Here Are Some Steps To Achieve A Good Shed, And Assist Shedding Your Snake

[CoolioTiffany]

Non of us snake keepers like those bad sheds. Here are steps to avoid a bad shed and steps to assist your snake in shedding if it happens to have a bad shed:

ACHIEVING A GOOD SHED
We all love it when we see that complete shedded skin. No pieces around, just a nice, clean piece. If your snake sometimes sheds in pieces, here is how to get them back on track.

When you just notice your snake is in shed, it's time to cover up the enclosure sides. If you have a glass enclosure, cover all sides with a towel or bed sheets (except the top of the enclosure). If you have a vision cage, only cover the one transparent side with a towel or bed sheet. Keep all sides covered until the snake sheds. Keeping the sides covered reduces stress on the snake since it cannot see well when in blue. Next, keep the humidity level up so the snake can have an easy shed. During this time, you may notice your snake soaking in the water dish to loosen up the skin. Also, try not to handle your snake the entire time while shedding because that increases the stress of the snake. Some snakes may be moody when shedding because they cannot see well so it's best to let the snake be while shedding. For the first two days, soak the snake in warm water in a container for about an hour. This helps loosen up the skin for a good shed. When your snake sheds, it will most likely come out in one whole nice clean piece.

ASSIST SHEDDING YOUR SNAKE
When your snake sheds, and you notice there are still some pieces left, it's time to assist shed. Soak the snake in warm water for about 10-15 minutes. After you have soaked the snake, it's time to remove the left over skin. Slowly and gently pulled the skin backwards (like the snake does when shedding itself) so you do not pull off any scales that were still stuck to the shedding skin. When you are pulling off shedding on the head and face, the snake will be a bit nervous so don't get scared if the snake is trying to move it's head around to get away. When taking off eye caps, do this very slowly and gently so you do not harm the snake and cause serious injury. That is how you assist shed your snake, and the safest way. If you still have problem trying to get the skin off, there are products at your local pet shop that will help you get the skin off.

[jblaze]

Thank you, BallPythonLover, your post is simply informing and marvelous.

On another note, you mention to not touch the snake, but then you input this: "For the first two days, soak the snake in warm water in a container for about an hour."

How would you reccomend soaking the snake? I am asking because last night I had to deal with a bad shed, I wanted to soak him but I did not want to lift him up. I tried sticking a greeting card under him but he's a bit big and it did not work so well.

[pavlovk1025]

For the first two days, soak the snake in warm water in a container for about an hour. This helps loosen up the skin for a good shed.

I like the post, but I highly disagree with this statement. It's mentioned on the site's caresheet here...http://ball-pythons.net/modules/Sect...warticle&id=59

and I also have a bad experience using that method. I thought it would help, but it only made the skin dry out and caused a worse shed than if I had just left him alone.

[blackcrystal22]

Non of us snake keepers like those bad sheds. Here are steps to avoid a bad shed and steps to assist your snake in shedding if it happens to have a bad shed:

ACHIEVING A GOOD SHED
We all love it when we see that complete shedded skin. No pieces around, just a nice, clean piece. If your snake sometimes sheds in pieces, here is how to get them back on track.

When you just notice your snake is in shed, it's time to cover up the enclosure sides. If you have a glass enclosure, cover all sides with a towel or bed sheets (except the top of the enclosure). If you have a vision cage, only cover the one transparent side with a towel or bed sheet. Keep all sides covered until the snake sheds. Keeping the sides covered reduces stress on the snake since it cannot see well when in blue. Next, keep the humidity level up so the snake can have an easy shed. During this time, you may notice your snake soaking in the water dish to loosen up the skin. Also, try not to handle your snake the entire time while shedding because that increases the stress of the snake. Some snakes may be moody when shedding because they cannot see well so it's best to let the snake be while shedding. For the first two days, soak the snake in warm water in a container for about an hour. This helps loosen up the skin for a good shed. When your snake sheds, it will most likely come out in one whole nice clean piece.

ASSIST SHEDDING YOUR SNAKE
When your snake sheds, and you notice there are still some pieces left, it's time to assist shed. Soak the snake in warm water for about 10-15 minutes. After you have soaked the snake, it's time to remove the left over skin. Slowly and gently pulled the skin backwards (like the snake does when shedding itself) so you do not pull off any scales that were still stuck to the shedding skin. When you are pulling off shedding on the head and face, the snake will be a bit nervous so don't get scared if the snake is trying to move it's head around to get away. When taking off eye caps, do this very slowly and gently so you do not harm the snake and cause serious injury. That is how you assist shed your snake, and the safest way. If you still have problem trying to get the skin off, there are products at your local pet shop that will help you get the skin off.

I'm sorry, but this is so incredibly wrong.. You never want to soak a snake until after the shedding process has finished and it is having difficulty with stuck or difficult shed.
If you soak the animal pre-shed when it's in it's 'blue phase' your removing special oils that are being secreted to lubricate the skin and prepare it for removal. I have never seen any of my snakes attempt to soak before shedding their skin.
Those oils are why you will notice a 'clear phase' after the 'blue phase' when it appears the snake has already shed because the old skin is filling up with the oils and becoming transparent right before the shed takes place.

So, you see, soaking before a shed will actually make the shed much more difficult for the animal and create more harm than good.

Edit: Also, I have assist-shed many times pulling the scales from both directions.. it really doesn't matter because the shed would rip from pressure far less then it would take for the scales to be pulled off.

[pavlovk1025]

I'm sorry, but this is so incredibly wrong.. You never want to soak a snake until after the shedding process has finished and it is having difficulty with stuck or difficult shed.
If you soak the animal pre-shed when it's in it's 'blue phase' your removing special oils that are being secreted to lubricate the skin and prepare it for removal. I have never seen any of my snakes attempt to soak before shedding their skin.
Those oils are why you will notice a 'clear phase' after the 'blue phase' when it appears the snake has already shed because the old skin is filling up with the oils and becoming transparent right before the shed takes place.

So, you see, soaking before a shed will actually make the shed much more difficult for the animal and create more harm than good.

Yeah. I was starting to feel like a jerk cause I shot down this good-intentioned post.

[blackcrystal22]

Yeah. I was starting to feel like a jerk cause I shot down this good-intentioned post.

We're not trying to shoot down anything, but rather correct the information that we know as false that many people think is true. The OP is by far not the first one to have heard that information and probably won't be the last.

[pavlovk1025]

We're not trying to shoot down anything, but rather correct the information that we know as false that many people think is true. The OP is by far not the first one to have heard that information and probably won't be the last.

So were like freedom fighters for truth! OH yeaaaah.

[jglass38]

Sometimes it's best to leave advice giving to people with a wealth of experience. Well intentioned but with some misinformation and information that has already been shared many times over. See:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=74289

http://8ballpythons.com/journal/sheddinglessons.htm

[rabernet]

We already have a sticky on dealing with a stuck shed here:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403

Simply maintaining proper humidity consistently, not just boosting it when the snake is in shed, will insure a perfect shed every time. I've never soaked any of my collection when in shed. And doing so would leech out the essential oils necessary to have a good shed.

Save soaking for after a shed to remove any stuck shed.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I hate to be the voice of dissent, but I have several balls that climb into their water bowl the moment they start to go opaque, and don't leave it until they're done. Apparently they believe that soaking while they are blue is just the thing to do. (They do all have good sheds).