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 #1520969


Miss piggy
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 New owner needs advice

I was at a reptile show on the 17Th and fell in love with a western hog nose. I have never owned any snakes so this is new. The problem is I tried to feed him (pig) a couple days after bringing him home and couldn’t get him to eat. I tried frozen pinky’s that is all I can get where I live. Should I be worried? He looks very healthy although he is staying hid alot, he is active when i have him out.
11/20/07  12:49pm

 #1521650


JackAsp
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   Message To: Miss piggy   In reference to Message Id: 1520969


 New owner needs advice

If he’s not eating he’s not hungry, so he’s not inherantly suffering from that. Just be very conscious of your temperatures, refrain from handling him for now, just in case he’s still more intimated than you think, and give him a good day/night cycle to promote psychological health, and he should come around soon. If sheds and still doesn’t want to eat after that, that’s the time to worry, becaue shedding is usually their reset button, but unless he’s about to do so right now he’ll probably be eating before then.
Did you get a card or anything from the dealer? It’s always good to know right off the bat how the snake is used to being fed. For example, mine was always put into a deli cup with the mouse. If yours is used to something like that, then all the sights and smells of the new cage might be overwhelming his senses too much. Actually, at least with f/t food, I’ve usually gotten better results using that deli cup trick anyway. Some hoggies also respond better if the mouse is scented wuith tuna water, although in all probability you don’t need to risk spoiling him yet with exotic scenting techniques, because it’s only been two days. You should wait five, or in this case three more. A lot of people have found that snakes ofered food often right from the beginning, before they’re even hungry, have a tendency to tune it out and take longer to start eating than those that are given privacy to feel like snakes and get hungry. Sort of a "familiarity breeds contempt" deal. I’ve had snakes that ate their first or second day. I’ve also had one that took six weeks, being offered every other day. Waiting five days has never resulted in a food rejection for me.
To put this in perspective, hatchling sometimes take a month or two to even eat their first meal, and are fine afterwards. This does not mean that once your snake is eating you should postpone feedings when he’s scheduled to eat that day. But it does mean that if something does happen, such as having to settle into a new home, they can handle a fast much better than a dog or cat. His behavior does not sound abnormal to me, although of course you’ll keep worrying until he eats, because that’s part of being a snake owner too. The trick is, as long as he seems normal and okay, not to let that worry overwhelm us and try something unpleasant like force-feeding him. Maintain a good habitat, keep distractions to a minimum, and he’ll come around.
11/20/07  11:33pm

 #1526833


Miss piggy
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   Message To: JackAsp   In reference to Message Id: 1521650


 New owner needs advice

Thank you so much for your help he hasn’t been offered anymore food but we have been on a camping trip. Pig is doing fine and I am going to try the cup thing today. I have been collecting pigs in general since 1980 so when i saw this boy I FELL IN LOVE.
11/26/07  02:08pm


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