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#1801331
Dave20290
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Worried 
Hey everyone, I’ve had a female western for about a year now. She’s been a steady eater with no problems. This Friday will mark her full fourth week of none eating. I’ve tried a tuna ’juice’ scented fuzzy and she didn’t bother. I’m thinking about trying a toad now, but I’m afraid there is another underlying problem. She has been completely active during the daylight hours and seems to be acting in her normal behavior, which makes me more confused. Is it possible this is just a ’phase’. Any feeding tips, please help. All of your knowledgeable help is always appreciated.
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07/18/08 11:14pm
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#1801583
JackAsp
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Message To: Dave20290 In reference to Message Id: 1801331
Worried
Mine never stopped eating until she was over a year old, but yours may have hit her metabolic slowdown sooner than mine did. During mine’s second year, I’ve seen a couple of 3 week fasts, associated with extreme summer heat and/or shed cycles, neither of which ever stopped her as a baby.
I don’t have a solution, but don’t panic this early and spoil her on toads. If a hatchling can go six weeks without eating its first meal, and still grow up healthy, an adult can go a few months without permanent damage too. I’m not saying it should, but it might. At some point, duing more than a decade of life, it probably will.
I’m also not saying this isn’t a good time to cross your T’s and dot your I’s if you’ve been blowing anything off. If you’ve never checked for parasites, get a stool test done. If you’ve just been using a couple of stick-on thermometers, buy a digital temp probe with two extensions. There may well be a solid answer, and looking for it is a good motivator to look for things that aren’t optimal. Or, she might just keep worrying the hell out of you, and then shed, and act completely normal again, and never even realize, much less care, that you were even concerned.
What’s the cage setup like?
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07/19/08 03:33am
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#1801970
RPMoore318
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Message To: JackAsp In reference to Message Id: 1801583
Worried
One week is nothing to be concerned about. I’ve had snakes that just take a week or three off and then settle right back into the feed shedule. In nature, reptiles feed according to the season, b/c we as owners control the seasons for our reptiles (normally constant summer conditions), sometimes the animals bodies just need to take a break to reset themselves. Make sure your husbandry is correct and continue to offer food on your regular day. DO NOT switch prey. For some snakes, making the transition from toad to mice is impossible. As long as you don’t have any type of re-gurg, I wouldn’t worry. Good luck and keep us updated!
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07/19/08 02:48pm
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#1801978
RPMoore318
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Message To: RPMoore318 In reference to Message Id: 1801970
Worried
Sorry, I misread, didn’t see the Fourth full week. Four weeks is a long time, but I doubt that this calls for a change of prey item. Again, make sure that your husbandry is correct, if the snake is too active, it may mean that it is stressed and its needs are not being met. Make sure that you are presenting prey the same way each time and do not offer every day. Only offer on the snake’s normal feed day.
For curiosity sake, what have you been feeding her and how often? Have any of the snakes stools been differen? ie: more runny, more solid
Again, good luck and keep us updated!
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07/19/08 02:54pm
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#1804657
Dave20290
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Message To: RPMoore318 In reference to Message Id: 1801978
Worried
Your replies are very appreciated. Okay, I’ve basically been backtracking here. I know I’m not answering your questions yet because I think I’ve ignored something which I shouldn’t have. My female hoggie had some blood in her stool about twice in the last 5 months. Basically, I chose to be foolish in not immediately addressing the issue. I’m sure this is a sign of trouble now. The only reason I put it off was because she was eating throughout this time (only two fuzzies every week), so I figured it wasn’t serious. My only question now is: Is it ever ’normal’ to have a snake with blood in its stool? Her activity during the day is starting to seem like stress. I’ll be off to the vet this week for my own stupidity probably. Thanks again. Any input, please?
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07/21/08 11:15pm
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#1804697
RPMoore318
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Message To: Dave20290 In reference to Message Id: 1804657
Worried
Blood during a shed is not unusual, blood in stool is abnormal. Sounds like it could be an infection or some other internal issue. Definitely see a vet and be sure to take a fecal sample with you. Fresh if possible. Hopefully your vet can run the fecal and diagnose the problem. Good luck and keep us updated.
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07/22/08 12:00am
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