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!

[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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[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!

[Lori P]

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

[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.

[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!

[Garter_Gertie]

Deleted. Please see below.