Feeding while "in the blue"

My 2 month old female Pastel BP is currently "in the blue" meaning that her eyes have clouded over and her color has faded a little. It came time for her weekly feeding, and she still ate a fuzzy mouse like normal. I don't know yet if I'll give her a second mouse (she usually eats 2 per feeding session)

Is it ok to be feeding her during shed?

Yup, it's completely alright to feed them even during the shed cycle. I offer prey to all of mine, regardless of whether they're in blue or not. Some animals won't want to eat, but there's no harm in trying to feed them and certainly no harm if they do eat.

It's perfectly fine, I usually wait until after the eyes clear up before they shed to offer, but it's completely up to you and whether the snake will eat in blue, some do, some won't.

Yep totally fine. I did an experiment just last week on feeding while in shed to see just how picky they were about eating while in shed. I fed one of my poor feeders a mouse when his shed was just coming off the tip of his nose. By the time he was done with the mouse his shed was halfway down his body and I fed him a second mouse. Once he was done with that he finished shedding and curled up on top of the heat. Granted there are some snakes that won't eat in shed, but majority will eat any time during the shedding process.

It's dangerous, but I've even been successful with live feedings while shedding. I don't see a problem with it so long as you monitor them. However, it would be for the best to feed pre-killed or frozen if you do it while they can't see. It'll be a lot less likely to suffer injury.

Yes it's okay to feed during shed, if she will eat then feed her :)

Yes, it's perfectly fine. Mine has never refused, although I keep a closer eye on him when in shed. Good luck

The statement that it's dangerous (with live) seems a bit silly to me.

It's no more dangerous feeding live to a bp in shed than a bp not in shed, considering their main sense for feeding and locating prey is their heat pit sensors, not their eyes.

Or you could just feed f/t and not worry about it at all.

I just feed on a schedule. If that means they refuse a meal while in shed, *shrug* it happens.

Thanks to all of you for the advice. It was a pretty successful feeding. She ate one of the mice, but didn't seem too interested in the second (she usually eats 2) so I just put her back in her cage after that.

the first time i tried to feed my girl in shed i actually didnt know she was in blue til she missed the rat twice & almost hit the side of her cage (took the rat out after that cuz it spun around to face off with her) & then we found her with blue eyes later that evening. now i just wait to feed til the day after she sheds out or later the same day if its early in the morning.
has anyone ever had a snake regurge a meal after all the movement involved with shedding? i dunno...just askin'...

I would recommand feeding her in her cage when she is that deep into the shed process.

There are risks associated with feeding during shed cycles. Although not common it can and has happened, the prey item after ingestion is not as flexible as the rest of the snake. The skin being shed is not as flexible as the new skin (why it sometimes looks wrinkly during the shed process) the partially digested rat can pose a 'road block' and the skin during shed can get trapped at or above the rat in the snake. The snake may not be able to get the shed over the thicker area, shed shrink as they dry out (measure a fresh one and then again dry) this shrinkage compresses above the stomach that is likely to cause stress at the very least perhaps need intervention and at the worst restrict blood flow from the heart to lower body, that would be bad.

The benefits of one or two meals are minimal and any risk no matter how remote over shadows the benefit seen by a meal or two. If the animal was small and suffered lots of weight loss it might be different but in a normal health animal a missed or postponed meal will make no difference so any risk is unacceptable to me.

.....edited to be nice...

complain to Dr. Klingenburg whom noted it and the Barkers whom repeated the same advise. They know better than I do, I am just passing along the opinions of experts, it is not my experience.

The risk is slight but is is still there, failure to mention there is a risk no matter how slight would be irresponsible of me.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

There are risks associated with feeding during shed cycles. Although not common it can and has happened, the prey item after ingestion is not as flexible as the rest of the snake. The skin being shed is not as flexible as the new skin (why it sometimes looks wrinkly during the shed process) the partially digested rat can pose a 'road block' and the skin during shed can get trapped at or above the rat in the snake. The snake may not be able to get the shed over the thicker area, shed shrink as they dry out (measure a fresh one and then again dry) this shrinkage compresses above the stomach that is likely to cause stress at the very least perhaps need intervention and at the worst restrict blood flow from the heart to lower body, that would be bad.

The benefits of one or two meals are minimal and any risk no matter how remote over shadows the benefit seen by a meal or two. If the animal was small and suffered lots of weight loss it might be different but in a normal health animal a missed or postponed meal will make no difference so any risk is unacceptable to me.

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I did not know that, thank you for at least making me aware of that possibility

Sure no problem I don't think it likely but there is very little for a healthy animal to gain from a missed or postponed meal. I usually just feed them shortly after the shed is complete, ignoring feeding day schedules.

If one single person can back up that claim Kinra, never mind, won't happen...

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

If one single person can back up that claim Kinra, never mind, won't happen...

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Some snakes will eat during a shed however late in a shed the old skin becomes less elastic and if a large meal was offered the snake may not be able to get the shed over the meal lump and that can lead to all kinds of issues. Generally I don't offer during a shed and if I was too I'd go very small. It is not common at all but it has happened.

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Originally Posted by Maixx

I had this happen with my pastel, ever since I take them off food as soon as they turn opaque. He ended up with this tight band of skin right above his stomach, that I had to cut off he ended up very stressed, and I ended up helping him finish that shed.

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http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ling&p=1614348

That does it, I will never feed my snakes in shed again :D

Jerry,
I am not trying to be a jerk I can be abrupt sometimes I am sorry for that. I felt since I remembered someone having that rare issue and have read about it from reliable sources it was worth mentioning. Nothing more, I didn't really want to argue with you I know we have butted heads but I hope that you feel as I do that it is not malicious or for arguments sake, but just a disagreement of minds.

Alex

OP if you choose to feed during shed feeding somewhat light would likely by pass the whole thing. In my case I don't bother offering mostly because only few of mine are likely to feed during shed anyway, it would likely just be a waste of a rat.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Jerry,
I am not trying to be a jerk I can be abrupt sometimes I am sorry for that.

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As I said in PM, I'm sorry for being rude, it's not been a good day...:(

Carry on ;)