Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yep, it's come down to this I'm afraid. She's in a smaller enclosure with the heat jacked up to 88 degrees, I tried the unscented soap thing along with everything else people suggested. Time for forcefeeding her mouse tails. I've perused a lot of the pictures on this forum and all your Hogs are fat and healthy looking. Ayida has developed what I can only describe as a ridge of skin along her back. It's like her skin doesn't fit her body anymore and it has the pucker running long her spine. I'm very upset with the pet store/breeder as I feel like they lied to me about her eating history. There is no way considering the age at which I bought her, that her eating patterns could have been firmly established. No way. I'm pretty distraught over this whole experience. I realize that this breed of snake is hard to feed but geezus...I've done absolutely EVERYTHING suggested on this board with the exception of scenting and NOTHING has worked. I'm pretty sure the breeder fed her once since she was born but again, who knows? Not enough times to let her go, I don't think. Anyway, enough rambling, I'm just frustrated and upset.

How does one forcefeed a snake? I'm afraid of damaging her tiny and delicate jaws so I was wondering if any of you guys had some hints or pointers for me to consider before I attempt this.

Many thanks in advance...as always....
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Know first, who you are, then adorn yourself accordingly....Epictetus

OK heres what I did. Cut about 3/4 to 1 inch tail off a hopper mouse. The tail heals over and the mouse will live, until you feed it off. Dip the tail in water for moisture. With your thumb and forefinger gently hold the hogs heads still. Work the tail into its mouth and turn it as you slide it in. If the hog still has any strenght it will finish swallowing it. Do this 5 or 6 times every 3 days. After it has eaten this way 5 or 6 times try feeding it a live small pinky. If it doesn't take the pink continue with the tails until it does take a pink. I used this method to get 3 of Chad Fuchs hogs started for him. Hopefully you didn't wait to long to try this method. Since the tail is the same shape as the snake it goes in easy and causes very little stress. Keep us posted, good luck. Ron
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The Crawl Space

One more thing. I call this assist feeding not force feeding. Ron
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The Crawl Space

My apologies....lack of a better term I guess. My concern was always with over stressing her and I just hope I haven't waited too long in the process.
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Know first, who you are, then adorn yourself accordingly....Epictetus

OK. I'm doing it. I just tried to feed her last night so I'll wait until Tuesday to give it a whirl.

I hope I haven't waited to long either...I've just run out of options at this point.
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Know first, who you are, then adorn yourself accordingly....Epictetus

One trick that has worked for me on a variety of occasions with baby Mexican hogs is the "feed them while they are dead" approach.

In order for this to work, however, you can't have handled the snake very much. You want to try to stimulate the little snake to play dead. Generally a few gentle pokes with your index finger will get the job done if the snake hasn't been too accustomed to handling (which you shouldn't be doing if the snake isn't eating).

Once it plays dead, pick it up gently and put the head of a tiny dead pinkie in its mouth. The trick is to get the head back into the throat a few millimeters, not just in the mouth itself.

Once you get the pinkie in there, gently place the snake down (upside down - remember it's playing dead) and leave the room. Don't come back for at least 10 minutes. What happens about half the time is that the snake "wakes up", finds this pinkie in its throat and the swallowing reflexes take over and it swallows it. If you disturb it AT ALL during the process, it will usually regurge the pinkie.

If it does, try once more and then give up for that day. It helps make the process a little easier if you cook the pinkie a little first (dip it in hot water for 30 seconds or so). This will firm it up, making it easier to manipulate.

The advantage to this method is that the snake gets a real meal, not just a pinkie tail. Of course, it relies on the willingness of the snake to play dead.
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Chris Harrison

Unfortunately, although I don't handle her very much at all, when I have, I've never seen her play dead. She's captive bred and I'm not sure if they even retain that reflex considering the origins of her birth.

I'm feeding her today. I'm afraid she's going to die if I don't.
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Know first, who you are, then adorn yourself accordingly....Epictetus

If you have to stress the animal out forcefeeding it, i would do it 'properly', ie use a pinky rather than a tail, i have had to resort to this a few times and it only usually takes a few pinks and they take on thier own.Tails are a waste of time. if you can do that then pinky pump them, hogs do very well after pumping, i have never lost a hog!!!!
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www.hognose.co.uk

The tails work great as I said in my earlier post on this thread. That snake is to weak to handle a pinky. But its your snake so if you think Evilelvis is correct then go that route. Personally I think hes way off base here considering the condition your snake is in. For those that didn't catch this the first time... The snake is hardly stressed due the small size and shape of the meal (tail). Good luck.. Ron
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The Crawl Space

You are entitled to your opinions, but if the snake has to use valuable energy digesting something it might as well be nutritionally valuable, not an undigestible piece of cartilidge with skin on.
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www.hognose.co.uk

yes I am
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The Crawl Space