Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have heard from many that if you have a ball that does not feed and loses a considerable amount of weight, you should get it checked out by a vet. This makes all the sense in the world, but what do you do if the snake receives a clean bill of health and is living in the same conditions that others are thriving in?
Do you just watch it continue losing weight? I don't recall hearing a recommendation beyond this point.

If it is an adult, wait...

Keep waiting...

Has it been 12 months yet?

If it has been a year, consider force feeding, and get help from someone that has done it before.

If the snake was ever feeding in the first place you might have a whole different set of issues...like that wild caught snake isn't ever going to adapt to cage life...
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when life hands you lemons, make super lemons, bumblebees, etc...

Thanks for the reply,
It's an "03" 66% het. albino female that I got in "04". She ate like crazy for all of "04" and the beginning of "05". In "05", she ate until April and then bred Oct.-Jan., but was probably too thin or young to produce.
She has not eaten for quite a while now ( approx. 5 months), and unfortunately right before breeding season again. She ate pretty good through winter, but probably won't have decent weight to breed and produce again this year.

She was a great eater in the past! Now this is looking like it will be her second year deciding to go off feed during the summer. Therefor a slim chance to up to weight for breeding this October.
Much thanks for any replies!
Glenn

It happens

This has worked for me in the past, but I am in no way suggesting it. I sometimes treat them with avermectin, which for what ever reason, captive bred or not, stimulates some appetite sometimes. Usually my balls don't loose much weight when they stop eating, so there might be something else going on if she is really loosing weight.

Another possibility might be your food source. Maybe the place where you get your feeders changes something seasonally. Maybe try a gerbil or hamptser if you are really worried. Or there is always the african soft furred rats....lol

She'll get up to size eventually. Sometimes once you start breeding females they will start eating again before the ovulate...so you never know.

Good luck
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when life hands you lemons, make super lemons, bumblebees, etc...