My snake was lost for months, found weak, won't eat. What to do?

I'm glad you found him! Since he was missing for so long, an exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet would be strongly recommended to diagnose and treat any illness or injury. In the meantime, give him a good soak in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will warm him up and provide hydration. Once he's warm and hydrated, he will be more likely to accept prey.

Ball pythons are notorious for their "hunger strikes". All parameters seem to be within species ranges. Survey the area around the cage for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises or vibrations, bright lights, cold drafts or high traffic. Reduce or eliminate any if found. Go to the local Petco and ask for a small amount of used (but not dirty) gerbil bedding. Use it to scent prey for your snakes. Gerbils are what pythons eat in the wild, so the scent may trigger their appetites. Soak them both in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. An exam with your veterinarian would be recommended to diagnose any underlying illness or injury.

Check the temps in the enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. next, make sure you are offering appropriately sized prey. If it is too bog, he won't eat it or may regurgitate it afterwards. If you feed frozen/thawed, make sure it is at least room temperature before offering it to Ares. A snake will not eat cold prey. If he will allow, look in and around his mouth for signs of infection or injury. This may include redness, swelling, bleeding or discharge. Anything suspicious should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. Offer prey and cover the cage afterwards. If he doesn't eat, remove it and try again in 5-7 days. Do not force feed. If you can provide the species, we may be able to provide more specific advice. If Ares is a ball python, they are notorious for their "hunger strikes". Make sure he stays warm and hydrated. Identify and reduce or eliminate any negative stimuli in or around the cage.

Hello, When reptiles become stressed or sick, they often quit eating. I would recommend taking Leo in to be seen by a veterinarian who can assess if she needs medical treatment to regain her appetite. The best way to check for parasites is by looking at a fecal sample under the microscope. Your vet can help get this test done for you. I hope this is helpful.

Thank you for reaching out about your ball python - she is really cute! There are a few things you can try/check for the appetite. Often times, when we are seeing issues with appetite, the first thing we try to do is check the husbandry and ensure that it is as perfect as it can be. Sometimes in between seasons the temperatures can get off in the enclosure, and I would recommend checking that first. Also, the humidity can affect the shedding intervals, in addition to the temperature. I would recommend evaluating the temperatures in the enclosure with digital thermometers to ensure that they are appropriate. Also, based on how she looks in the photos, she appears to be in fair body condition, so she may also be regulating herself as far as her weight/appetite goes. This would be a bit of an exception for a ball python, as most of them will overeat and become overweight. But, there are exceptions to the rule and maybe she is one of them! For the prey items - I like that you are using a separate container, and that you are warming the prey items in warm water. Please ensure that the water gets them to body temperature for rodents, which is around 100-102F. Often snakes will eat prey items that are cooler than that, but if a snake is being picky I try to encourage owners to get them measure the temperature to ensure it is warm enough. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and if she doesn't eat despite all of these changes, I would recommend a veterinary visit for her!

Thanks for reaching out about Ivory and including a photo. You are correct that snakes can be finicky eaters during weather changes. If you feed mice, try offering rat pups: to snakes they smell and taste differently. If that doesn't work, a veterinary visit is recommended as intestinal parasites or infections are common. Good luck.

Snakes have a very slow metabolism. So, it takes them a long time to get sick and conversely a long time to get better. Overall from the photo he doesn’t look too bad, just thin. Just get all your husbandry 100% correct and he should come around. ( https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/ball-python-python-regius-basic-husbandry-and-feeding-housi ) If you keep trying to feed him and he doesn’t want it that can cause food aversion. So, it’s best to offer him nothing for a few weeks. Snakes can go very long time without eating so I wouldn’t really be worried about that. When you do start feeding him start with a lot smaller pray than you would normally use (like pinkies). Are you using live or pre-killed food? If you’re trying pre-killed he may not be used to that . He also may be in brumation so keep that in mind. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you are welcome to post again or you can opt for a private consultation if you want to chat back and forth. Best wishes.