Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My burm is rubbing her nose raw from trying to find food but I've wasted about 6 rabbits now. She just won't eat them, even if I shake them for her. She sniffs a little then turns away. How do you heat up a meal this size? I leave them out over night to thaw. Then I put them in a bucket of the hottest tap water I can get. I let it sit for about 20 minutes then put new hot water in for another 20 minutes. I've tried leaving the rabbit in a bag and without. Both have worked a couple of times. Should I try putting her in a big container then putting the food in? Please help! She is bleeding from the face with raw flesh showing. I put neosporin on it every couple days but she just rubs it off. Any suggestions on what I should do?

First, leaving the rabbit out overnight like youre doing now is good. But putting it in hot water for nearly an hour will lead to a cooked rabbit that no snake will want. Generally you barely need to heat it up if at all. I never heat my f/t prey. Leaving it out overnight should suffice. He must not be that hungry if he is not eating after all these attempts. Give him a week or two without trying. Secondly, him rubbing his nose against the cage is not neccesarily an indication that he is hungry. He is probably just simply trying to get out, which is normal. But make sure your temps/humidity are ok also. Good luck

has she eaten a ft rabbit before?

yes. It's never a problem with it being thawed or fresh. I can't figure it out. She roam for hours then I'll drop in food and 1 out of 4 times she'll go right for it. Other times she climb right over it like it was'nt even there. I'm stumped on ideas but I have to get her to settle down and eat. Her nose is so raw that it hurts me to even look at her like that.

wo big is she? how big is her cage? sounds to me like the cage is to small...

IS SHE HANDLED AT ALL, HAVE YOU CHECKED FOR MITES?

I generally use the same method as you, let it thaw for a night, then heat it with water, but not for 40 minutes, I generally leave it in the water for about 5-10 till it's nice and warm. Try leaving the rabbit over night, a few snakes of mine are very shy about food when I'm around, but as soon as I leave the prey is gone. Also check your temps, raising the temp generally help metabolism go a little quicker.

No sign of mites. She's handled atleast twice a week.

She is 11 feet. The cage is 8 foot long by 3 foot wide with one half being 2 foot high and the other half 4 foot high.

That sounds alot like breeding behavior to me. Alot of times female burms dont have to be cooled to begin breeding behavior they refuse food and begin to push their cage looking for ways out. Do you have a sexually mature male try throing him in if you do? If not just wait remember she can go months without eating. If she begins to start losing weight try throwing her different types of food like rats, guniea pigs, and chickens.

i thought about her needing to breed. i'm sorry to say i am totally against it. i have no real access to a male and i don't want to do any breeding with her. yes she's my daughter but i don't want any grandchildren to have to deal with.

i just hope this passes soon. i'm thinking of putting her in her 4 x 2 x 2 rummermade tub for a few days. it's for her own safety. i've got to get her face healed up. i was thinking of posting a picture of the damage she's done but i know you don't want to see it.

i've wasted three 5lb. rabbits in the last 4 days. i've tried every method of heating at every different temperature but she just won't take the food. not even if i shake it.

you spoke of being cooled. as the colder weather has started i have added a few more heating lights to her cage this year. in the last few years she has gotten a very mild R.I. when fall changes to winter. so i've added more heat. but i've noticed that she has been avoiding the new heat and moved to the colder points by her own choice. the cage is huge so she has many options.

i just don't know what to do!!!

Have you tried rats I know it will take alot but its better than her ripping her face up? Also what is the coldest place in the cage the coldest spot my retics get is between 78 and 82 between night and day and what is the hot spot like mine stay at about 92. One more thing what is her humidity staying at? If something is not right in her cage she may just be trying to find a place that is the way she wants it.