Re: Baby Ball Hasn't Eaten Yet and is in Shed
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Starscream
If the picture you linked is recent, he doesn't look too thin to me. Just not beefed up like a lot of the snakes you'll see on Google. :)
Here's a reference to body tones so you know what to look for. If his spine's sticking out then he's on the skinny side, but he certainly doesn't look concave or emaciated in your picture. (And being a bit on the skinny side isn't a bad thing, plenty of snakes in captivity are obese).
Another thing you can do for stuck shed is put them in a snake-safe bag like a pillowcase and put a lukewarm damp towel in with them. It'll give them something to rub on that's also humid and help pull that stuck shed right off!
But since he does look so dry, you might want to make sure your hydrometer is accurate. Are you using analogue dials or digital thermometers/hydrometers to measure your stuff? The analogue ones are notoriously inaccurate by at least 10% either direction.
i feel a little bit better about his skinnyness now, thank you! But I still feel like maybe I should try to offer food tonight on the off chance he'll eat.
i did a soak today and I think it definitely helped a bit. He was able to push a little more off his head.
What is considered a snake-safe pillowcase and how long should I keep him in there exactly?
Also, I got some moss and dampened it up to put in one of his hides since he doesn't seem interested in the humid hide.
Do you think I should continue the soak or pillowcase method each day until he sheds? I hate handling him that much when I know he still doesn't know me that well, but if it's necessary I will do it.
i ordered a digital hydrometer that is supposed to come in Friday since I did only have the analogue one. So just in case I've been missing a lot and keeping his water full.
Thank you all so much for the help so far!
Re: Baby Ball Hasn't Eaten Yet and is in Shed
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ECM
i feel a little bit better about his skinnyness now, thank you! But I still feel like maybe I should try to offer food tonight on the off chance he'll eat.
i did a soak today and I think it definitely helped a bit. He was able to push a little more off his head.
What is considered a snake-safe pillowcase and how long should I keep him in there exactly?
Also, I got some moss and dampened it up to put in one of his hides since he doesn't seem interested in the humid hide.
Do you think I should continue the soak or pillowcase method each day until he sheds? I hate handling him that much when I know he still doesn't know me that well, but if it's necessary I will do it.
i ordered a digital hydrometer that is supposed to come in Friday since I did only have the analogue one. So just in case I've been missing a lot and keeping his water full.
Thank you all so much for the help so far!
Any pillowcase is snake-safe as far as I'm aware. Just make sure you tie the end off so he can't get out. And I think 30 minutes is about as long as you want to leave him in there. If he's started shedding when you check on him you might want to leave him a bit longer though. I'm not sure about the every day thing; soaking actually removes the oils they build up between the new skin and the old, so that one you might want to keep at a minimum.
Nice to hear the digital one is coming soon; that'll help you figure out what's up! :)
Re: Baby Ball Hasn't Eaten Yet and is in Shed
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Starscream
Any pillowcase is snake-safe as far as I'm aware. Just make sure you tie the end off so he can't get out. And I think 30 minutes is about as long as you want to leave him in there. If he's started shedding when you check on him you might want to leave him a bit longer though. I'm not sure about the every day thing; soaking actually removes the oils they build up between the new skin and the old, so that one you might want to keep at a minimum.
Nice to hear the digital one is coming soon; that'll help you figure out what's up! :)
Okay thank you! You have been super helpful!
Good news is he took a f/t mouse last night! I was so happy I could cry! (This is his first meal since being with me)
So for now I'm leaving him alone and even covered up the front of his tank so he feels more secure.
My plan I think is to leave him alone until Saturday, and then give him another soak/ pillowcase method and while he's doing that change his substrate to something that will hold humidity better. I'm thinking eco earth or the coconut husk? Do you think until Saturday is long enough for him to digest or should I let him be longer?
Re: Baby Ball Hasn't Eaten Yet and is in Shed
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ECM
Okay thank you! You have been super helpful!
Good news is he took a f/t mouse last night! I was so happy I could cry! (This is his first meal since being with me)
So for now I'm leaving him alone and even covered up the front of his tank so he feels more secure.
My plan I think is to leave him alone until Saturday, and then give him another soak/ pillowcase method and while he's doing that change his substrate to something that will hold humidity better. I'm thinking eco earth or the coconut husk? Do you think until Saturday is long enough for him to digest or should I let him be longer?
That's great news!
Saturday's fine; so long as you give him 48 hours to adjust, he should be good. Personally I'm using a coconut husk/organic soil mix, and I can attest that it holds humidity amazingly. And I like how it looks. Here's the guide I used to decide which worked best for me (coco husk and coco chip are the same thing):
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qml5jd_500.png
Re: Baby Ball Hasn't Eaten Yet and is in Shed
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Starscream
That's great news!
Saturday's fine; so long as you give him 48 hours to adjust, he should be good. Personally I'm using a coconut husk/organic soil mix, and I can attest that it holds humidity amazingly. And I like how it looks. Here's the guide I used to decide which worked best for me (coco husk and coco chip are the same thing):
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qml5jd_500.png
Awesome thank you so much again! I think I will use the coconut husk.
I think my little guy is finally headed in the right direction! :D
