Its hard to say for certain in the pictures, but it does resemble a shed just starting to release in some spots. With a shed you will generally notice colors will become slightly muted and progress to a grayish transparent layer that will be the shed itself.
You mentioned worries about eating and
drinking. While shedding is a good indicator of growth in babies/juveniles, weight and length gains are much more important as an indicator. Sheds will generally become less frequent with age.