Hey, everyone! I work at a pet store, and we have one baby ball python who refuses to eat. Our policy is to feed only frozen, but after three or four weeks of not eating we got desperate and tried a live mouse! Still refused. We're bathing him daily in warm water in the hopes he'll have a BM and he'll be hungry, but no luck after five days. We've tube fed him on a carnivorous emergency food twice, first time with some limited success (5 mL) the second time he may have had 2 mL stay down. Our store doesn't carry live young mice (He's only on fuzzies/hoppers...I think he refused the live mouse because it was an adult and he's small) and I don't think my bosses will let me bring in a mouse from another store to feed it. We've even tried forcing a frozen/thawed mouse into his mouth- he spits it out. We're getting desperate, he's very thin and doesn't grip well anymore.

I've thought of perhaps an enema, as the area around his cloaca is a little bloated but I've never done one and don't know how. Can any of you think of another option? I HATE live feeding, and the risks involved, but I hate the idea of him starving himself even more. Two of the bunch (we have five) eat very well, two fuzzies a week (I'm urging my boss to order some hoppers...they're ready for 'em) and the other, while not enthusiastic, will eat a fuzzy a week.

Thanks so much for any help!

[ Show Entire Thread ]