Loose skin?

[RedSidedSPR]

My adult hasn't been eating, (I'm goin to be deworming him this week) and I was holding him this morning...

I'm not at all concerned yet, but I was feeling him I felt how his skin was loose-ish... Obviously that's normal, but as paranoid as I am right now it made me paranoid. How loose it too loose? I dot ever remember it being this loose... but again that's me being paranoid. How loose is too loose? How would I know? Why would it mean?

[d_virginiana]

My older one gets loose skin when he goes only a few days without eating, but it goes back to being tight again as soon as he eats something. idk, but I'd say that being able to move the skin around with your finger isn't anything to worry about, but if it gets to the point that you can actually pull out some of the skin or push it really far from the body then maybe it's a little more serious.

I'm terrible at trying to describe what I'm talking about, hopefully someone else will be able to put it better..

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think loose is a problem.
When you start seeing folds in the lateral skin or along the spine then you've got a problem.

[RedSidedSPR]

You explained it fine Lora. (I have the same problem)

After you guys said that, i just felt my babies, and I was being paranoid as i thought.:rolleyes:
Thanks!


But here's another question.

The whole two months of not eating, he was fat like he just ate.:confused:
Is that normal? Was in some kinda "reserve mode"?

[Mommy2many]

As long as he is acting normally and appears to be pooping every now and then, I wouldn't worry.

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't know when the last time he pooped... another concern, but I often don't see them for awhile...

[RedSidedSPR]

UPDATE: HE JUST ATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2 MONTHS!!!

Ate the babies leftovers, then two worms!!:D

[Mommy2many]

Probably just messin' with you like mine like to do.

[RedSidedSPR]

Wow, he went to great measures... Almost 3 months.. The little punk..

[Mommy2many]

What goes around....:D

[RedSidedSPR]

Not good enough, I still don't get it...

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to hear your holdout isn't a holdout anymore.

[RedSidedSPR]

Me too!!!!! I forgot how it felt to have a BIG snake grab food from me!!!:D

But then it occurred to me, is it ok to feed during deworming?

[guidofatherof5]

Yes. Just adjust the doseage minus the weight of the worms fed.
If they were fed within 24 hours of the med. Otherwise make the dosage for the snake's current weight.
Just my opinion.

[RedSidedSPR]

Oh... crap. I can't adjust the dosage, it's already dosed. Should I just wait to give him meds for a few days?

[guidofatherof5]

Nothing wrong with that idea.

[ConcinusMan]

Don't worry, I haven't even sent the meds yet and you don't have to worry about feeding. Feed him like normal until the meds come. The only thing you have to worry about is that you have to make sure he's going to take the food before you put the meds in it because it will begin to dissolve immediately. I'm sending 4 doses. You only need the one, then about three weeks later, do it once again.

The dosage is set according to his fasting weight (35 grams) already. I've weighed up 4 pieces of the tablet that are the right amount. Like I said, you only need two. The other two are in case something goes wrong, such as you put it in food and then he decides he won't eat. Also, you'll have to keep him on paper towels to make sure he doesn't throw it up. If he does, (I've never had it happen) you'll have to wait a week and try it again.

You can feed him like normal now, and even after dosing him. I only needed him fasted to get an accurate weight. You're going to need some tilapia pieces or extremely large night crawlers to put the meds in. You have to make sure the food engulfs the chunk of tablet. It has a distinct odor and if they smell it, they won't eat it usually.

[RedSidedSPR]

Ok good! thanks!

Wait.. I'm putting it in the food?!? I thought I was doing it syrynge style.... so is it a tablet? How do I get it in??

[Starling96]

with a worm u would just pop the head of it then put in the tablet
Right?

[ConcinusMan]

Yes. But what I do is just drill a hole in a piece of tilapia and put it in there.

[RedSidedSPR]

He doesn't eat tilapia. Working on that, but even scented he won't touch it.

What is popping the head of a worm?

[Starling96]

like popping off the head lol
or just cut it or whatever

[RedSidedSPR]

Oh..duh.

[ConcinusMan]

That's why I said you would need a large worm. They're basically just a tube. You could stick the meds inside there. Right now I'm trying to find something I can put the stuff in so that it won't get pulverized in the mail. At the very least, I need some little ziplocks so if it does get pulverized, each dose will be in a separate bag.

[RedSidedSPR]

No hurry.

A big worm, maybe cut in half, and stick it down the worm?

Maybe I can get him eating tilapia before you send it...

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, I thought you were going to get some? If he eats silversides it shouldn't be too hard to get him to eat tilapia. You could stick it in a silverside too. Whatever you gotta do to conceal it and get him to swallow it will work.

[RedSidedSPR]

I have tilapia. My babies eat it, and silversides, but he won't touch either.

[jitami]

Glad he finally ate for you :) My male goes on hunger strikes fairly often and it's always stressful and always a huge relief when he eats! Good luck with the meds, too!

[kibakiba]

Perhaps he wanted to mate, but there aren't any women around. Snakey does that too, he goes until he looks bony, then I usually give in and put him in with Mama just so I can get him to eat.

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks! He's not hugely hungry, but albleast he's eating

[d_virginiana]

Perhaps he wanted to mate, but there aren't any women around. Snakey does that too, he goes until he looks bony, then I usually give in and put him in with Mama just so I can get him to eat.

Haha, I love that strategy :D
Houdini does sort of the same thing every spring. Cuts way down on food intake and races around his cage like something crazy for a few weeks.