boa is he ill

Question
hi i have a 7 ft boa constricter i hav hadhim about 2 and a half months and he just wont eat! i bought him off a man who said that he was eating perfectly and when i asked him about the lump he said it was fine and that he had him checked by the vet and apparently he said it was fine the man said he only gets it when he sheds but he was shedding (i got him then) it was there so i beleived him. when he finished shedding the lump didnt go so i took him to a man i know who has about two hundred snakes and knows a lot and he said he would sort it. so i left hinm there all day while the man lanced it and drained the 'so called infection'. but it didnt go so i took him to a proper vet who gave him some antibiotics called baytril i gave it to him for a week and nothing happened the lump is still there and he hasnt ate anything i have tried mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, day old chicks, rabbits, guinea pigs and i even tried him on live food which i didnt enjoy and he just wouldnt take it. he is in a suitable viv (5x3x3) has a large waterbowl and suitable heating and a hide but still wont eat. i tried taking him out the viv to feed him aswell but he wont eat do you no what is the matter with him?


please help

Answer
Hi Sean,
  It is winter and they do go through periods where they won't eat. Keep trying every 3 or 4 days. Try live and dead. Raise the temp a little. The lump worries me. I do not know what it could be. A 7 foot snake can go a long time without eating. Don't get too worried until 4 or 5 months. I have a 6' Dalberts python that once went 6 month before I finally got her to eat. BTW, she ate a hamster! That might be something else to try as they have a different smell when compared to a rat. Let me know if I can be of further help.