Dumeril's won't eat

Neither of the little suckers will eat today. Matt said he feeds them about every 10 days. Can I refreeze the mice 1 time and try next weekend or should I throw them out. I can't ever remember any of my snakes in the past that passed up a meal.

That's because you have them on particulate substrate and you're feeding frozen/thawed.

No seriously, some will tell you it's alright to refreeze them and some will tell you that you shouldn't.

In my opinion, if you don't have anything else that will eat the mice, I'd throw them out.

Question. Was the guy you got them from feeding mice or rats ?

They are in a new place and stressed out. They will start eating once they have settled in.
Don't refreeze. Either immediately feed them to another herp, or throw them out.

i agree with the no re-freezing part...HOWEVER....for me when i have had snakes that won't eat and have nothing else to feed it to, i will throw it in the fridge. i will wait a day or so and then try again. if they don't eat it then, i will throw it away. i look at it like our food, once you thaw out meat and don't eat it, do you throw it away? i don't, i put it in the fridge.

Snakeman wrote:That's because you have them on particulate substrate and you're feeding frozen/thawed.

Ha Ha! He was feeding fresh killed. I might Have to try that if they don't eat in a couple weeks or maybe they will eat when they get hungry enough!! I am putting them (seperatly) in a bucket to feed. I don't like feeding in the tank. I did put the mice in the frig, I might try again in a couple days and warm them up a little more. If they don't eat them I will toss'em.

Now get this. My baby red-tail is coughing tonight! Am I jenxed (sp) or what?!?

Maybe the humidity is to high? It was at 70% tonight. I took the towel off the top so maybe if I get that down........otherwise he is not acting sick. He has ate 3 times since I got him, shed once and still hasn't used the bathroom. And Larry, the tiny tip of his tail still has the old skin on it, but I mean the very tiny tip. The temp on one side is around 86 give or take with the light and has the under tank heating pad and the other side is around 78.

If he continues to stay alert and active should this pass? Or am I going to have to spend more on a vet bill than I spent for the snake

I don't know what I'd do without you guys!

Fresh killed mice or rats ?
The reason I ask is that sometimes a snake that's started feeding on rats is resistant to going back to mice.

Did you see them eat before you bought them ?

When you tried to feed, were the mice/rats completely warm.
Often a snake will not eat a mouse or rat if it's still cool inside.

With your red-tail, 70% humidity is a little high.

Your need to use a soaking wet (not too hot or too cold) cloth/papertowel and gently rub that skin on the tip of his tail until it slides off.
Don't wait on this.
The longer it's on there, the harder it will be to get off.

If he stresses out too much when you try to do that, put a "blob" of safe lubricant on that skin to soften it up, leave it awhile and then try to remove the skin.
(Safe lubricant such as Neosporin, olive oil, etc.)

Left untreated that unshed skin will dry and constrict.
Over a prolonged period of time, he might lose the tip of his tail.

How long have you had him ?
I would not feed him any more until he has a bowel movement.
There may be a problem if he's had 3 meals and no bowel movement.
Is he spending a lot of time laying over the heat source ?
Like I mentioned earlier, there's usually a bowel movement with a shed.

If the coughing continues, please let me know.
There's a fairly simple treatment for that and it often will take care of it.
If it doesn't, you need to get him to Dr. Minson.

Do not refreeze or even keep. Once the thawing process starts the rodent you are thawing starts rotting, and you want your frozen thawed critter as fresh as possible. Luckily our food has been treated and processed so it doesnt rot right away.

OK, I will throw out he mice for the Demuril's. I did not see them eat. Matt had feed them Wed and I went out there Sat. I think I will e-mail and see if there is anything he did to get them to eat. The were on mice and I bought mice. Maybe their just a little stressed being moved and in a new home.

For my RT, I got the rest of the skin off from his tail with a paper towel. He's really good about me doing what I want with him. I always rub the top of his head (like a dog) and mess with face. I figure if he gets used to it while he's growing up he won't be jumpy about it when he's big. He either likes to be rubbed or he's very tolerating. He's pretty cool.

I've had him 3 weeks this last Friday. I had put the towel on his cage to raise the humidity when I saw signs he was getting ready to shed. I took it off last night and it went down to 60%. He does go back and forth from sides. I've got a little fake plastic branch hide on one side he gets in and a half log on the hotter side. Should I talk the one out on the cooler side and make him stay on the warmer side more? When he is on the warmer side he stays around the log more than under it. I've never seen him on top. I have him out now (he's chillin' wrapped around my wrist and arm while I'm typing.) You'd think he wouldn't like the movement! He's not coughing but lets pretend he's breathing out his nostrils, I hear a little pop when he would breath out like he's a little snotty. Like there is a little bubble that pops is what it sounds like.

Does that make sense?

Glad you got that skin off of the tail.
He sounds like a cool snake.

Yes.
What you said makes sense.

A clean, very dry. very warm (not hot) cage with clean, dry paper towels for the substrate and overhead heat works wonders for upper respiratory problems if they are not too severe.

It sounds like he may be in the beginning stages of it.

Put his water dish in with him once a day and give him an opportunity to drink, not soak. Then remove it.

If he continues to cough, if you continue to hear that "popping" sound or if little bubbles start coming out of his nostrils after a day or two of the above treatment; get him to Dr. Minson.

Thanks, thats a big help. I will pull the water out tonight. I've never seen him in it. I honestly don't think he likes to soak. He hates it if he touches his water when Im putting him back in his tank.

Should I unplug the under tank heater if I take out his carpet and replace it with papertowels? or just make them thick. It's not as hot as a new heater, It's been on the bottom for about 3 years now and only about half of the pad is still stuck to the glass good. And I could put a 60 watt light bulb in place of the 40 watt? but remember its only a 10 gallon tank.

During the treatment you can unplug the under the tank heater and I'd put in two or three layers of paper towels.

Before you change the light bulb to a 60 watt, check the temperature under the light on top of the paper towels.
60 watts may be too much for a 10 gallon tank.
You want the temperature to be in the mid 80's on the towels, under the light.
You just want to keep him warm and dry with good ventilation, but no drafts.

How long have you had them? I would give them some time before feeding them.

Also, are you covering the bucket?? Some Dums will not eat in an "illuminated setting".

I would try to get them on rats ASAP.

Pat

I have only had them a week. The bucket I have is a darker blue, mop bucket actually, and yes it's new and not been used to mop the floors

I took one of them up to Allegator Alley so I could get the right size. The lady brought out mice. Petsmart did have the size I thought I needed. If your going to be at the meeting, I am bringing them with me. I have decided to not try to feed them again til' next weekend.

Larry,

On the humidity, I have never seen the gauge drop below 60% which I thought was really weird (its a new one) and it was still on that last night so I got another gauge and put it in there and it read 40% (which is more like it considering what I do and don't have in the tank right now). I think the one I have in there must be broke. I've never been able to keep that tank 60 to 70% before with anything so I thought that was weird so I double checked. I don't think it has ever been close to 70%! I think I will go buy a digital one or take the one out of my Tarantula cage and use it.

A new guage sounds good.

Spider Woman wrote:Pat

I have only had them a week. The bucket I have is a darker blue, mop bucket actually, and yes it's new and not been used to mop the floors

I took one of them up to Allegator Alley so I could get the right size. The lady brought out mice. Petsmart did have the size I thought I needed. If your going to be at the meeting, I am bringing them with me. I have decided to not try to feed them again til' next weekend.

I plan on being there.