# Western Hognose won't eat pinkies? 10 gal vs snake rack



## Tarantuloid (May 27, 2013)

I recently bought a baby Western Hognose on the forum from a breeder who had these baby hognoses eating pinkies no problem. Unfortunately, I had made this set up ready in a 10 gallon tank as I didn't think that the hognoses might've been raised in snake racks and not a tank.

Now I have a western hognoses that openly refuses every meal I give him, I cannot get him to eat and I don't have a snake rack, only the ten gallon starter with aspen and plenty of hiding places. Any advice on getting him to eat?


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## Munch (May 27, 2013)

Try and scent the pinkie with chicken broth, how often do you feed it?, in the wild they eat toads if you have a toad try scenting the pinkie with it.
hope it helped, Trevor


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## Tarantuloid (May 27, 2013)

Munch said:


> Try and scent the pinkie with chicken broth, how often do you feed it?, in the wild they eat toads if you have a toad try scenting the pinkie with it.
> hope it helped, Trevor


I've been trying about every few days, sometimes leaving them over night since I've been working during the day. I was told he may not be eating because the 10 gallon is stressing him out since he was raised in a snake rack and the abundant space is too much. Does chicken broth really work?


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## Munch (May 27, 2013)

I have used tuna juice before, but I have only heard chicken broth will work, try and feed it less often i.e. once a week, because it will stress him/her out less. Do you feed it in it's cage or in a seperate container.


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## Tarantuloid (May 27, 2013)

Munch said:


> I have used tuna juice before, but I have only heard chicken broth will work, try and feed it less often i.e. once a week, because it will stress him/her out less. Do you feed it in it's cage or in a separate container.


I've been trying to feed him in a separate enclosure. However, the snake was raised feeding in the same snake rack he was fed in. They would thaw a pinkie out and place it on a plastic surface in the enclosure and he would eat it himself in about 15 minutes. I'm just freaking out because he hasn't eaten since I got him which was about two weeks ago and they have pretty high metabolisms.


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## Munch (May 27, 2013)

Try feeding him in in the 10 gallon, plus he will eat if he gets hungry, I know it is scary I have felt the same before, also try scenting it.


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## cantthinkofone (May 27, 2013)

you lucky person ive been trying to find one of these. try putting it in a small-ish container and shoving the mouse near its face. i did have a corn snake last year die of parasites that made him not eat so you may want to take that as a possibility


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## Munch (May 27, 2013)

If it still doesn't eat you should force feed it.


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## Tarantuloid (May 27, 2013)

Munch said:


> If it still doesn't eat you should force feed it.


Yeah, I pretty much thought about everything except for the whole ten gallon tank thing. Temperature is appropriate, plenty of hiding spaces with aspen, it seemed easy enough, I just can't get him to eat. This particular hognose was raised eating unscented pinkies, he just hasn't eaten since I brought him home.


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## Munch (May 27, 2013)

It may still be stressed.


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## pouchedrat (May 28, 2013)

it's probably still stressed.    I keep my hogs in snake bins, not tanks.  I don't think they do that well in larger space and if it's a male it might be too large an enclosure, especially if it's little still itself.   How long has it gone without eating?   I've had one go 3 months before he ate for me.... just watch the weight and I wouldn't force feed a hog.  Try scenting, though...  tuna, salmon juice, etc.  He's probably still very stressed.  just wait a week, try again, wait more, try again.  don't try every day, it just stresses them out,


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## Munch (May 28, 2013)

pouchedrat said:


> don't try every day, it just stresses them out,


And uses up rats


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## Tarantuloid (May 28, 2013)

pouchedrat said:


> it's probably still stressed.    I keep my hogs in snake bins, not tanks.  I don't think they do that well in larger space and if it's a male it might be too large an enclosure, especially if it's little still itself.   How long has it gone without eating?   I've had one go 3 months before he ate for me.... just watch the weight and I wouldn't force feed a hog.  Try scenting, though...  tuna, salmon juice, etc.  He's probably still very stressed.  just wait a week, try again, wait more, try again.  don't try every day, it just stresses them out,


Thanks for the advice, I don't blame the breeder, the Hognose himself is very healthy and was raised on unscented pinkies. I failed to ask the breeder if he was raised in a snack rack or not, and instead prepared a ten gallon tank. Where can I get a snake bin for a good deal? I can't seem to find a good bin that's small enough for him and won't burn with that heating mat. I would say he hasn't ate in about 2-2 1/2 weeks now.


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## Mike41793 (May 28, 2013)

Try feeding him in his enclosure, there's no reason to move them to feed. 

Force feeding should be used as a LAST resort, its very stressful for the snake. 

Try scenting with toads, chicken broth, tuna, etc., like others have said. Exhaust all the tricks before force feeding.


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## Munch (May 28, 2013)

It probably was  raised in a rack, for the second answer I need to knows how big the hog is.


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## Tarantuloid (May 28, 2013)

Munch said:


> It probably was  raised in a rack, for the second answer I need to knows how big the hog is.


The hog is still a baby, he was born in 2012, but is a pretty small male.


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## Munch (May 28, 2013)

A 6 liter plastic shoebox would be fine or medium critter keeper, and as far as heat a small uth that they say you can use on plastic (be sure to raise the container off the ground,shelf etc... or a space heater (recommended) Would be a wonderful setup.

---------- Post added 05-28-2013 at 07:09 PM ----------

A 6 liter plastic shoebox would be fine or medium critter keeper, and as far as heat a small uth that they say you can use on plastic (be sure to raise the container off the ground,shelf etc... or a space heater (recommended) Would be a wonderful setup.


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## Tarantuloid (May 29, 2013)

Munch said:


> A 6 liter plastic shoebox would be fine or medium critter keeper, and as far as heat a small uth that they say you can use on plastic (be sure to raise the container off the ground,shelf etc... or a space heater (recommended) Would be a wonderful setup.
> 
> ---------- Post added 05-28-2013 at 07:09 PM ----------
> 
> A 6 liter plastic shoebox would be fine or medium critter keeper, and as far as heat a small uth that they say you can use on plastic (be sure to raise the container off the ground,shelf etc... or a space heater (recommended) Would be a wonderful setup.


If I could really use a small plastic tub like that, that would be great! I was only afraid that the heat mat might burn through the tub if I chose the wrong one. I still have more of those sticky pads used to lift a tank off the ground, I can use those on the new enclosure!


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## BrettG (May 29, 2013)

Small shoebox as mentioned,plus patience,it will eat sooner or later.Been there done that wih these guys.


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## Tarantuloid (May 30, 2013)

BrettG said:


> Small shoebox as mentioned,plus patience,it will eat sooner or later.Been there done that wih these guys.


I'll go to wall mart today and find a plastic shoe box then. Thanks for the advice!


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## Munch (May 30, 2013)

Just make sure the shelf,table,floor,etc...  that the cage is on top of can NOT catch on fire.


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## bchbum11 (Jun 2, 2013)

Sterlite tubs found at Walmart, Target, etc,... Pick up the shoebox size one for him, along with a small hide that he will feel secure in. Don't take him out to feed, don't tong feed, and absolutely don't scent the pinkies. Since he has been eating unscented f/t for around 8 months now scenting would just be taking a step backwards. He is likely stressed from a combo of the move and being in a much larger enclusure with fully transparent sides. I'd switch him over to the shoebox size sterlite tub (should cost about $2), let him settle for about a week, then just leave a thawed pinkie outside his hidebox overnight. Trying to feed him every couple days is probably stressing him out also, especially if he's being removed from his enclosure or being tease fed with tongs. 

They do have high metabolisms, but as was stated earlier can go for months without food. Even neonates, which are tiny things with little fat reserves, can go for 5+ months without eating.


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## Tarantuloid (Jun 3, 2013)

I will probably have to find a smaller heat mat. I went to wal mart and found smaller plastic tubs, but the way the bottom of it is shaped my current heat mat wouldn't be able to fit underneath them. I haven't tried scenting them since I thought he would go back to being accustomed to toads again.



bchbum11 said:


> Sterlite tubs found at Walmart, Target, etc,... Pick up the shoebox size one for him, along with a small hide that he will feel secure in. Don't take him out to feed, don't tong feed, and absolutely don't scent the pinkies. Since he has been eating unscented f/t for around 8 months now scenting would just be taking a step backwards. He is likely stressed from a combo of the move and being in a much larger enclusure with fully transparent sides. I'd switch him over to the shoebox size sterlite tub (should cost about $2), let him settle for about a week, then just leave a thawed pinkie outside his hidebox overnight. Trying to feed him every couple days is probably stressing him out also, especially if he's being removed from his enclosure or being tease fed with tongs.
> 
> They do have high metabolisms, but as was stated earlier can go for months without food. Even neonates, which are tiny things with little fat reserves, can go for 5+ months without eating.


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## Tarantula155 (Jun 4, 2013)

I had feeding problems with hognose snakes before. They are a pain in the ... when it comes to food. Mine only ate dead warm dry mice, not even rat pups. If the thawed out dry mouse got cold just for a second, the hognose refused it. I got so sick and tired I just gave him up. Not worth it in my opinion.


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## Tarantuloid (Jun 4, 2013)

They're neat snakes, but I have literally tried everything to get him to eat and he refuses. My only thing left is moving him to a plastic shoebox. I'm trying to find one my current heat mat will fit under, but I'll probably have to pick up a different one. 





Marc Spider said:


> I had feeding problems with hognose snakes before. They are a pain in the ... when it comes to food. Mine only ate dead warm dry mice, not even rat pups. If the thawed out dry mouse got cold just for a second, the hognose refused it. I got so sick and tired I just gave him up. Not worth it in my opinion.


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## Tarantula155 (Jun 4, 2013)

Tarantuloid said:


> They're neat snakes, but I have literally tried everything to get him to eat and he refuses. My only thing left is moving him to a plastic shoebox. I'm trying to find one my current heat mat will fit under, but I'll probably have to pick up a different one.


Good luck.

I've read and heard stories worse than mine. They are real stubborn eaters, the worst in my opinion.


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## Tarantuloid (Jun 5, 2013)

Yeah I'm slowly starting to find that out, I just gotta think about how I'm going to fix this. 





Marc Spider said:


> Good luck.
> 
> I've read and heard stories worse than mine. They are real stubborn eaters, the worst in my opinion.


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## Tarantula155 (Jun 5, 2013)

Tarantuloid said:


> Yeah I'm slowly starting to find that out, I just gotta think about how I'm going to fix this.


Or if you can. There have been some hognose snakes that starved to death. I know, it is bizarre.


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## bchbum11 (Jun 5, 2013)

Hogs are no worse than many other other snake species. They can go off food sometimes if stressed or during breading season, but will go back on once the cause of the stress is removed. Babies can be a pain before they are switched to unscented, but even those will eat once you get the right scent down. The only way a hog will starve itself to death is if it was a baby which wasn't started on unscented, then no effort was made to get it switched, or if it was kept in conditions that were stressing it out and no attempt was made to rectify the environment. 

Michael, that snake was eating f/t unscented every 5 days like clockwork. He'll be fine. Get him the smaller opaque container, let him settle in, then try about once every 5 days until he eats. As for the heat mat, just use one you have already and place a part of the shoebox over it. Set it up in a section of the house that doesn't get a lot of traffic. Then put a hide on each end, and leave him alone other than at feeding time. Finally, try not to stress. He can go a good while without food, and he will eat again because he was doing so like a machine prior to being shipped.


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## Tarantuloid (Jun 5, 2013)

I doubt the snake will starve himself to death, and I strongly believe I was supplied with a western hognose that was in good health and raised on f/t pinkie mice. I'm currently moving him to a smaller and more secure enclosure roughly the size of a shoe box. I was a bit spoiled with my kingsnakes, which are usually really good eaters. Hognoses are a little different, but I'm sure once he becomes adjusted to his new enclosure, he will eat in given time. 





bchbum11 said:


> Hogs are no worse than many other other snake species. They can go off food sometimes if stressed or during breading season, but will go back on once the cause of the stress is removed. Babies can be a pain before they are switched to unscented, but even those will eat once you get the right scent down. The only way a hog will starve itself to death is if it was a baby which wasn't started on unscented, then no effort was made to get it switched, or if it was kept in conditions that were stressing it out and no attempt was made to rectify the environment.
> 
> Michael, that snake was eating f/t unscented every 5 days like clockwork. He'll be fine. Get him the smaller opaque container, let him settle in, then try about once every 5 days until he eats. As for the heat mat, just use one you have already and place a part of the shoebox over it. Set it up in a section of the house that doesn't get a lot of traffic. Then put a hide on each end, and leave him alone other than at feeding time. Finally, try not to stress. He can go a good while without food, and he will eat again because he was doing so like a machine prior to being shipped.


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## Tarantuloid (Jun 11, 2013)

I just wanted to let everyone know that yesterday morning he ate his first pinkie since I bought him. After I moved him into a much smaller terrarium, I thawed a pinkie out and left it in there overnight and he ate it.

I'm really glad it was just an enclosure size issue and nothing serious, as once I moved him, he ate unscented f/t pinkies no problem.


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