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

[Tarantuloid]

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?

 

[Munch]

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

 

[Tarantuloid]

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?

 

[Munch]

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.

 

[Tarantuloid]

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.

 

[Munch]

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.

 

[cantthinkofone]

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

 

[Munch]

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

 

[Tarantuloid]

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.

 

[Munch]

It may still be stressed.

 

[pouchedrat]

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,

 

[Munch]

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

And uses up rats

 

[Tarantuloid]

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.

 

[Mike41793]

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.

 

[Munch]

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

 

[Tarantuloid]

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.

 

[Munch]

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.

 

[Tarantuloid]

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!

 

[BrettG]

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

 

[Tarantuloid]

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!