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My BP won't shed

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  • 12-27-2014, 08:43 PM
    FireStarter
    My BP won't shed
    I have two BP a normal and a fire. My normal is a few months older and I've never had a problem with her shedding. My fire is going through her 3rd she'd since I've had her and still isn't doing much. I have to help her through the entire process. I keep humidity up but she won't try to get the skin off her. She just hangs out with it. So I end up having to bath her and slowly take it off myself which I know ends up being really stressful for her. Any advice on how to get her to shed?
  • 12-27-2014, 09:00 PM
    thegamejr
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Whats the humidity like? It should come off in one piece if its flaking the humidity is to low
  • 12-27-2014, 10:31 PM
    Zincubus
    Re: My BP won't shed
    As above but if all else fails .... A 30 minute soak in an escape proof tub and then get a wet , rough textured towel and feed her head repeatedly so she's constantly crawling through the wet towel . This way never fails. . Just make sure the eyelids and the tail end are clean.
  • 12-27-2014, 10:32 PM
    gameonpython
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by thegamejr View Post
    Whats the humidity like? It should come off in one piece if its flaking the humidity is to low

    I thought it was okay as long as it all comes off, as some bps like to rub on things sometimes causing the shed to break.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  • 12-27-2014, 10:49 PM
    Daigga
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gameonpython View Post
    I thought it was okay as long as it all comes off, as some bps like to rub on things sometimes causing the shed to break.

    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

    If it all comes off on its own then yes, that's fine. If the snake has to be helped through the process then no, it's not okay.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by FireStarter View Post
    I have two BP a normal and a fire. My normal is a few months older and I've never had a problem with her shedding. My fire is going through her 3rd she'd since I've had her and still isn't doing much. I have to help her through the entire process. I keep humidity up but she won't try to get the skin off her. She just hangs out with it. So I end up having to bath her and slowly take it off myself which I know ends up being really stressful for her. Any advice on how to get her to shed?

    Never do this. If the shed does not come off on its own, the best you can do is soak your python, give it a towel to slither through, and keep humidity up for the next shed when the leftover bits will hopefully come off. If you're actually peeling the shed off, you're risking some serious damage, since there's usually a reason the shed isn't coming off on it's own. What process exactly are you following when your fire fails to shed? What are your actual humidity levels? Do you raise them whenever your fire shows signs of a shed? What kind of enclosure do you have your snakes in and what substrate are you using? Pictures of the enclosure would help identify the problem here.
  • 12-27-2014, 10:50 PM
    Sauzo
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gameonpython View Post
    I thought it was okay as long as it all comes off, as some bps like to rub on things sometimes causing the shed to break.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

    A perfect shed should always come off in 1 piece. It might be torn here and there but it should be 1 piece. If it flakes or is sticking on, then the humidity is too low. 50-60% humidity should be fine. A lot say 70% but I've never had a bad shed is 50-60% humidity ever.
  • 12-27-2014, 11:11 PM
    FireStarter
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Daigga View Post
    If it all comes off on its own then yes, that's fine. If the snake has to be helped through the process then no, it's not okay.



    Never do this. If the shed does not come off on its own, the best you can do is soak your python, give it a towel to slither through, and keep humidity up for the next shed when the leftover bits will hopefully come off. If you're actually peeling the shed off, you're risking some serious damage, since there's usually a reason the shed isn't coming off on it's own. What process exactly are you following when your fire fails to shed? What are your actual humidity levels? Do you raise them whenever your fire shows signs of a shed? What kind of enclosure do you have your snakes in and what substrate are you using? Pictures of the enclosure would help identify the problem here.

    I don't know how to upload a picture on here via my phone. The humidity is kept at about 50% normally and I mist it more bringing up to 60 to 70% when she starts to shed. I don't peel it off. I just soak her and let her run through my fingers while it comes off. But when she's in her tank she won't rub her head on things to get it started.
  • 12-27-2014, 11:19 PM
    FireStarter
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by thegamejr View Post
    Whats the humidity like? It should come off in one piece if its flaking the humidity is to low

    the humidity while they shed is around 70% or so. Sometimes more if I have the time to mist more often. It's not that it doesn't come off in one peice... it doesn't come off at all. She doesn't rub her head on things to get it started. She's usually fairly active but as soon as it's time to shed she just sits there and doesn't move much.
  • 12-27-2014, 11:27 PM
    SnakeBalls
    Something I just found out about that might really help your snake is some wet moss in her hide!

    My heat pump drys the house air out pretty bad, my humidity dropped into the low 40's DURING Ulfric's last shed for less than a day and he came out a little flakey. Humidity in the 70's and some wet moss in your gal's hide might just do the trick.

    http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...oss-Damp/page2
  • 12-27-2014, 11:34 PM
    mohawk
    Re: My BP won't shed
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by FireStarter View Post
    the humidity while they shed is around 70% or so. Sometimes more if I have the time to mist more often. It's not that it doesn't come off in one peice... it doesn't come off at all. She doesn't rub her head on things to get it started. She's usually fairly active but as soon as it's time to shed she just sits there and doesn't move much.


    So you start peeling it off before she even gets it started ?????
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