Help Help help! Bad Shed? This is my first....

[SuddenEclipse]

OKay so I expected Althea to give me a nice skin no later than Monday morning. Now it's Thursday. She looks like crap to be honest! She has little holes in her skin where her nostrils are so she is breathing okay, but the rest of her is a wrinkled icky mess. She's been like this since Tuesday. Humidity is 70%. She is moving around real slow, she's got caps on her eyes. She just hides in her little cave all day. Sometimes I take her out and put her in her water real quick to let her get wet, thinking that will help. But she just climbs out, pees a little, then right back to sulk in her cave.

I saw the "shed tutorial" post. Is it time to take action? Should I put her in a container and make her soak for an hour and see if I can help her out with a wash cloth? (I know she's got to be hungry too, she eats on Fridays and I didn't feed her last Friday because she was suppposed to be shedding....) Anyway, If I do this... I am not on well water. There is chlorine in the water. Do I have to get bottled water and heat it up so it's luke warm or is just tap water okay to soak her in??

I know she can't see well, so if she still hasn't shed should I try getting her a Hopper for tomorrow (she usually eats adult mice) just so she isn't so starving?

Help me out guys, really at a loss and this is my first time!!!!! She looks horrible, all sitting there with that big long wrinkle going down her whole body.... she just needs to shed!

[ballpythonluvr]

First of all, calm down a little. Yes, you can do the soaking of the snake. Do as is stated in the shed tutorial and you should be just fine. Tap water will be just fine to soak the snake in. I soak my snakes in warm tap water when it is necessary. Good Luck and keep us posted on how the soaking goes.

[SuddenEclipse]

Thanks! Will do. I am a "Shed Virgin." LOL Me and Althea are going to war against this old skin today!!!!!!!!!!! (I have a coffee buzz right now, so you'll have to excuse the drama)

[SuddenEclipse]

ok so I soaked her in the jacuzzi (i covered up all the little water hole things) and she really seemed to come to life and enjoy it. I had it so she could pick her water depth so she never got upset. When I got her out she even let me gently "scratch" on her face, I guess kind of where her cheeks are. Never hissed, bit, or even got curled up for that matter. I think she kind of liked it (I feel all special now.) Anyway, since I put her back she rubbed her nose on the glass for a few minutes, peed, and now is back in her cave. She has skin all hanging off of her chin. Maybe she'll get the rest off later on today???

[Jessica Loesch]

The jacuzzi? Your bathtub I hope lol.

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[SuddenEclipse]

LOL, it's a Jacuzzi... with water jets and all. Don't worry I covered up the holes where the jets come out and I didn't turn the jets on!!! ROFLMAO It was actually nice because she could choose how deep she wanted to be. She could either be totally covered in the water or completely dry. She liked it so she was half in and half out.

[The Hedgehog]

LOL, it's a Jacuzzi... with water jets and all. Don't worry I covered up the holes where the jets come out and I didn't turn the jets on!!! ROFLMAO It was actually nice because she could choose how deep she wanted to be. She could either be totally covered in the water or completely dry. She liked it so she was half in and half out.

For future reference, you shouldn't do that. The snake was probably a bit stressed out from that.

Next time, take a large large tupperware, or other bowl, and put the warm water in it up until she's almost covered, but leave some space for her to sit in the water, and not have to "Swim". Let her sit in that for 30 mins as it's dark, and calm, and quiet. Then take her out and let her run through a warm cloth.

[ballpythonluvr]

For future reference, you shouldn't do that. The snake was probably a bit stressed out from that.

Next time, take a large large tupperware, or other bowl, and put the warm water in it up until she's almost covered, but leave some space for her to sit in the water, and not have to "Swim". Let her sit in that for 30 mins as it's dark, and calm, and quiet. Then take her out and let her run through a warm cloth.

Ditto. Please do not put your poor snake in the jacuzzi again.

[mestapho]

I think she means a Jacuzzi bath tub.
Not like an outdoor chlorinated Hot Tub.

[JLC]

Something else to try if she still hasn't sloughed off the skin...

Get a pillow case and turn it inside out. Wet it down and wring it out and put a wet (wrung out) hand towel in the case. Place the snake into the case with the towel and tie the top shut. Put the whole thing back in the warm part of the snake's enclosure. Let the snake soak and move around in the case for 30-60 minutes...then remove. You'll have a shiny new snake....and a mess in the bag to clean up.