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'Rocky' is in trouble

Daniel Eaton

Daniel Eaton

New member
I bought a small Miami Phase at the Raleigh show. Until this past week, he was eating two pinkies at each feeding. Doing well. In the last three of four days though, he's really headed downhill. He would only eat one pinkie...and then only when I laid it right at his mouth. He moves around a little, but only rarely. He used to be all over his cage...a real explorer. Now he isn't. If you pick him up, he seems real stiff. Not at all 'wiggly' like he was. He got real blue-eyed and dull at the end of last week, and then it cleared up. He looks like he might have shed, but I can't find the skin. Could he have eaten it and gotten sick? If anyone can give me some ideas, I'd really appreciate it.
 
He's getting ready to shed. The eyes cloud and then get clear a few days before the shed happens. There isn't anything wrong with him. He'll be ready to eat again when he's done shedding. Mist him lightly once a day with water and make sure he has fresh water in a bowl that is big enough for him to get into. Leave him alone other than that and don't worry. He'll be fine.

Peter
 
But what about...

Why the stiff behavior? Is it normal for snakes about to shed to get real stiff? I expected the cloudy eyes and the dull skin. When it cleaned up, I assumed he had already shed. Regardless, is the rigor-mortis type symptoms normal?
 
It may just be behavior related, since they can't really see when their eyes are cloudy. A trick I used was to put mine in a pillow case with a lukewarm wet coarse towel for about 15 minutes. She shed right after this.

Peter
 
Dont worry to much about the dull eyes and stuff like what pdrau said hes going to shed... It usually takes about 3 days after their eyes clear up that they actually shed... Ive never heard about any corns eating their sheds... for the stiffness... this could be because he has been eating to much and hasnt had time to digest his food... do you have a source of heat? and how often do you feed your snake??? if you overfeed he just might not be hungry that would explain why hes only been eating 1 pinky as of latly... feed him 2 pinkys every 3-4 days... I feed mine on Monday and Friday... works out great... should take the snake 3 days to digest his food and poop it out... when you see the poo just feed him again... hmmmm let me see if I anwsered all your questions... OOO and for the part about him getting lazy... when they start to shed they get really shy they would rather hide then play... mainly because they cloud up their eyes and cant see that well... mine use to crawl all around but then I think it got use to the cage and all it doesnt now is lay under its hide then comes out at night... your snake probably is pretty active during the night when your fast asleep... mine usually come out around 9-5... Hope I helped... sorry about the babbeling
 
The snake I got at the Raleigh show shed a week or two ago. She got a little shy and stayed hidden. I had just fed her when her eyes went blue. I just delayed feeding her waiting for her shed- after a few days I got worried and fed her anyway (she ate fine). The next day I found her skin under the aspen in her cage.

But I wouldn't worry most folks say their snakes don't eat when they are ready to shed.

Good Luck!
 
Not any better

There is still no sign of a shed skin, and I am more convinced than ever that something is seriously wrong. When I got home, Rocky was no better. He had a short bath today and didn't seem as stiff. (When I say stiff, I mean like a pencil.) Instead, he was basically limp. Like a noodle. Couldn't see any breathing. This takes "shy" and "inactive" to a whole new level. I picked him up and he didn't move at all. It took about 15-20 seconds before he slightly moved his head. Otherwise I would have thought he was dead. When I tried to introduce him to two warm pinkies, he *did* move his head away by an inch oe so, but that was it. I left the pinkies in his cage. Four hour later, they are still there. At the rate he is heading downhill, I fully expect a dead snake in the next 24 hours. :-(
 
Maybe it's time to call the vet.

I would contact the vet and see what he says. Is there any chance he's impacted? I was reading on another forum and this guys snake had some of the same symptoms limp, nonreactive, ect, he found out it was impacted. I'm very new to snakes so I'm not sure but thought that might help.

Hope He's okay!! Let us know.

Colleen
 
vet

I am not sure where in NC you live, but I used to live in Raliegh and the vet I went to was Avian and Exotic Animal Care, P.A.
There website is www.avianandexotic.com
They are great I sure do miss them. I haven't found a great vet up in this area yet. Try them.
 
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