Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a retic that is about 7 months old now. I got him from a breeder and when I received him he had mites. He was eating every 3 days live mice. I was treating him for the mites and soaking him every couple of days. He seemed to always to stay in the water when in his cage. He has only eaten once in 3 months because my vet suggested force-feeding. He seems interested for a little while but quickly loses interest. I have taken to the vet 3 times, he suggested his stomach was hardened and I gave antibiotics by mouth. He said after that was done maybe he would eat but has not. He seems totally fine otherwise. Very active and responsive. I have tried small rats, hamsters and just leaving him with fresh killed. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am just getting really worried. Thanks

how are its temp and humidity? Do you handle it a lot? One thing I've found with young retics is the more they are handled when they are young the harder it is to keep them eating because IMO they are very easy to keep in (pet mode) meaning handlable. you could also try to get some frozen quail or some live chicks. I feed chicken farely often and have none of the problems others talk about.

The humidity stays between 50-70, and the temp ranges in his cage from one side 80 degrees to the basking side 90 degrees. At night it doesnt get below 78 in his cage. I handle him all the time, and I didnt realize that could be a problem. I will try to feed him a chick and see what happens.

Mites from a breeder? Shame on that breeder. With that kind of quality, how can you be sure the retic wasn't w.c.?

Did the animal ever eat for you, or are you going by what the breeder claimed about its prior feeding habits?

How did you treat the animal for the mites? Are they gone now?

Hardened stomach? Antibiotics? Maybe someone with herp vet experience can shed some light on this diagnosis.

What are your cage temps?

Lots of questions, I know, but IMO they really need to be addressed before we can go much further.

Bill

He ate for me when I first got him. He was eating every 3 days like a champ. But once the mites were gone and I let him rest to get over it for about a week, he stopped eating. He was also in a shed during those 7 days so I had to stop treating him for 3 or 4 days. And then after that shed he stopped eating. I was using reptile relief to treat him. I didnt use it very often, but it took care of them fairly quick. I also only used a small amount, because I wasnt sure if it would be too strong.

I was wrong earlier, the vet thought he could have a bacterial infection and that was what the antibiotics were for. But he suggested a hardened stomach.

You did not mention what type of heat you are using. I prefer belly heat for retics. I am going to get bashed for this but I keep my hot side at 100 F. Say what you will, there is nothing that will change my mind on the higher then normal temps. My retics are healthy and have been for close to 7 years. What I am trying to get at is raising your temps above what you have them set at. If you are using a bulb, I'd switch to a Flexwatt type heater. Make sure you have a way to regulate the heater or your temps will get much higher then 100 F. Where is your thermometer located? Are you sure of the temps?

You say the retic is 7 months old and you are feeding it mice? At 7 months a retic should be eating much larger prey items. Hatchling retics can eat adult mice or small rats. Looking back at some of my records at 7 months my retics were eating rats between 400 - 500 grams in total weight every 7 days. Most of the rats were around 200 grams each at that time. Your average large adult mouse is in the area of 30 - 35 grams. You do the math.

Is your snake defecation on a regular basis? This can be another reason the snake is not eating. If the snake is not having regular bowel movements there could be a blockage. Though it is not common it happens.

Lastly how familiar is your vet with reptiles? A good reptile vet is hard to find. Your average dog & cat vet knows nothing about reptiles. Ask at your local pet stores of a good reptile vet. If you live near a large city most have local herp society. Go to a meeting and ask around. You would be surprised how many reptile vets are members of a herp society.

These are just a few thoughts that come to mind. I wish you luck.

Jim

I was feeding him mice when I got him, but he should be eating rats by now I thought but I just cant get him to eat anything, and he really hasnt been gaining weight since he stopped eating so he hasnt had any bowel movements. I am using an undertank heater and a exoterra reptile bulb for heat. I have 2 digital thermometers at each side of the aquarium to make sure there is a good variance.

Could you give me an approximate size on him/her? Sometimes a prey item too small is the reason. Once you get it back on food I would try to switch it over to pre-killed prey or thawed. You want to do this at an early age. As they get older it is harder to switch them over.

Are you sure there is no blockage in your snake? Once there is blockage it is next to impossible for them to pass it on their own.

Do you have the probe on top of the heater or away from the heater? I have my probe on top of the heater. This way I know what the heat is.

Jim