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 #2031684


Ritchierebels2008
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 Got my first blood

Picked this guy up 1/2 price, $75.he looks a little underweight. He has to be force fed though. Any tips on how to get him to strike, and what kind of blood is he?
Thanks




06/30/09  05:29pm

 #2031951


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2031684


 Got my first blood

That is a red blood. And force feeding should be your absolute last resort. What methods have you used to try and get him to eat?



07/01/09  05:58am

 #2032006


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2031951


 Got my first blood

I just got him Monday and they said he ate Sunday so I havent tried to feed him yet. They have tried F/T and live he just wont strike.
07/01/09  09:32am

 #2032016


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2032006


 Got my first blood

Who are ’they’? I assume you bought him from a pet store. No reputable breeder, not one that wants to stay in business long, is going to sell you a snake that has to be force fed. The first thing I would do, is make sure your husbandry is correct. What is your cage temperature and humidity? Does the snake have plenty of snug hides? If that’s all good then what I would do is leave that snake alone for at least two weeks. Don’t handle it, don’t touch it and don’t open it’s cage unnecessarily. The only reason you should open the cage is to change out the water.

After that period then you can try feeding. There are several methods I’d recommend. The first thing I would do is I would take a large rat pup, or a very, very small adult rat and thaw it out. Heat it using very hot water and then when the rat is good and warm, but not hot, put it in the cage in the hot side hide. Leave him alone, and see if that works. Alternately you can use a blow dryer to heat up the head of the prey item so it’s warmer than room temperature. You can try either method at several different times of the day (not all at once though). If he won’t eat during the day, try feeding at night. If you try to feed him during the day and he refuses, then wait another week. Don’t try later again that same night. Offering food that close together can be a stressor.

Another method that you can use is to try pre-scenting. Put some soiled rat bedding in the cage for 15-30 minutes before you try feeding. Sometimes the scent but not actual sight of the rodent can trigger their hunting behavior. After that time period, offer the prey item and leave him alone. This can be tried at different times of the day as well.

Let me know how those work out for you. Good luck.
07/01/09  10:10am

 #2032075


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2032016


 Got my first blood

I got him from Pet Supplies Plus, a pet store. His temps are 82 and humidity is 57%. he has 2 snug hides. He has buried himself once also.



07/01/09  11:46am

 #2032081


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2032075


 Got my first blood

Your temps are a-ok. Humidity is good too. One more question, how big is his enclosure?
07/01/09  12:02pm

 #2032118


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2032081


 Got my first blood

A 10 gal aquarium
07/01/09  01:12pm

 #2032119


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2032118


 Got my first blood

for now Getting a bigger in a couple weeks
07/01/09  01:13pm

 #2032461


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2032119


 Got my first blood

I’d say hold off on that one for a while. A ten gallon will house a blood nicely until around 8 or 10 months of age. Really they like cramped quarters.



07/01/09  10:39pm

 #2032490


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2032461


 Got my first blood

While I’m on my soapbox to you, I guess I ought to sing the praises of plastic tubs. Aquariums are alright I guess, but you would have a much easier time if your snake were in a plastic enclosure. I know several members to this forum have are quite satisfied with their animal plastics product (animal plastics(.)com). Hell, you could even get away with a plastic tub from walmart. Plastics hold humidity and temps so much better than glass aquariums. /sermon.
07/01/09  11:31pm

 #2032597


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2032490


 Got my first blood

The cage I am planning to buy is the animal plastics model T3 or T5.
07/02/09  07:49am

 #2033108


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2032597


 Got my first blood

That’s cool. You might want to PM/talk to PythonPetey. He purchased an animal plastics product recently and is (as I hear) having good luck with it. If you have any questions regarding setup, maintenance and operations, he’d be the guy to go to. When you make that step, I’d be very interested in hearing how not only your purchase went, but how easy/hard the installation was and how you do your heat sources.



07/02/09  10:39pm

 #2033109


Melissa`
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033108


 Got my first blood

We just had the same problem with our new baby blood she didnt eat for the 1st 3 wks she was here we were kind of worried but she eventually ate a small mouse.
07/02/09  10:42pm

 #2033175


Scaly
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   Message To: Melissa`   In reference to Message Id: 2033109


 Got my first blood

Get his husbadry just right, leave him alone for several days and offer him a live mouse or live rat pup if you can get one, he looks pretty young still, most bloods do not eat until they are about a month old then they are much easily started on live prey items, after they become a good feeder you can transition to f/t.



07/03/09  01:38am

 #2033246


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Scaly   In reference to Message Id: 2033175


 Got my first blood

Thanks for all your help but he died this morning. Thank God he is still under warranty
07/03/09  07:37am

 #2033264


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033246


 Got my first blood

Woah that sucks man. Get your money back and then thouroughly clean and disinfect his living space before you get anything else. I’d also be raising absolute hell at that pet store. I’m very sorry for your loss.
07/03/09  08:59am

 #2033362


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033264


 Got my first blood

they dont wanna give me my money back now
07/03/09  12:38pm

 #2033648


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033362


 Got my first blood

What was their warranty on the snake?



07/03/09  11:13pm

 #2033725


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033648


 Got my first blood

7 days on any small animal or reptile.
07/04/09  08:26am

 #2033731


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033725


 Got my first blood

Ok, what I’d do is this; go in there and explain to the manager how the warranty is seven days, then show him your receipt for the 30Th. Explain to him, how from June 30 to July 3 is only technically four days...therefore is covered. If they won’t give you back your money what I’d do is then further explain to the manager how his failure to refund your money for selling you an obviously sick snake will result in a call to the corporate office, referral to the BBB (better business Bureau), as well as exceedingly scathing reviews on the Fauna Classifieds BOI, as well as every yahoo and google web hit of the place.

Had a vet seen the snake at any point? If so he/she could issue a statement concerning the health of the animal that you could use in your arguments. It would still not be a bad idea to have a necropsy done and find out exactly what killed it. If you have legitimate proof that they knowingly sold you an unhealthy snake, then threatening legal action wouldn’t be out of the question.
07/04/09  08:55am

 #2033738


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033731


 Got my first blood

We’ve talked to the manager and she said if the snake died the i’d done something wrong. I sent an email to the BBB and the state Attorney general. I never thought about Fauna.

The snake never had time to make it to the vet. I woke up yesterday to the snake with his mouth gaped open dying. Maybe 5 min. later he was dead.No time to do anything. We are planning to sue.
07/04/09  09:19am

 #2033756


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033738


 Got my first blood

Call the corporate office first. See what they’ll say. A lot of times they will automatically override store management, especially if they think this may turn into a big stink for them. I highly doubt an actual lawsuit is necessary. Basically, if you go the lawsuit route then what it’s going to come down to is who is at fault. Obviously you’ve only had the snake for a few days. So that kind of minimizes your role in the snakes death. And besides your temps and humidity were ok for that snake. What I would do is see if you have anyone other than yourself who can vouch for your temps and humidity levels. Then email a couple of breeders, the Barkers of VPI and possibly Kara of NERD come to mind, and explain to them what your situation is. I would bet that they’d be willing to help you. It’s going to look real good for you and real bad for that store if several professional, well known breeders are backing your care of the snake. I would also take the snake to the vet for a necropsy. That will tell you exactly what killed the snake. If it had some pre-existing condition then right there, the pet store is liable.

And I hate to say it, but if all else fails and you don’t get your money back, then look at it this way; you have learned a very valuable lesson for only $75; NEVER buy your animals from a pet store.
07/04/09  10:37am

 #2033769


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033756


 Got my first blood

We called corporate yesterday and the said that the manager had been with them for 18 yrs and she was a nice woman. LIE. I will try to contact the breeders like you recommended. I will also try to get an autopsy done.

I hate to learn a lesson like that though!
07/04/09  11:08am

 #2033785


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033769


 Got my first blood

Quote:

I hate to learn a lesson like that though!


Believe me I know. Good luck with it.
07/04/09  11:54am

 #2033798


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033785


 Got my first blood

thanks for your help
07/04/09  12:17pm

 #2033816


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033798


 Got my first blood

You’re quite welcome. I wish I was a law expert, or at least had a better understanding of how to help you.



07/04/09  12:47pm

 #2033826


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Catfish_82   In reference to Message Id: 2033816


 Got my first blood

Your advice has been very helpful. I cant thank you enough
07/04/09  01:09pm

 #2033996


Scaly
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2033826


 Got my first blood

Call up your local news stations and newspaper and tell them you want to make the public aware of this bad pet store selling sick animals and then refusing to stand behind their warranty. They love to expose and do those stories on puppy mills so they should be interested. That health guarantee is a legal contract, if they sold him to you even telling you he had to be force fed and he died before their warranty was up then by law they have to at least give you store credit for the purchase price of the animal. Call that corporate office back and ask how they can break that legally binding contract and health guarantee just because they think she is nice, email them too, sometimes a written complaint will go further than a verbal complaint, if you don’t get the right answer that time ask for their supervisor. It’s a good thing you took pictures of him too because you can show how unhealthy and skinny he was when you bought him, even if your husbandry was a little off it wouldn’t have killed it that fast. You could also picket their store too, standing out there with a big sign saying they sell sick animals and don’t stand behind their own warranty and that they have basically robbed you is not against the law as long as you stay on the sidewalk and right off their property. Follow through with your better buisness complaint ad post it on Faunna too, the more people you tell the better, good luck!
07/04/09  06:09pm

 #2034338


Ritchierebels2008
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   Message To: Scaly   In reference to Message Id: 2033996


 Got my first blood

I sent them an email saying the following:

On Monday June 29, 2009 I purchased a blood python from store #49 in Parkersburg, WV. I discovered on the morning of July 3, 2009 the animal was dead. The store refuses to refund my money despite the seven day guarantee. When I called your corporate office, they said that the manager was a very nice lady and would not deny my request. When I threatened to file a lawsuit the lady said in a very rude voice, " You do what you feel you need to do." Will my money be refunded or does legal action need to be taken?



Thank you for your time,

Travis


This is what I got back:

Hello Travis - Thank you for contacting the Pet Supplies "Plus" website. We are sorry to learn about the python you purchased at our Parkersburg store. Not being at the store, we can’t comment on the specifics of your email, but we will forward it to the customer service manager of our stores in your area. You can be sure that she will look into this matter promptly.
Sincerely,
Joe Fucini
petsuppliesplus.com






07/05/09  02:52pm

 #2034443


Catfish_82
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   Message To: Ritchierebels2008   In reference to Message Id: 2034338


 Got my first blood

Travis, sounds like a form letter response to me. I hadn’t thought of calling your local news station for the whistleblower line, good idea Scaly. Basically, as long as it’s just one man, then they’re not losing too much by stiffing you. The bigger the stink you make, the more customers they lose, and the more likely they are to pay attention to you. I’d start calling their corporate office every hour on the hour. Write to your newspaper, call the tv station like Scaly said, picket if you need to.
07/05/09  05:38pm
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