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Snake Not Gaining Weight...

Firefly151

Firefly151

New member
Is it normal for a snake to not gain any weight after a feeding?

I got Simon on July 6th and he ate that day. Then on July 11 I measured and weighed him. He was 34 grams and 23" long. He ate a small fuzzy on the 13th.

He has been hiding under his aspen a lot, and he doesn't use any of his 3 hides.
He has stayed in the same spot for almost 24 hours until I got him out to weigh him.

Today the 18th, Simon weighed in at 29 grams.

He has not shed since I've had him, but his eyes dont really look cloudy. Could he be preparing for a shed or is there something else I need to be looking for, or doing for him.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 

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Has there been any throw up? Poop?

From my snake friend told me, sometimes it takes a bit [some snakes poop a LOT after eating] for the weight to come on.
 
He pooped about 4-5 days after his feeding on the 6th and then he pooped on my bed the next day when my kids ran into my bedroom screaming. (They literally scared the sh*t out of him!)


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it's more accurate if you weigh a snake after they poop. Otherwise you're weighing the poop too.

Some weight fluctuations up and down are normal. You've only had the snake a few days. It takes months of weight tracking to tell if the snake is gaining or not. You can't really tell after just a few days.

Also keep in mind, a baby snake only retains about 20% to 40% of the feeder weight.

So if you feed a mouse weighing 5 grams, your snake may gain about 1.5 grams. As the snake ages and gets bigger, the weight gain gets slower.

The best thing to do is to weigh the snake right before you feed. Mark down that weight in a journal. Wait until time to feed again and then weigh the snake again right before feeding. Do this each time, and after a month or so, you should be able to tell if he's gaining weight.

If there is no weight gain after a month, then you might want to schedule a vet visit.
 
I agree with Karl. He gave you good advice.

You can also feed slightly more often. It is not unreasonable to feed a 34 gram snake on fuzzies every 6 days.

Don't worry about him hiding under the aspen. As long as he has cover he will be content. I've noticed that mine go through phases of where they want to hide and which hides they want to use, though most use their warm hides immediately after eating. Sometimes mine are only in there overnight before moving on, especially in the summer when the house is warmer.

He's adorable by the way!
 
Thanks so much everyone!

Dolly'sMom - I was wondering if I should feed him every 5-6 days. I have noticed he only strikes and gets angry when it's almost feeding day. I'll bump his feeding up to 6 days and see how that goes.

Karl, should I keep track of the weight of the mouse in the feeding journal also?

I am quite fond of my little guy so I just want to do a good job keeping him happy.


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At that weight I've been feeding smallish fuzzies every 5-6 days. It's typically closer to 5 on average, but I sometimes skip an extra day or two here and there. Tracking feeder weights is definitely encouraged. I sorted my last bag of fuzzies into two bags since they varied so widely: 3-4g in one, 5-6g in the other.
 
I'm just answering because you addressed me, but I agree with what Dragonling said. If I recall. I was feeding small fuzzies every five days and went to 6 days at large fuzzies.

If don't know if you know about it, but you might set up an account at iherp.com and use their tracking. I do both-- track here on my iPhone and then duplicate it over at iHerp. I use the same name there if you want to look up my records.
 
DollysMom said:
I'm just answering because you addressed me, but I agree with what Dragonling said. If I recall. I was feeding small fuzzies every five days and went to 6 days at large fuzzies.

If don't know if you know about it, but you might set up an account at iherp.com and use their tracking. I do both-- track here on my iPhone and then duplicate it over at iHerp. I use the same name there if you want to look up my records.
Click to expand...



Oh I'll have to check that out for sure! Thanks again. I did a ton of research before I bought him but information/articles on websites is hit and miss, but information from you all is so much better! I am realizing there is still so much to learn. [emoji4]

I think I'll feed him tonight (6days) and then try again 5 days later.


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If you cut slits in the back of the fuzzy, like 4-5 crosswise slits, with a small scissors, that will make the mouse more digestible and increase your snake's growth rate.
 
Ok so I fed Simon on day 6. I measured the fuzzy, and after I see how tiny they actually are I realize how long it will take to see weight gain.

Thanks everyone!


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