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My snake went on a food strike from October to February. I fed her mice because I didn’t want to give her something too big. She took it like a champ. So recently I tried to give her a small rat because it’s the same size. I can’t get her to eat a rat. What do I do?

My snake went on a food strike from October to February. I fed her mice because I didn’t want to give her something too big. She took it like a champ. So recently I tried to give her a small rat because it’s the same size. I can’t get her to eat a rat. What do I do?

Updated On March 25th, 2019

Pet's info: Reptile | Python | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 2 months old

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Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

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Hello, and thanks for using PetCoach. There are lots of reasons why a snake might go on a hunger strike, but it sounds like you've narrowed it down to a food preference. Rats are a bit more nutritious and ideally preferable over mice, but mice are also a perfectly acceptable option. Some snakes simply prefer them, in which case you are welcome to keep feeding Luminescence mice, and depending on her size she may simply need multiple mice per feeding as she grows. If you want to encourage her to switch to rats, you can try rubbing a dead mouse or mouse bedding on the rat prior to offering it, to give the rat a more familiar scent. Keep trying - but don't stress if the end result is she ends up staying on mice. Hope this helps!

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