONE !

Just want to share my good news with you! So i have tried all of your ideas,and just as i was about to give up this weekend i remembered to maby feed him something else,so i went to the local pet shop and bought him a live chicken. Well i gave him the chicken and he immediately reacted. He wasted no time at all and swallowed the whole thing. I was so happy and could not believe what i saw. I cant believe that he will rather starve than eat a rat,anyway now that i know what he wants,ill get him back into shape in no time! Thanks for all your help and input guys!
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