Western Hognose No Eating

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Western Hognose No Eating

Postby HognoseMommy » Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:29 am

Hello my name is Connie. I have bought a western hognose 7 months ago from a pet store. He was 1-2 years old and he had to go to the vet because he stopped eating about 1-3 months after I got him. He was diagnosed with a respiratory infection. He was given antibiotic shots for one week and B12. But he still refuses to eat. I have tried frozen and live pinkies in multiple ways. I need any suggestions advice or help to feed him in his feeding cage because the vet wants to force feed him. I will gladly provide any information or answer any questions.
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby Westley Price » Thu Mar 05, 2015 8:00 am

Hi Connie

I would go with the vet's advice as far as possible. He is the one who has seen and inspected the snake so he would have the best idea on how to handle the situation.

How about posting some pictures of your enclosure with a description of how you keep him? It might be an environmental reason he had the RI and doesnt want to feed.

I have read the Hognoses react well to goldfish so, as cruel as it sounds, you might want to try that out too.

Good luck.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby HognoseMommy » Thu Mar 05, 2015 3:11 pm

I will post pictures of his enclosure and feeding cage. I will listen to the vet of course haha. I just wanted to try everything before we go back in a few weeks. Just to see if he will eat. The enclosure is what I think is a 40 gallon aquarium (cannot find my tape measure at the moment). He has a dimmer over the heated part of his enclosure and a 250w exo terra bulb. His temps during the day are between 80-90F but stay mostly at 85. During the night I switch his bulb to a ceramic heat bulb and his temps stay mostly at 72F. He has a cool side as well.

I gave him two rock hide boxes, one paper tube roll (he loves to curl up in it), he has a water dish, and a plant decoration. His substrate is newspaper. In three days I am getting him a backdrop for the aquarium for three sides leaving only the front open. I am also investing in AstroTurf for him. He has a small feeding cage which I will also try to send pictures of. I normally cover him with a black shirt for an hour for him to eat but no luck yet. I've tried feeding him in the feeding cage in and out of his enclosure but no luck yet.

Thank you for the suggestion. Should I buy a frozen goldfish then and scent the mice?


I don't know how to post the pictures. I am on mobile on android. If you can tell me how to post them I will do so.
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby Westley Price » Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:20 pm

I would move away from the basking light and rather offer heating from below with a heat mat/pad. Basking lights tend to dry out the air tremendously which is a bad thing for most snakes, but particularly Hognoses.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby HognoseMommy » Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:43 pm

How would I keep the humidity up without the heating pad? The vet advised against them but I hear a lot of people suggesting them. How do I keep him from being burned on it?
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby HognoseMommy » Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:44 pm

As a side question: would the dryness make him not eat?
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby Mitton » Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:54 pm

HognoseMommy wrote:As a side question: would the dryness make him not eat?

Dryness could make the RI worse and that would cause him to stop eating.

I would suggest getting him a wooden cage with a heating pad. You connect the heat pad to a thermostat that is set to the correct temps and this will help that the snake does not get burned.
Increase the humidity asap by spraying the cage twice a day but try and get to your nearest reptile shop and get a wooden cage, heat pad and thermostat.
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby HognoseMommy » Thu Mar 05, 2015 7:54 pm

Okay thank you so much for your help. I have been misting him but I will continue to do so. I misted his cage his plant decor and him. What percentage should the humidity be at? I generally leave it at 35%. I will inform you if his condition if it improves. :) I will also invest in a wooden cage and heat pad when I am able.
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Re: Western Hognose No Eating

Postby Snakesitter » Fri Mar 06, 2015 10:50 pm

Connie, have the vet consider tube feeding before force feeding. It is (slightly) less stressful on the animal, and allows the delivery of water, vitamins, and meds at the same time. Good luck, and fingers crossed for you.
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