Zena not eating grrrrrrr

[kueluck]

I don't think I need to worry about it at this point, but on Wed she ate one worm and that was it, she usually eats two. She wouldn't eat the tilapia last night so I tried pinkies and she turned her face away at that also. It's not like she's losing weight, she was 62 grams on 4-28 when I got her, and yesterday she weighted in at 88 grams. She pooped on Friday so what's going in is coming out, and it looked normal. Otherwise she is acting normal in and out of the viv. I thought maybe trying salmon? And at what point do I make a vet appointment. First time keeper of the snake and I'm like an ol' worried hen when it comes to the "kids".

[ProXimuS]

Is she possible about to shed? Mine stopped eating for about a week before he shed.

[mb90078]

You've got a long time before you need to worry.

[kueluck]

She had a perfect shed on 5-25-12. And she ate like normal thru the whole process.

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[Invisible Snake]

hey wasn't there a 50/50 chance that Zena might be gravid? Maybe she's getting ready to give birth?

[kueluck]

I'm going to ignore that................................I can just see a Cee Cee repeat and I'm not ready for that.

[kibakiba]

You can't be negative about that sort of thing. She could have just started fasting. You can start worrying in a couple months, or if her neck starts looking skinny.

[kueluck]

Chantel, not sure what you mean by “skinny” neck. It's always been much thinner than her body. I have nothing to compare this to.

[kueluck]

Another change in her. She is trying to dig under the aspen, which she has not done before, she started this last night around 10ish. So today since the weather was nice I thougth she might enjoy some fresh air. So I put her in the screen cage part in sun, part in shade for about 30 min. I kept an eye on her and she seemed to enjoy the sun and breeze. I went to bring her in and she BIT me!! Then she peed on me (no smell). She looks okay, bright eyes, vent clean just her attitude has changed, and that she won't eat. Once she was back in her viv she seemed back to "normal" again. I just worry because I don't know how quickly they go down when sick.

[guidofatherof5]

They hide most illness until it overtakes them. Probably accounts for many of the sudden deaths that occur.

[kueluck]

Steve.....that's what I'm afraid of, hence this thread. That's why any thing out of what I know as her "norm" worries me. I may be new at this, and she is my first snake, but I've become very attached to her.

[kibakiba]

When their realy underweight their necks look almost bony with loose skin. That was the case with Ember, at least, before he was put down.

[kueluck]

Chantel, thanks for more detail on this. She is far from skinny and she did eat one pinkie last night. Last time she ate was 6-6-12 and it was a big nightcrawler. I guess I'm just use to her eating so much more, maybe I've been over feeding her. I offer food and she takes it.

[guidofatherof5]

I know how you feel when a usual great eater stops. It's hard not to worry but 6 days off food is nothing to a garter.
She's probably just taking a break from the good eats she's been getting.

[kueluck]

I keep forgetting that she is a wild snake, and for the first few weeks she was eating everything that came her way since she didn't know when the next meal would be around. Maybe now she is realizing that there will always be food available to her and she'll eat when SHE is hunger. Not when I ASSUME she is.

[guidofatherof5]

I keep forgetting that she is a wild snake, and for the first few weeks she was eating everything that came her way since she didn't know when the next meal would be around. Maybe now she is realizing that there will always be food available to her and she'll eat when SHE is hunger. Not when I ASSUME she is.

A very good way to look at the situation.