Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all. I have a one year old male western hog. He has voraciously eaten 2-3 live pinks/fuzzies every single week since I got him last August. I don't know what happened but for the past three offerings he has not eaten or appeared very interested. In the past he has hardly waited for the mice to leave my hand before striking. He does not appear to be in shed, there are no signs of injury, he seems alert and active, no changes in his environment, etc. The only trick I have really tried is to leave him in a container for a few hours with a live fuzzy, with no results.

Is this normal and should I be more patient?
Should I try braining or any other method?
How long should I wait before taking him to a vet?

I have been keeping snakes for about two years now and have never had problems with feeding so I am just getting nervous. ANY tips, advice, etc would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

im no expert but as keeping snakes i have noticed, let it rest for a while, skip a feeding time, and then next time try either braining it and if that doesnt work scent them with anoles or toads by rubbing the head of the mouse on the glands of the toad and then try cutting open the belly of the anole and scent it with that if the toad doesnt work. if nothing works i would contact a vet

_moddy
1.2.0 corn snakes
0.0.1 eastern spiny softshell
0.1.0 mexican black kingsnake

If it was originally taking unscented I wouldn't back pedal into having to scent all its meals. Hogs go off feed for no reason all the time it is very common. Unless he starts losing weight or any syptoms of sickness occur I would just give it time. Don't try every other day give it some time and then try if no luck give it some more time then try again I would go a week between tries.

It stands to reason that if an animal (especially an ectotherm) has maximized its fat reserves, that there would be a feedback signal that would make the animal not want to take the risk in feeding more. That is conjecture on my part, but nonetheless, I think you are feeding it too much. A fuzzy once/week should be PLENTY for a 1yr old male. Chances are he has been getting all the food he needs, and there is a very real risk of injury or death when it comes to subduing prey. Couple that with just being a hognose which WILL go off feed, and you've got an anorexic snake.

Give it a rest for 2 weeks, then try again. Also consider cutting back on feeding and for humane reasons, switch to prekilled or f/t mice.
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Governor George W. Bush, Jr.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Thanks for the advice. This being my first hognose, I just wanted to consult others with more experience. I will cut back on his food intake and try f/t. I know my questions probably seemed elementary to the experienced keeper, but I felt it necessary to check before I had a bigger problem on my hands. I appreciate all of the feedback.