» Site Navigation
1 members and 3,145 guests
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.
» Today's Birthdays
» Stats
Members: 75,093
Threads: 248,535
Posts: 2,568,705
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
|
-
Registered User
Should I be worried?
My snake is now on his fourth week of not eating (we feed him a jumbo mouse a week, have recently decided we’re switching him to an adult mouse every other week but haven’t yet due to… him not eating)
He hasn’t shed in about 8-9 weeks (I’ve been told this can be perfectly normal, however I know a BP his age should shed every 4-6 weeks)
He also very recently developed a dent in his eye which I know can mean dehydration (his water is routinely filled every day and his dishes are cleaned every week. His humidity has also been constant at around 50)
I’m worried, he hasn’t been lethargic and he hasn’t gotten thinner at all. Should I call the vet at this point? Am I overreacting?
-
-
Re: Should I be worried?
Originally Posted by PecanPied
...Should I call the vet at this point? Am I overreacting?
No* & Yes. And raise the humidity- a dented eye DOES mean he's dehydrated, and he CANNOT shed when dehydrated- so ignoring this is not helping, is it? Get his humidity up to 65%-75% for a while- until his eye improves. Humidity is more than just filling his bowl of water. And meanwhile, he may also shed.
And try this on yourself, since you don't seem convinced: Eat a meal with lower fat content, & time how long before you're hungry. Then eat a meal with a very HIGH fat content, & see just how long you feel full. Then remember that snakes don't eat as often as we do, but it's the same idea, & when they feel a shed coming, they just do not eat.
*I don't personally care if you want to call the vet- but until you fix husbandry issues (humidity) I just don't see the point. And you said it yourself, his body weight is good & he's not lethargic. With snakes, you have to pay attention to what's right in front of you: his dented eye.
Just a reminder, the reason snakes need good hydration to shed is because to facilitate the shed, their bodies secrete moisture (aka water) between the layers of old & new skin, so it comes off easily. That's also why their sheds feel moist when you find them right away, before they dry out.
Last edited by Bogertophis; 05-14-2022 at 11:16 PM.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
-
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:
AutumnVanilla (05-16-2022),ballpythonluvr (05-17-2022),EL-Ziggy (05-15-2022),Spicey (05-17-2022)
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules
|