Hoggy not feeding

[Seere121]

Hello, Two weeks or so ago I got a really cute western hognose snake at a reptile show in Puyallup. I was told that he was pinkie trained and after letting him settle into his new inclosure for about 5 days I offered him a pink and he did his typical "Im a big, bad cobra-puff adder-rattlesnake" and made plenty of fake strikes at the pink but wouldn't bite it. Let him calm down another day or two and tried again with the same results, and He did the same thing today during my routine feeding of all my other guests. I've read that they are frog eaters so I'm gonna try that "IF" I can find any frogs this time of year but other than that, or force feeding, which I don't want to do, would there be anything else that I could try with him?

[Lori P]

I'm having trouble with my hoggies too. So I'll be reading this thread for ideas... I've been told they are garbage disposals, should just eat anything in front of them, but mine are very on and off feeders. Really finicky. Good luck with your guy, wish I had advice!

[drache]

have you tried leaving him alone with his food?
my hog has times when he's a shy eater

[Garter_Gertie]

Did you get an understanding from the sales person if your Hoggy was "trained" on live or f/t pinkies? And what did you offer your Hoggie? Did you offer him a f/t pinkie, or a live one?

Do you know if your Hoggy is captive bred (CB) or wild caught (WC)? If WC, do you know how long the sales person had the snake and his history of eating? Do you know how old the snake is?

Frogs are way more important to the health of an Eastern Hognose. Westerns can thrive on pinkies. It's not what you're presenting to him to eat, but what he's been used to based on captive bred, how long the 'breeder' accustomed to pinkies; or if he's wild caught.

Hope this helps. Please don't be intimidated. There are many people here than can help you!

Oh! And WELCOME! Nice to have you join us!

[Garter_Gertie]

I'm having trouble with my hoggies too. So I'll be reading this thread for ideas... I've been told they are garbage disposals, should just eat anything in front of them, but mine are very on and off feeders. Really finicky. Good luck with your guy, wish I had advice!


Lori, I've never heard from anyone that breeds and has an abundant amount of Hoggies that they're "garbage disposals."

But the opposite. Hoggies will go off feed if you look at them the wrong way. They are VERY finicky eaters. They can go on f/t for, gosh... I don't know how long, and then turn that DARLING, PRECIOUS, KISSABLE Hoggy nose up and won't eat anything but live.

They're neurotic and basket cases. BUT I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lori P]

Hmmmm, Gertie, you sound like the perfect hoggy mom to me.... :D:D

[Garter_Gertie]

Lori, you're effin' Goofy! I'm not perfect in any way, shape or form.

But, I did have to do crash course on Hoggies when I was 'expecting' - just like I did with garters.

Too, Niizh and Kenabec came from a Hoggy breeder and he's in my back pocket.

I've just spent a lot of time reading, picking brains, reading... And then, yeah, I've put my own spin on things.

But... Hoggies are turds when it comes to eating. Little jerks.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That sweet nose - that I could just bite off ittiz SO CUTE - and their 'personalities' more than makes up for them being buttheads about eating.

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A HOGGY!!!!!!!!!!

[Lori P]

You know who just told me they are garbage disposals? The Superconda guy at the expo. Maybe just HIS are huge eaters.

[Garter_Gertie]

Deleted. Please see below.

[Garter_Gertie]

Oh.

Well.

Ah.

Again, I have to say, what inbreeding had to occur with the "Acondas" that allowed - SO QUICKLY - the Supers? Why is NO ONE talking abut the 100% hets?

This is ONLY my OPINION, but the Super guy is no better than Justin Mitcham and has decided to put himself in a pissing and shouting match with aforementioned *******.

So, I'd not listen to ANYTHING that guy had to say and would be very leery of him.

Just my two cents, which is worth ****.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

well I can say that MY hoggy used to be just like yours... when i first got him I had a LOT of trouble with him. Maybe, it is just too soon for your hoggy yet. He may still be shy about his new home. Mine did not eat for the first month I had him. Eventually I learned that even though he was supposed to be eating f/t... he only wanted live pinkies. So try offering f/t for two more weeks ( try once and wait the full week before trying again, too many tries will freak him out) and if you get nothing, attempt to feed him a live. At First Sledge, my western hoggy would only eat a live pink that was dropped into his cage for him to "find"... sometimes you will find that snakes are much more willing to eat if they feel that they "found" the food item all on their own and that us humans had nothing to do with putting it there! Leave the pinky over night and hopefully it dissapears.

Once i got sledge faithfully accepting live pinkies... I started to sneak a second dead one into his mouth while he was swallowing once he was big enough to eat two. Then every week before his live pinky, I would offer him a dried off f/t that was wiggled around with my tongs(you have to be sneaky about openeing the cage and slipping in unnoticed) as if it were alive... if i had no luck, I would give him the live one off the tongs, and eventually he became so eager to eat what I had on the tongs that he started accepting dead ones. NOW I can say that sledge is a garbage disposal and he will eat any rodent, any time and place, even if it a baby hamster instead of a mouse and is on the living room floor. Just Keep trying, but don't OVER-try or you will stress the little fella out. good luck!

[Seere121]

I talked with the guy at the show on and off for nearly the whole day. He said that Hoggy was pinkie trained but I forgot to ask if f/t or live. He also said that he was at least a year old, but he diddn't know exactly, and I can't remember if I asked him or not, but the expo was captive bred only. Oh, and he said that if Hoggy diddn't eat within a few weeks that he might be prepairing himself for burmation and to just kill the heat and let him be room temp for a few months. Left the pinkie in his tank when I went to work earlier today but he hasn't touched it.
He's sooo cute with his little snout and fat head even with all the fuss he's giving me about feeding.

[Garter_Gertie]

Are you capable of feeding Hoggy a live pinkie and seeing how that goes? You know, are your comfortable doing that? Try going with a live pinkie and see if that works.

It seems to me usually when people say "pinkie" that's a live pinkie and "frozen/thawed" is f/t.

Eitherthe guy got the snake from someone that bred it and he failed to got any info, got it from someone that caught it, or Hoggy is WC by the guy himself. Breeders know the ages of their Hoggies - and some can quote chapter and verse the parents' numbers.

I can't comment on just dropping the temp for brumation to room temp as I've never brumated and don't know what temps would be best for Hoggy or if they should be any different than those for garters. Regardless, Hoggy is in a wanting to brumate mode whether or not you fully brumate him due to the time of year.

What temps did this guy tell you to keep your Hoggy at? Your hot spot should be in the high 80s; your cool end room temp or there abouts.

Did this guy tell you *how* Hoggy had been eating? For example mine told me to always feed Niizh in his deli cup because it would make him feel secure and is what he was used to. Though I have to say... It hasn't seemed to help Niizh' appetite any! LOL!!!

Too, it's early yet - right? I mean you just got him? I got Niizh in... August, or was it September? I'll have to check my calendar. Anyway it was't until about 2 weeks ago he started responding to my routine and coming out on his own from hiding when I'd sit down here after work.

Did this guy tell you to keep Hoggy alone? Hoggies aren't the social snakes garters are and there are reports of cannabilism, particulary by the females. I don't know anyone personally this has happened to, maybe someone here does, but my breeder asked me to seperate Niizh and Kenabec as soon as possible, which I did.

Aren't they THE CUTEST? I think they're just wonderful!

[MoJo]

I have a female Western hognose. She stops eating in September or October and then will not eat again until March or April! I don't brumate so I leave the heat on in her cage and she does fine. Once she has refused a meal for a few weeks I go to feeding every second week and then if she is still refusing I will decrease to once a month.

I must say though that if I had just bought a new snake I would want to know it is eating. I find the hoggies like it a little warmer and you might try increasing the temps in his cage to closer to 90 degrees. I have never had to use live with my girl but in your case I might since I would want to know I had a healthy snake.


Good Luck.

[Seere121]

Garter Gertie: I have no problems feeding live, Its just that they are such a pain to get where I am. The local pet shops and petco and petsmart only sell f/t and I refuse to buy from the local feeder breeder after I saw the conditions in his "facility". From Hoggys size I would say that he is a good two years old but I don't remember exactly how old the guy said that Hoggy was, either he diddn't say or more likely I don't remember, only that he was a good feeder and it was fun to watch him do the "tremors" thing up through his calcisand at feeding time and that if he doesn't eat that he might be going into burmation mode. I remember him going over the care of Hoggy and verified it on the internet when I got home. Hoggy stays in his 10 gal by himself but the Garter tank sits next to his and they have a clear view of eachother.

And yes, he has to be one of the CUTEST snakes I've ever seen, especially with his "I'ma big, bad venomous snake and I'm gonna get you!" act. He has never played dead for me though.

[Garter_Gertie]

Well... Then do what Joanna suggested and I'm doing with Niizh. Offer food once a week, then every two weeks, etc. If he's active and alert and you see him drinking I guess there's not much to be done unless you brumate him.

Chances are he won't play dead for you, even if he wasn't CB. The wild ones quickly stop doing it when handled - they seem to learn it's just not worth the effort since it won't work. Wild ones do resume almost immediately upon release. I'd think a CB, if released, would too, but I'm not going to test it out! :)

So, if temps are fine, Hoggy's fine, just keep doing what you're doing and try not to twit out. Far easier said than done... I'm not happy at all about Niizh not eating and it's driving me crazy. But what's a Hoggy owner to do? (shrugs shoulders)

[Lori P]

Here's an unrelated hoggy question, since Gertie and I were just talking about this-- do any of you keep your hogs together?? Are they "supposed" to be kept singly?? I only ask because mine have always lived together and I'm now learning that that may not be the wisest way to go!!!!!

[drache]

I was told to house them singly
when I got my tri-colour hogs (granted - different species), I did at one point keep them together for a week or so and now I wonder whether that's why the male never ate
if you're dealing with animals that are a bit finicky to begin with, I suppose it's good to avoid any additional stress
there are some mornings, mealtimes, other times, I wish I had a habitat to myself, where I could digest in peace - I don't think that's unreasonable

[Lori P]

Oy vey. I'm an ijit. But... mine do "cuddle" (forgive me James and Stefan) a lot. Hang together.

I better seperate and see if they feed better, eh?