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In Shed, Won't Eat

S

SnakeLover08

New member
Lily has just come into shed, she's dull but her eyes are not yet blue. Can being in shed effect her appetite as she wouldn't eat her pinkie today and last week. :uhoh:
 
Yes, it is quite common for snakes to refuse to eat when blue. And they can be "blue" long before you can see it yourself. In the wild, the snake is debilitated by the loss of clear vision and seeks cover, not emerging until it is time to shed. The wild snake would not be feeding while blue. It's ok to feed your snake when it is blue, if it will eat for you, but it doesn't hurt to wait until the snake has shed, and skip a meal or two.
 
Yes, whilst some snakes will eat during shed, others won't. However, if it was last week and she wasn't in blue, then there could be another problem. Or was she in blue, and now she's entered the clear phase right before she sheds. What are the temps in her vivarium? Have you been handling her a lot? When did you get her?
 
I've got snakes that I can't tell if they are blue or not- especially in the early days. What color is your snake? Has she been feeding normally for you prior to this?
 
SnakeLover08 said:
Lily has just come into shed, she's dull but her eyes are not yet blue. Can being in shed effect her appetite as she wouldn't eat her pinkie today and last week. :uhoh:
Click to expand...

I've heard that some snakes refuse food when they are in shed, and that it is quite common. Mine hasn't done so yet, but knock on wood. Also, a few people in this thread were kind enough to enlighten me to the fact that feeding whilst in the blue and/or right before a shed can have negative effects. Check it out.

-Patm1313 :dgrin:
 
Nanci said:
I've got snakes that I can't tell if they are blue or not- especially in the early days. What color is your snake? Has she been feeding normally for you prior to this?
Click to expand...

Yeah she's being feeding twice a week without any problems but refused to eat when she started going dull.
 
Well then, I just wouldn't worry about it. I would feed her after she has shed- the same day is ok, or if you have a schedule, waiting for the next scheduled day is fine, too.
 
Sounds perfectly normal mate, nothing to worry about. If she doesn't start feeding again after shedding there could be another problem.
 
I know it seems scary, but I have has snakes go "off feed" for whatever reasons up to months at a time (I think the longest was 6-8 months!!! - a long while back). Shedding can be a "trying" time for a reptile, because of reasons listed above "being vulnerable" but really her feeding response could be from anything like seasons, temperatures in here viv, barometric pressure, light exposure, hormonal change?, I mean the reasons are just countless, and it can even confuse the most expert handler.

Your snake might even miss the next scheduled feeding, which still I would not worry about. Just keep water in her cage, and watch for signs of other symptoms. If there are none, she might just be just "off feed"

Keep an eye on her and let us know! Thanks for posting your inquiry, I hope I helped.
 
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