Second Shed, Refusal To Eat

AngelSnake · 12-27-15, 08:35 AM

I have had my king for 10 weeks now. She shed 4 weeks ago completely. Now she is in the same pale stage she was before she shed the first time. She is also refusing food, which she did not do for her first shed with me. I know refusal is normal at shed time but should I be concerned that it seems too soon for another shed already.

She usually eats like a little pig every week. Even when I first got her home, this is her first refusal ever.

SerpentineDream · 12-27-15, 09:34 AM

How old is your snake? When they are young and growing rapidly, they shed frequently. I have a couple of small corns that shed about every 6 weeks. One will still eat while in shed, but the other little one and my adult corn say, "No way."

trailblazer295 · 12-27-15, 09:34 AM

What condition was she in when you got her? Is it possible she was dehydrated before and now is playing catch up on shedding?

AngelSnake · 12-27-15, 09:50 AM

There was no readily available water source in her small bin when I got her.

**EL Ziggy** · 12-27-15, 06:19 PM

Assuming your temps and humidity are dialed in, you should be fine. If she's prepping for another shed not eating wouldn't be a big surprise. Let her finish her shed and she should be hungry when she's done. Keep us posted.

toddnbecka · 12-28-15, 12:58 AM

Nothing unusual about a snake shedding every 4 weeks IME, pretty much all of mine shed on or around that time frame. Occasionally one won't want to eat the week before, but they're always more than ready soon afterward, lol.

**Andy_G** · 01-02-16, 01:03 PM

Growing baby snakes can shed every 3-4 weeks and it is quite normal for them to do so. Sounds like you're doing everything right and your snake is just growing well!

Albert Clark · 01-02-16, 03:38 PM

Don't be alarmed that she doesn't want to eat especially if it looks like she is going to shed again. Make sure your husbandry is on point and the animal isn't ill. She may just not be hungry which should alert you to spreading out the time in between feedings for the future. If she was eating like a pig then she will grow more and have more frequent sheds.

AngelSnake · 01-04-16, 08:45 PM

Tried feeding again today, struck once and missed then completely lost interest. How much longer should I give her.

**EL Ziggy** · 01-04-16, 09:08 PM

With breeding season and colder temps a lot of kings, and many other snakes, are going on food breaks. Some won't eat again until spring. If there are no obvious signs of illness, and your husbandry is dialed in, just keep offering food every 10-14 days until she eats again. My MBK hadn't eaten in 10 weeks and she finally took a jumbo mouse a week ago. My Cal King hasn't eaten in over 8 weeks either and he just shed! That was interesting. My Cal King does this every winter. This is the first year for my MBK fasting. If your girl starts to lose a significant amount of weight you can try a small live feeder but I would just wait her out. It's frustrating, especially because they're usually monster feeders, but I've learned that they know how/ when to eat. They've been doing this for ages. All we can do is provide the food and a proper environment. Hang in there and keep us posted.

AngelSnake · 01-11-16, 10:47 AM

She shed fine. One whole piece (had to help with her first, fixed the humidity). But still no interest in food. Should I force feed or wait?

**lady_bug87** · 01-11-16, 03:05 PM

No need to force feed it. It will eat when its hungry

AngelSnake · 01-24-16, 11:35 PM

There seems to be something wrong with her jaw. She keeps opening it half way and just now fully a few time. She hasn't struck at any food or even been handled as much as usual so I am not sure as to how she could have hurt it but these symptoms just came up. (Still no eating obviously) there is no discharge from her mouth or anywhere else.

SerpentineDream · 01-25-16, 10:44 AM

If she's having problems with her jaw it's probably time for the vet. That's not something I would try to diagnose or fix on my own. It may be that it's painful for her to eat because of it or it could be unrelated, but either way your vet should have a look.

Albert Clark · 01-25-16, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelSnake

There seems to be something wrong with her jaw. She keeps opening it half way and just now fully a few time. She hasn't struck at any food or even been handled as much as usual so I am not sure as to how she could have hurt it but these symptoms just came up. (Still no eating obviously) there is no discharge from her mouth or anywhere else.

Sometimes reptiles will realign their jaws if they have been cruising the enclosure and pressing their mouths against the glass, wood, or hard surfaces. This also occurs when they push against the roof of the enclosure. Sometimes it's just a yawn or spontaneous action. Usually relatively harmless.