# Ball Pythons > BP Husbandry >  Bad shed?  No problem.

## tigerlily

I thought I would try and make a visual step by step guide for soaking, since this problem comes up quite frequently.  It is possible to contribute to a bad shed by soaking prior to the actual shed. These steps should be taken after the shed has failed to come off.  If the snake has not managed to complete it's shed after 24 hours, then it's okay to help it out.    

Step 1 - Start with a bad shed.  They're really not a big deal, and happen to everyone.  Just double check your husbandry that you are providing 50-60% humidity, and 70% during the shed cycle.



Step 2 - Grab a container (mine is a shoebox sized rubbermaid) and fill the container with tepid (luke warm) water to 1/2 to 3/4 the "height" of your snake.  You do NOT want the snake to have to swim constantly.



I throw in a old wash cloth as well, and then use it later to help remove shed.  This part is not necessary.



Step 3 - Put snake in the container.



Step 4 - Put lid on.  (There are no holes in this container, and aren't necessary as the container is NOT air tight and we will only be leaving the snake in here for ONLY a hour - no more!)  Once the snake is secured in the container, place the whole setup back into the enclosure whether it's in a rack or tank.    (I just happen to have a rack)  Let soak 45 - 60 minutes.



Step 5 - After 60 minutes remove the container and snake.  I use the washcloth, and let the snake slide through it to remove the shed.  You can use whatever is handy.



Step 6 - A happy, well shed snake.  If you were not able to get all the shed off in this attempt.  Wait 24 hours and try again until all shed is gone.  (which should not take more than a couple attemtps)

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## Freakie_frog

great tutorial!

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## frankykeno

Excellent post Christie.  I remember how unsure I was the first time I had to soak a snake and how much great help I got here at BPNet.  Even better now though that you've provided the pictorial. :Smile:

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## lord jackel

Christie...This is really good.  We should get one of the Admins to Sticky it so everyone can refer to it when needed. 


Great Job.

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## ZEKESMOM

Great pic tutorial Christine :Very Happy:

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## nd179906

Great tutorial it will come in handy for many people.

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## tweets_4611

I was really just going to ask about this   :Razz:   My girl hasn't shed yet, but I wanted to know, just in case.  Thanks for beating me to it!!  ^_^

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## tigerlily

Thanks everyone.   :Embarassed:   Just trying to help out.

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## iceman25

Great tutorial Christie! This will definitely help out a lot of people looking for info on how to help a bp loose it's stuck shed!  :Thumbs up:

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## rabernet

:Clap:  - AWESOME job Ms. Christie!

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_bivman_ (11-19-2009)

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## Snakeman

wow this is great.i used this same method when my baby blood became "lazy" to shed her skin.

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## Nate

very nice! Kudos to you  :Good Job:

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## ECLARK

JUST MY OPINION!  :Smile:  


Soaking for 45-60 minutes is way to long, 10-15 minutes max will normally loosing the bad shed enought to peel it off. and you may need to soak alittle more to complete the job. after about 10 minutes the water cools down and then you will need to learn to treat URI.  :Smile:  

In the winter with all the heat required to keep these guys healthy we all encounter less than ideal humidity levels and have to soak them now and then, this is how I do it and Im sure Christies way works for her.  :Smile:

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## West Coast Jungle

Christie I have to say that is a very pretty snake you used there. Very informative and nice to look at. You can never have too many husbandry tips, Thanks.  :Sunny:

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## tigerlily

> JUST MY OPINION!  
> 
> 
> Soaking for 45-60 minutes is way to long, 10-15 minutes max will normally loosing the bad shed enought to peel it off. and you may need to soak alittle more to complete the job. *after about 10 minutes the water cools down and then you will need to learn to treat URI*.  
> 
> In the winter with all the heat required to keep these guys healthy we all encounter less than ideal humidity levels and have to soak them now and then, this is how I do it and Im sure Christies way works for her.


That's why it's important to keep the water in a warm environment, specifically the cage (which even on the cool side should remain 80 degrees).  I've only had to soak a handful of times, and I've never encountered an RI.

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## Adam_Wysocki

Great job Christie!!! .... That's exactly what I do here for problem shedders!!!  :Sweeet: 

JUST MY OPINION.  :Very Happy: 

I've been soaking ball pythons in tepid water, in their enclosures, 45-60 minutes at most, for over a decade and have never gotten a URI that way. The key is to make sure the tub of water doesn't sit out in a cold room ... that will chill the snake. I put my "soaking tubs" back in the rack (or cage) just like Christie ... works perfect, every time!!!  :Sweeet: 

JUST MY OPINION ... well, more like my personal experience I guess ... whatever ... it's all good!  :Wink:   :Very Happy:   :Sweeet: 

-adam

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## xdeus

> That's why it's important to keep the water in a warm environment, specifically the cage (which even on the cool side should remain 80 degrees).  I've only had to soak a handful of times, and I've never encountered an RI.



I agree.  I've treated numerous stuck sheds with a slightly different method (placing the snake in a warm, wet pillowcase), but I always keep them in their rack where it's nice and toasty.  I've kept some of them in there for over an hour without worry.

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## ECLARK

The point I was trying to make was that when left in water and it can cool down, that can cause problems letting a snake sit in cold water for an hour. the original poster never said anything about putting the soaking snake in a heated cage. A heated cage would keep the temps from getting cold. and thats my opinion!  :Razz:  


> Great job Christie!!! .... That's exactly what I do here for problem shedders!!! 
> 
> JUST MY OPINION. 
> 
> I've been soaking ball pythons in tepid water, in their enclosures, 45-60 minutes at most, for over a decade and have never gotten a URI that way. The key is to make sure the tub of water doesn't sit out in a cold room ... that will chill the snake. I put my "soaking tubs" back in the rack (or cage) just like Christie ... works perfect, every time!!! 
> 
> JUST MY OPINION ... well, more like my personal experience I guess ... whatever ... it's all good!   
> 
> -adam

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## stangs13

Great advise Crristie! :Dancing Carrot:   I think this is sticky worthy. :Rock on:

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## TheDude

Fantastic!!! I used this same method on my dude!! you rock!  :Rock on:

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## Adam_Wysocki

> the original poster never said anything about putting the soaking snake in a heated cage.


This you missed this part of the post good buddy.  :Sweeet: 




> Once the snake is secured in the container, *place the whole setup back into the enclosure whether it's in a rack or tank*.    (I just happen to have a rack)  Let soak 45 - 60 minutes.


Christie even posted a picture of the soaking container in the tub in the rack.

I thought the post was very well done and was excellent advice.

ROCK ON Christie!!  :Love: 

-adam

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## ECLARK

I did not miss anything, EDITED FOR TWEAKING!  :Razz:  


> This you missed this part of the post good buddy. 
> And I agree, good post!
> 
> 
> 
> Christie even posted a picture of the soaking container in the tub in the rack.
> 
> I thought the post was very well done and was excellent advice.
> 
> ...

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## tigerlily

Thank you Adam.   :Wuv: 




> I did not miss anything, EDITED FOR TWEAKING!


That was NOT the tweaking that I added Ed.  All pics were in the original post, and all tweaking had been done, by the time you posted.

 The only tweaking done was to add that soaking PRIOR to shedding can be deterimental.  I also 'tweaked' my original one or two inches of water to 1/2 to 3/4 the 'height' of your snake.

I am more than willing to tweak it again, if anyone sees anything else that could be added or clarified.

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## Adam_Wysocki

> I did not miss anything, EDITED FOR TWEAKING!



Yup, saw the edit and checked the time stamps before I posted ... your post was several hours after the last time Christie edited the thread ... sorry bud ... looks like you just missed it, no biggie ... happens to all of us!  :Sweeet:   :Very Happy: 

Coming down to my backyard to see big sexy on Saturday?   :Dancing Carrot: 





-adam

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## ECLARK

I guess Im just gettin more stupid as I age.  :Razz:  


> Yup, saw the edit and checked the time stamps before I posted ... your post was several hours after the last time Christie edited the thread ... sorry bud ... looks like you just missed it, no biggie ... happens to all of us!  
> 
> Coming down to my backyard to see big sexy on Saturday? 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -adam

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## Chard

thanks for this tutorial!

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## c_it1

> I thought I would try and make a visual step by step guide for soaking, since this problem comes up quite frequently.  It is possible to contribute to a bad shed by soaking prior to the actual shed. These steps should be taken after the shed has failed to come off.  If the snake has not managed to complete it's shed after 24 hours, then it's okay to help it out.    
> 
> Step 1 - Start with a bad shed.  They're really not a big deal, and happen to everyone.  Just double check your husbandry that you are providing 50-60% humidity, and 70% during the shed cycle.
> 
> 
> 
> Step 2 - Grab a container (mine is a shoebox sized rubbermaid) and fill the container with tepid (luke warm) water to 1/2 to 3/4 the "height" of your snake.  You do NOT want the snake to have to swim constantly.
> 
> 
> ...


i look everywhere for the shed problem even the vets didnt help me as much as your post, thanks for sharing. steve

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## tigerlily

I'm glad you found it helpful.   :Very Happy:

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## SirMontyPython

I always soak Monty when his eyes get cloudy. Then when the skin gets really dry I soak him again and then peel it for him. I started doing this after he tried to shed on his own and ended up with scales that were dull from rubbing himself on his logs too hard.

I am sure my humidity is not right but he doesn't seem to mind my peeling him.

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## tigerlily

I would really recommend not soaking, while he's blue.  It may be part of the reason that he can't get the shed off by himself.  Just increase your humidity, or try adding a humid hide during shed as well.

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## Kennyxemerson

Thanks for the tutorial :]

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## joannarea

:Dancing Carrot:  Thanks for the great help on the step-by-step.  Glad so many care enough to give such indepyh information.

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## BPNewb

Great info ... I just recently got a BP (my first) from my boyfriend for my birthday (isn't he sweet?  :Wink: ) and she just went through her first shed ... what a messy process that was .. but I'm assuming it was due to the fact that she's in a new environment; it was very piecy.  You mention the whole process of soaking and helping sluff the remaining skin - aren't the BP's typically 'moody' during this phase?  Actually last night I went to pick her up, and she hissed at me, so I left her alone - only to find out this morning she shed during the night.  I guess I just have to proceed with caution?

Thanks again for the info.
BPNewb

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## timcranston

Wow just what i needed this is a great post

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## Tat&Tu

I Loved the tutorial and it will help me out next time my BP sheds or maybe now! Does this tutorial also work if the BP has shed all of its skin except the head?

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## moespeaking

Let me just add DO NOT leave your snake unattended soaking in any size container. Its too risky, it says here to let soak for 45-1 hr. I put her in a tub for 10-15 minutes and it seems to do the job. So if you cant watch the snake for 45-1 hr only soak for the amount of time you can.

ball pythons who have not shed good over their heads and sensory pits will make hissing noises caused by the loose skin. This isnt aggresion or a sign of an RI, if it only happens during a shed.

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_Chocolate Muffin's_ (11-18-2009)

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## mischevious21

Yea, every step you showed Ive been doing with my girl sense she was born. Shes never shed by herself- Ive done that many times.. lol

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## tigerlily

I do not watch my snakes for the 45-60 minutes that I let them soak.  I've never had a problem with that.  Since the water level should never be high enough to force them to 'swim' to stay afloat, there really isn't a need for constant vigilance.  

Jessika, I'd recheck your humidity levelsl.  I usually only have to help with a stuck shed on a rare occassion.  Humidity levels are key.  

I'm glad that this has been of some help.

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## Argentra

Oh lots of help.  :Smile: 
My little one surprised me with her first shed, at a time when humidity was around 43%! Little wonder it was in pieces. I read your instructions and soaked her for about 20min (she's just a little one after all) then let her run through the washcloth. It worked great!! The only piece left was a little on top of her head and on her neck, and she got that off herself that night. Now I have cypress in there, humidity sits at 50%-65%, and I now will start 'bothering' her once in a while when I change water to keep an eye on her.  :Smile: 

Thanks!

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## Swingline0.0.1

Tigerlily- 

Just wanted to add my thanks for a great post!

Milton was in the middle of a bad shed when we got him- his eyecaps were still on and everything... we got that taken care of, but last week was his first full shed with us.  It was neat seeing all the phases, but this time he got the part off his head and eyes without a problem, but not the rest of him.  He got about 70% of it off in one piece (we've since stabilized the humidity thanks to some other great posts on here!), and I soaked him today using your method.  he had a bit stuck on his neck (about 2" from his head) and some in the middle, and it all came off without a problem when I just let him go through the rag.

Thanks again!

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## frankykeno

I cannot begin to imagine all the snakes and new, worried owners this thread has helped Christie.  I often use this thread and the one from Daniel on the shedding process at other forums to explain what's going on and what to do if things go wrong along the way.  Absolutely top notch stuff and a wonderful job done here Christie!

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## krazi0469

ok my new bp started his shed last night... it just seems like he cant get it over his eyes???

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## dr del

Hi,


Have you misted the tank to increase the humidity?

Do you feel the tank was too dry in the first place?

Has me managed it by now and the panic is over? :Smile:  


dr del

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## DEATHEATER

How often will a young ball shed?Mine is about six to seven months old.He shed about a month and a half ago.I think he is getting ready to shed again.His mood has changed lately.

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## tigerlily

There is no set schedule for young ball pythons to shed.  Depending on temps, feeding schedule, and the individual they can shed anywhere from 2 weeks - 3 months ...  with the average being once every 4-6 weeks.

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## DEATHEATER

Thank you for the information.I worry about my snake alot so any help at all is do good.Where I live there are not many people with snakes every one hates them around here.

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## Krazy99CL

Great help. Although kind of hard when you have a snake that has a bad shed and wants to bit everything.

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## darkangel

I'm going to be using this tonight.  My pastel I suppose decided he wants to be lazy and doesn't want to rub his shed off, so it's just sitting on him, waiting to come off.  :Razz:

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## Dell

Hello,

Great tutorial,  would you guys recommend this same method for a 9 day old first shed?

Thanks,

Dell

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## tigerlily

If you mean that the shed has been retained for 9 days, then yes.

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## Dell

Thanks tigerlilly,

But no I am sorry I meant a 9 day old BP, she just hatched and when she shed her first shed she retained the skin on her head.  I got the skin off via some advice from another post on this forum.

Thanks,

Dell

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## MelissaFlipski

Help!  I gave Mr. Snake extra time with his bad shed (first shed living with us) - about 36 hours or more in total, since he was still making an effort the other night.

Last night, I followed the tutorial (wonderful, thank you!).  He hated being in the plastic box, but seemed to appreciate the help with the shed.  However, he spent most of the time in the box trying to find a way to get out and his head never soaked.  I still couldn't get the skin off his head, nose, and left eye.  This is due in part to the difficulty of trying to do it while being gentle and, in part, to his refusal to let me do it.

My question is:  should I try again or just leave him alone?  Any tips?

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## tigerlily

I'd go ahead and try one more time.  Did the eyecaps get retained?  Just use a paper towel/pillowcase/washcloth and gently wipe away the shed. 

I'm glad that this thread was able to help you.  You can also try adding humid hide to the enlosure as well.

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## MelissaFlipski

> I'd go ahead and try one more time.  Did the eyecaps get retained?  Just use a paper towel/pillowcase/washcloth and gently wipe away the shed.


The left eye spectacle is still on.  The right one he got off himself.  It seems he got most of the skin under his chin off.  It's his head, nose, left eye that remain.

Do you think I should soak again?  Or just apply a warm wet cloth for a few minutes and then try again?

Thanks!!

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## tigerlily

Soak again, that should loosen up the scales.  I'd work until you at least remove that last eyecap.

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## MelissaFlipski

> Soak again, that should loosen up the scales.  I'd work until you at least remove that last eyecap.


Success!  Thank you for the advice.  And to the original post tutorial.  I managed to get all of the skin off Mr. Snake's head.  It turns out that both eyecaps were still on.  The hard part for him was probably the heat pits.  I got it all, y'all!

Here is a picture showing the eyecaps, heat pits, and a little tag of something that came out between the nostrils.  Does anyone know what that is?    :Confused:    It is not hollow like the heat pit circles, but rather "meatier." 



I just want to make sure I didn't hurt him.  Also, I am just very curious about this whole thing.  How cool to see it up close!

The bad news is that the snake was VERY stressed when I was doing it.  I was attempting to be as gentle as possible, but without an extra set of hands, he was doing the equivalent of the crocodile death roll.  Poor guy.  The result was that he "nipped" me in the process.  I truly believe it was instinctual and not aggressive.  He did it when I was getting the second eyecap off (not during what must have been the worse part - the removal of the heat pit skin).  My membership card in the "club":



The "nip" felt like half between a pinch and a very mild bee sting.

Afterwards, I held him against my chest with one hand while I got his tank organized again and misted it down, during which he was still and completely non-aggressive.

In my book, all's well that ends well.  We'll try to feed him tomorrow.

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## tigerlily

Glad to hear you were able to get all the shed off.   :Good Job:   Sorry about the nip though, although you do get that nifty club membership now.   :Wink:  

Hats off for grabbing a camera too!   :Tip of the Hat: 

Now about that extra thing.... I think that it's probable that it's just a shed from the heat pit itself.  Or maybe a retained one from an old shed, but I can't really tell.

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## West Coast Jungle

> Success!  Thank you for the advice.  And to the original post tutorial.  I managed to get all of the skin off Mr. Snake's head.  It turns out that both eyecaps were still on.  The hard part for him was probably the heat pits.  I got it all, y'all!
> 
> Here is a picture showing the eyecaps, heat pits, and a little tag of something that came out between the nostrils.  Does anyone know what that is?      It is not hollow like the heat pit circles, but rather "meatier." 
> 
> 
> 
> I just want to make sure I didn't hurt him.  Also, I am just very curious about this whole thing.  How cool to see it up close!
> 
> The bad news is that the snake was VERY stressed when I was doing it.  I was attempting to be as gentle as possible, but without an extra set of hands, he was doing the equivalent of the crocodile death roll.  Poor guy.  The result was that he "nipped" me in the process.  I truly believe it was instinctual and not aggressive.  He did it when I was getting the second eyecap off (not during what must have been the worse part - the removal of the heat pit skin).  My membership card in the "club":
> ...



Great pics I love it. Welcome to the club!!!

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## dr del

Hi,


Glad you got it all sorted. :Smile:  

If I had to guess I would say what you have there is a meaty bogie. :Razz:   :Picknose:  

Of course it could just be a bit of unshed skin from the last time. :Embarassed:  



dr del

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## MelissaFlipski

> If I had to guess I would say what you have there is a meaty bogie.
> 
> Of course it could just be a bit of unshed skin from the last time.
> dr del


LOL!  I love it.  But somehow I don't think he has boogars!

Could be from last shed or could it be from his tongue slot (lingua fossa, is it called?)?

By the way, we tried a F/T adult mouse this morning and he wouldn't eat.  We'll try again tonight.

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## MelissaFlipski

Mr. Snake took his first live adult mouse tonight.  Instinct kicked in and his 3 weeks of no eating are over!  All is well.

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## nightingale

trying this but it doesn't seem to be working too well.  he shed his nose to right before his eyes and I'm trying to roll it back but its not working.  we have him soaking in a little Tupperware thing with some holes cut in it. he wont go through it and keeps moving when i try to actually rub it back (go figure - I'm goin for his head).  I'm afraid I'll hurt him if i put much more force into the procedure but its been 2 days since the nose piece came off and he's not doing anything about it.  i'm soaking him a bit longer and going to try again, but if this fails again - any help anyone could give me?  by the way, this is his first shed since we got him.  we live in an area where the average humidity is very rarely above 30% so its kind of hard to keep the humidity up for him, but we're trying.

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## Noek

my bp had a bad shed last shed and it left him with a head cap that wouldn't come off...it looked funny, almost like a cap on his head. I just kept soaking him everyday and finally today, a week later, I soaked him and got a wet towel and just stroked his head over and over gently and it came off. Good luck!

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## OhBalls

I have to thank you for this post.

Today I picked up a BP from an ad on Craigslist.  Free to a good home.  The ad read:

2 FREE female adult  ball pythons. Tank included. Call XXX-XXXX

Surprisingly, the drive was less than three minutes from my home.  Once we get there the guy said someone picked up the ONE of the snakes.  Ok, no problem I thought.  We go into his basement and the smell almost knocked me over. No heat or light on the tank.  The tank reeked and it was obvious that the other snake had passed away and he tossed it.  The snake looks like it had not eaten in months...almost a "flat" appearance..Thick eye caps, the most horrible shed I have ever seen.   I left everything except the snake.  I was in tears when I drove away.  :Tears: 

By the time I got home, I was furious  :Rage:  But glad he ended up with me.

She'll see the vet asap and did take a small mouse.  Although skinny, with the help of this post, has shed completely and looks better.

so thanks for posting this...it's helped alot!  :Smile:

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## tigerlily

Your welcome.  

Just remember to warm up her digestive system with a few small meals before you start on a good sized meal.  Best of luck with the rescue.

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## naba2002

hey guys mitch shed and it didnt come off all at once, he rubbed the head and eyes off himself and then just left the rest and was real lazy bout it, so i soaked and helped him out and it looks like all of it came off. but now he has 2spots on either side of his head rite above his eyes that are not "shiny" like the rest of him and it doesnt seem to be coming off or even look like a shed, my question is could that be a shed that wont come off (he doesnt like having anythin touch his head at all) and whats the worst thatll happen if it is a shed and i leave it alone? please please please help! :Please:

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## tigerlily

> hey guys mitch shed and it didnt come off all at once, he rubbed the head and eyes off himself and then just left the rest and was real lazy bout it, so i soaked and helped him out and it looks like all of it came off. but now he has 2spots on either side of his head rite above his eyes that are not "shiny" like the rest of him and it doesnt seem to be coming off or even look like a shed, my question is could that be a shed that wont come off (he doesnt like having anythin touch his head at all) and whats the worst thatll happen if it is a shed and i leave it alone? please please please help!


If it's only a couple scales, you can probably leave it and see if it resolves with the following shed.  It's possible that the new scales are dull, and it's not retained shed... in which case you don't want to keep rubbing.  If you could post a picture, that would allow us to be of more help.

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## naba2002

yea i tried rubbin it lightly twice and he jus wasnt having it so i let him be and im tryin to get a good pic where you can see it well enough. but thanks i didnt no that new scales can be dull just becuz. will they get the shine back to them or ....?

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## tigerlily

Sometimes they lose that top layer of the scale and it looks dull.  The problem usually resolves itself after the next shed.  Just make sure to double check your humidiy.   :Wink:

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## naba2002

yea thats exactly wat it looks like ive got my humid at a constant 60% thanks guys

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## ineedmore

i leave a container in my bp's cage where she can go in with an inch of water. i have noticed when she is ready to shed she goes in is this a bad thing to have to offer all the time?

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## Figure8

> i leave a container in my bp's cage where she can go in with an inch of water. i have noticed when she is ready to shed she goes in is this a bad thing to have to offer all the time?


How are you measuring your humidity levels? If you get that humidity to a consistent 50+% and 60-65% during a shed cycle she shouldn't need a container to soak in.

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## rattlesnakemp

Yeah, I had to do that last week and I saw the 8ball guys had a video on it and it worked great.

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## chintasurf

I just want to post t say a big thank you for the informative post. My Normal female has always been very good with her shed but this time she seemed to have difficulty. Having never had to soak her before i didn't really know how long i should do it for or anything so - thank you for the pics etc - she is now back to her brilliant glowing self!  :Smile:  :Good Job:

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## ViciousBliss

i just rescued a ball python from a "friend" of mine who didn't know what she was doing and kind of got the snake dumped on her. i'm pretty sure the bad shed started weeks ago and the snake still has the majority of it's skin on the top attached. 

this tutorial will definately prove very helpful to me. i will let everyone kno how it goes. 

thanks again, lovely snake u have there.

and PS, i've heard it's good to have a container of water available for the snake to be able to soak in at its leisure? is this true?

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## Yvette

I was told that this was a BIG no no from someone one this board!
I have a baby that had a bad shed. No I am all confused????  :Confused:

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## bradabolics

Excellent tutorial...I just finished soaking and helping Commodus, I let her soak for abour 30-45 mins, then kept her in the water and used my hand to get her old skin off, even let me touch her head...now she's bright and shiny... :Smile: 

Thanx

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## Q Ball

I have been having this problem with my BP for the last few sheds and i think its due to the the Humidity being to low...how can i keep humidity up to have a good shed?

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## BooRadleyAMG

Great Post...  My girl's first Shed, and not a very well one at that.  If it wasnt for this great info  I would have been at a complete loss on what to do.  And I would have most likely stressed myself and my snake.

A big thanks for the info!

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## tigerlily

> Great Post...  My girl's first Shed, and not a very well one at that.  If it wasnt for this great info  I would have been at a complete loss on what to do.  And I would have most likely stressed myself and my snake.
> 
> A big thanks for the info!


I really love reading these posts, and I'm very glad that it has been helpful.   :Very Happy:

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## WingedWolfPsion

Most balls don't like to soak, but having a container large enough for them to do so gives them the option.  I have a spider who likes to soak when he's opaque...none of my other snakes do.  My humidity's fine, and I use a spray bottle to wet them down once a day when they go opaque.  No bad sheds.  :Smile: 

Very good tutorial here.  One note, though:  I dont' recommend leaving the washcloth in with the snake while it soaks.  It's a sure bed that the snake will pee in the water if you do (Murphy's Law). lol

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## zhang317

This is a common and efficient strategy when it comes to clearing up bad sheds and creating an better appetite. However it should be carried out with extreme care, and supervised during the entire procedure.

*Recently, a member from this forum lost a Ball Python when using this strategy.* Ball Pythons are not aquatic species, and rarely choose to soak their bodies. Being trapped inside a container with water for a period of them can cause them to panic, and possibly drown themselves.

Supervision is required through the entire procedure; even if the snake seems fine when it was first put in, it might panic later on. Also, extreme care is required; in terms of temperature, if the water is too hot, it will harm the snake physically and psychologically. When it comes to the amount of water; large amounts can be dangerous. Small amounts of water can be just as effective, as the hight humidity of the container also helps with the shed. Lastly, a plastic container filled with water can be very slippery for a snake. A wet towel or paper towels can provide the snake with something to hold onto, and reduce stress.

Every Ball Python may react to this strategy differently, thus not every snake can tolerate it.

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## Lolo76

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread!  :Good Job:  Delilah finally went through her first shed (since we got her) this week, and it was a messy one... thought the humidity in her viv was okay, but apparently it just wasn't quite right. I followed the instructions on this thread, and after a 60-minute soak and some good "massaging" with a towel, she is finally looking good! She had the most trouble with her head, so does anyone have tips for the next time?

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## rynpckrd

The first shed Atticus went through with me was a bad one and although most of it has fallen off, there are still leftovers close to his head. Should I still apply this method or should I try something different? He is particularly head shy in most cases and every once and a great while he isn't, so I didn't want to facilitate his shyness by trying to remove the shed with a washcloth or with my fingers.

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## Imabur.

My BP is in his shed cycle now, this is the first time he's been through this since I got him.  So I'm hoping everything will turn out great.  If his shed doesn't come out so well, this thread will definitely help me out.  Thank you!  :Cool:

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## Imabur.

This worked perfectly =],  Pete's shed went pretty much great, but I did this just for a couple spots and he seemed to have enjoyed his swim in his little hottub i made for him since he kind of fought to go back into the water when i went to take him out lol

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## Marco2009

Thank you for the step by step.  This is fantastic for us first time snake owners.

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## DeadLegs

This is a really informative post, thanks! I do have one question though. I did this with my ball the other night as she was having a bad shed and needed some help getting her caps off. 

I let her soak for just under an hour and then, as I was instructed by my supplier/local breeder, lightly rolled a piece of tape on my finger over the caps and they came right off.

However since that night, she seems to have what appears to be a line over her eye as if there is still a cap there, even though I am almost 100% positive it came off.

Have you ever seen this? Could it be the remains of a cap from a previous shed that went unnoticed until now? I'm just not sure and I don't want to make a mistake trying to remove what isn't there and hurt the poor girl.

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## dr del

Hi,

To be able to try and help we would need a really good clear picture showing the line.

I'm sorry to say there is a reason we do not recommend people apply sticky tape to their animals eyes - it is possible to cause damage doing it if you are not carefull.

But don't panic it is by no means certain you have done so - throw up a pic and we will have a look.

It's probably best to do it in a new thread in the BP husbandry section to make sure people see it.  :Good Job: 


dr del

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## DarkSmoke

is the part where the snake should be soked when there is a bad shed not before cause it can do more harm then good only for ball pythons or for all snakes?

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## tigerlily

> is the part where the snake should be soked when there is a bad shed not before cause it can do more harm then good only for ball pythons or for all snakes?


Different snakes have different needs, so I do not like to use absolutes.  I'm sure it would work for the more popular snakes like corns and such.  I'm not sure I'd use this particular method on something like a sand boa, but in general it should work for most snakes.

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## Green Tea Boa

The last shed Chili had was a terrible one. So when I saw him with blue eyes this time, I was determined to give him a good shed. I sprayed constantly, put saran wrap over most of the top and kept a moist towel on the bottom, except for over the heat source where he spends much of his time. It all seemed to work! The shed still came off in pieces and there was a bit left on his tail, but my concern is, there was still much left on the top of his head. He let me remove it by hand which I guess means he's starting to get over his head shyness.

Does anyone else have a problem with BP's not shedding the top of their heads?

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## royalpython

My method is slightly different from yours, although almost the same.

I usually just use an enclosure (tub in a rack) and put it back in the rack, so it still gets heat (my room is nice and warm anyway 80-86F), and i leave them in there over night. I've never had any problems with this method at all.

The reason i use this method is because i've used darkened out water bowl/hides in the past and my royals have chose to sit in them for 2-3 days at a time when they were in shed. Even if i moved the royals out, they'd go straight back in there after about 5mins of me returning them.

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## severe_bomber

Sorry if this has already been covered but quite a long thread now! I've heard that handling whilst 'in blue' (and up to shedding time) can result in the old layer of skin 'sticking' to the new layer, thus resulting in a bad shed. Is this true or rubbish?

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## royalpython

For routine cleaning duties, there's not any issues... i wouldn't advise handling a royal during shed, for fun practices though. Most if not all won't be the most appreciative of it  :Smile: 

If you look at it from the snakes point of view.... this practice of handling the snake is entirely for our own pleasure, the snake doesn't benefit the same way we do, so if you do handle them, i'd just leave it for when they are not in shed. When they're in shed they are generally miserable wee things that want to be out of site, and out of your way lol  :Smile:

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severe_bomber (03-16-2010)

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## mommanessy247

will it do damage if you pick off shedding skin?

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## gbrown37

My 7-year-old just had a shed where his left eye looks kindof bionic chrome-ish, but his right eye is fine. I tried taking pictures but on camera both eyes look the same. Is this a leftover cap from the shed or is this something I'll have to take him in for?

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## journeyoftheanimals

Thank you greatly for this post.  I did not have a tote I could use so I ended up using the bath tub.  I think it took over an hour to get all the shed off.  This post was a great help.

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