Plan of action?

[gregmonsta]

After Squiggles regurgitating a chunk of Aspen yesterday I'm trying to decide a plan of action for feeding.
He hasn't eaten in a 8days and after yesterday has still not shown interest in food. He's still obsessed with hiding away from me and does not calm down enough to eat in a plastic tub outside of his enclosure. What should I do? He's young and I don't know if I should force feed him just to get the ball rolling again? He's missed three feeds (obviously due to the impaction) in total and is starting to look thin. Should I leave him to rest up for another day or so and try him again?

[adamanteus]

8 days isn't long, Greg. I wouldn't force him just yet. Could you leave his food inside a container, in his enclosure? So that he can't drag it through the substrate?

[gregmonsta]

I've already replaced all the Aspen with good old Kitchen towel ;) . I'm hoping that he'll come round to it soon tho. His viv-partner Slithers has been eating like a horse ... if it comes to it when should I consider forcing him to get something down him?

[adamanteus]

Another fortnight before you want to think about forcing him. Can you remove Slithers until Squiggles starts eating again?

[gregmonsta]

I could put Slithers in with Clint for a bit ... think it might help? ... I did take Slithers out before but Squiggles still decided that hiding was the best thing in the world.

[adamanteus]

I might help a bit. If Squiggles is upset by his 'aspen adventure' he might be more likely to recover quickly from the shock if he's alone. Sometimes a reluctant feeder can be intimidated by it's cage-mates.

[gregmonsta]

Cheers for the advice. I'll see how it goes.

[Snaky]

I know you say that he won't eat outside the enclosure, but it depends also on your approach. You can try taking him out and putting him together with some food in a plastic box or so. Make sure it's dark where you put him and don't disturb him. Let him stay there for the whole night and check in the morning. This has to be in a room which has at least 20°C.

But first, James idea is a good one. :)

[Lori P]

Also, since he just regurged, shouldn't he wait a week to 10 days more to try to feed? I may be wrong, I just know when Desdemona regurged, I was told to wait to let her stomach and throat heal. :-)

[scorpio]

Hi,

have you tried to chance the feed. Perhaps you can try different things to get him to eat. You can try fresh fish, small frogs or other things. If got the same problem too, my snake isn't eating ordinary. There are different things he eat, but the are so difficult to get.

Bye, Irina

[KITKAT]

I may have missed part of this thread. Are you sure he regurged ALL of the substrate he ingested?

To force feed, if there is still a piece of substrate in his gut, might not be advised...

If you know that is not the case, then you might try the plastic box with the food item overnight, as suggested.