Now I'm worried. Help ASAP please!

[Dragon Queen]

Sorry I always seem to be in a panic when posting. lol. My BP has been really quiet lately which was a big change from him being really active. I gave him a few days before I checked and he had really milky eyes so I figured he was going into shed, but a few days later he still had not come out so I checked again and he does not appear to be in shed or have shed. I checked everywhere. It has been almost 2 weeks since I fed him because I have been waiting for him to shed and he hasn't been out looking for food.

Anyways, I'm starting to worry about him. His skin is really wrinkly and seems to kind of hang off him and his eyes look funny. I'm thinking the problem with his skin/eyes is my humidity. I have a wet rag I try to keep damp for humidity in the corner as well as a good sized H2O bowl (the rag was dry though. It's wet again and he is now resting on it). The person at the pet store had said I don't need to mist, but I will now that I have a spray bottle I just got. Now I'm so worried about him. Is this a serious problem or will he be fine if I start spraying the tank? Should I spray it more for the next few days? It's pretty damp in there now. Also, should I feed him? I have a mouse in warm water right now. I have to imagine he is hungry and I feel like he is thinner, although it could be his skin from being too dry.

Basically, it is almost 1 AM and I can't sleep because I am so worried. I had left him alone because I didn't want to upset his shed. Any tips or help before I go to bed?


Thanks!

[Jeremy78]

His skin is wrinkly and weird looking because the humidity was too low and he couldnt shed. Take a tub that he can fit into and comfortably move around in. Put some warmish water in it. No deeper then half his body. Pop the snake in with some paper towel or a cloth or something in the container. Pop the container over the hot spot for about 45 minutes to an hour. After finished let the snake run through the cloth until the shed is gone.

Once finished pop him back in enclosure leave him for a bit and then try to feed.

[thomasK]

My BP did the same thing last week,
she normally is pretty active but then she was rather shy and didn't came out of her hiding place and she didn't want to eat to.
But she shedded a few days later and she was back like before

No need to worry, just keep a good humidity to help the shedding and he'll be allright
Btw: it takes a few days between milky eyes and the shedding proces.

Hope I helped you out...

[Dragon Queen]

Thanks for the help. At least no one seems to think I should be really worried about it. I will have to do the longer soak some other time since I cannot find a container big enough for all of him this late at night. I put as much of him as I could into a bowl for a few seconds.

I guess the other question is, should i feed him now? I have the mouse all ready to go. He is still a baby so 2 weeks is a long time. Should I offer it to him, keep the humidity up and soak him in a day or two, or should I hold off on the feeding and soak him tomorrow. Maybe he just hasn't shed yet.

[BEasy119]

My advice is to see if he sheds first. But i could be wrong

[Dragon Queen]

Well, I have no choice but to go to bed. I decided to give him the mouse since it has been so long and I warmed it in water so hopefully that will help with the dryness.... Any more suggestions for when I wake would be so appreciated. Thanks!

[BPelizabeth]

lots of snakes go from the milky look to fine and then shed. Up your humidity...if you are using a tank cover the tank with a warm wet handtowel and then put a warm wet washcloth over the warm hide. This should do the trick. Also you can feed while in shed. A few of mine still eat whether they are in shed or not. Heaven forfend they miss a meal....lol

[Pinoy Pythons]

BPelizabeth is right. Snakes during shedding cycle starts from having dull coloration and pinkish bellies, to a much duller color and milky blue eyes. Then after a few days everything will be clear including the eyes, then after 24-48 hours, the snake will eventually shed its old skin.

But be careful though, base on your description, your snake may already be experiencing difficulty in shedding. And if yes, soaking him in water or a wet towel might help. And if not, being aware of the signs of shedding cycle will help you determine if he's havin difficulty or not. Havin a trusty hygrometer/thermometer will also help you determine if they are havin just the right humidity and temp on their enclosure. Good luck

[Bellabob]

He'll be fine. When snakes go into shed their eyes get blue, and then get clear just before a shed. Sometimes you'll notice that the skin is wrinkly or makes a cracking sound when his scales rub together. This is just the skin about to come off. Some snakes take longer to shed than others. It depends on the size, wieght, and age of the snake. Misting the cage or prividing a moist hding spot (moist, not wet) for him will help him shed. Every snake owner once in a while is going to have a snake that gets a bad shed. By your description he might be experiencing one. It's not a big deal.

Usually what I do if the snake is already shedding and is having a bad one, I turn on the bathtub and fill it maybe an inch or 2 and put the snake in there and let it soak. wait for a little bit and then you can gently peel the skin off. The snake seems to enjoy the warm water and the assistance with his/her shedded skin.

Don't worry.