Does he look ok? Still hasn't shed ??

Right I will try that, I will dig out a pillowcase, I presume I tie it shut? Where in the viv should I put him, anywhere? Will he breath ok? And how long to leave him?

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Originally Posted by Smith123

Right I will try that, I will dig out a pillowcase, I presume I tie it shut? Where in the viv should I put him, anywhere? Will he breath ok? And how long to leave him?

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Yes but leave the head area loose a bit, and you can just put it in the middle of the viv. Just check on him in a few hours. If you're unsure about this method you can do some research If it would make you feel better about trying it, there may be some videos on YouTube.


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I'm unsure about everything now haha..... He's my first snake and this would of been his first shed with me so I'm not doing very well

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Originally Posted by Smith123

I'm unsure about everything now haha..... He's my first snake and this would of been his first shed with me so I'm not doing very well

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Just try to stay positive, you're trying to fix it.. So that's a good thing. Just take on everyone's advice here and this issue will be resolved, best of luck!

Read through all the posts that have been on this thread and suck in all the information. [emoji106][emoji106]


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Will do.....thanks

Hi,

My bumbleebee has just perfectly shed today. A good 7 days after his mouth 'injury' from striking the enclosure top. Everything has healed now.
14 days would be a long time i think :(
I would suggest keeping the humidity up to 70+% all the time during shedding.
My enclosure is usually 60+% and i bumped it up by covering some of the open end of the enclosure top to get 74-76% during shed.
Btw, do u handle him frequently? try not to handle the snake when you see signs of shedding. this might introduce stress and interrupts the shedding process. I stopped handling my bumblebee as soon as i saw signs of shedding. only went in to replace the water but no handling at all until today.
aside from that, check if you have a reliable hygrometer and thermometer which is placed correctly (don't put it near or on top of the water bowl i think).
other than that you can try the pillow method or keeping him in a closed tub (with minimal air holes) with shallow tepid water for one hour supervised and then wiping him with a wet wash cloth.

i hope your snake will be alright!

He's in the pillowcase right now, I havnt even been handling him, I've probably handled him five times in the two month I've had him, as been feeding him every five days so with leaving him to digest for 2/3 days then he went blue so really havnt handled him much at all. As far as stress goes I can only think his enclosure is to big, at 3ft. But he still eats fine so who knows! If it's safe to run his enclosure at 60-70% humidity all the time then that's what I will do... Thanks

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Originally Posted by Smith123

He's in the pillowcase right now, I havnt even been handling him, I've probably handled him five times in the two month I've had him, as been feeding him every five days so with leaving him to digest for 2/3 days then he went blue so really havnt handled him much at all. As far as stress goes I can only think his enclosure is to big, at 3ft. But he still eats fine so who knows! If it's safe to run his enclosure at 60-70% humidity all the time then that's what I will do... Thanks

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If you think the viv is too big just fill it with more things cork bark, fake plants, etc.. But if he's eating fine and regularly I couldn't see him being too stressed.

keeping it at 60-70% all the time in a wooden viv wouldn't be a good idea, If you constantly provide a humid hide.. He can use it when he needs it.


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Double post*

Well I just don't know what to do! I don't want this happening again. I also need to find out why he refuses to go to the warm hide ! Life would be easier in a tub with a heat mat... I will change his whole enclosure if I have to whatever it takes. If I provide a humid hide that will need spraying constantly which will prob attract bacteria? Plus most of my viv is at 55-60% already so anything extra, a humid hide or humid substrate will prob put the whole viv to high which you said would not be a good idea?
Any idea how long I leave him in the pillowcase? A few hours?

The humid hide will only be humid in that hide, check out the exo terra snake caves they seem good to contain humidity, 55-60% SHOULD be fine for constant humidity, just next time he goes into she'd make sure you kick the humidity up to about 70%

You could leave him in there till the night or overnight, I'm from the UK so you could leave him there until night. Right now it's 3:11pm




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Do you house in wooden vivs? I will leave him until this evening then and see if it loosens him up.... Thanks

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Originally Posted by Smith123

Do you house in wooden vivs? I will leave him until this evening then and see if it loosens him up.... Thanks

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Yeah, I have my adult BP in a 3ft wooden viv,
Vivexotic viva plus walnut medium is the viv I use.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Smith123

Do you house in wooden vivs? I will leave him until this evening then and see if it loosens him up.... Thanks

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This is my setup:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=222120


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Is that on a ceramic heater? See my cool end is a little to cool but the roof of the hide in warm end is 94f so I can't turn it up anymore! I think this ceramic radiator creates a basking area that is too large so anything underneath it is too hot on the roof yet needs turning up to up my cool end! I may change to ceramic bulb then it's got a smaller basking area directly under it so I can increase the overall temp on cool end... If that makes sense lol

It's a white Python ceramic heater with guard etc and they are made smaller so gives you more room.

I have me tstat probe behind my warm end hide cable tied to the back of the wall 5mm off the ground then just adjust the tstat untill the thermometer which is cable ties to the top of the hide says 90-92f

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It looks smaller than 3ft? Prob just the pics.... Have you taken temps inside the hot hide? And the roof of that hide ? Cool end ambient ?thanks

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Originally Posted by Smith123

It looks smaller than 3ft? Prob just the pics.... Have you taken temps inside the hot hide? And the roof of that hide ? Cool end ambient ?thanks

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Top of the hide is about 92f inside the hide is around 87-88 the cool end is about 79/80


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I think my radiator due to size is making the roof of any hide underneath it even off to the side too hot before I've got the cool end high enough! Will change to ceramic bulb next week I think, I've got a temp gun for checking surfaces, roof of hide etc.... Thanks

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Originally Posted by Smith123

I think my radiator due to size is making the roof of any hide underneath it even off to the side too hot before I've got the cool end high enough! Will change to ceramic bulb next week I think, I've got a temp gun for checking surfaces, roof of hide etc.... Thanks

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I only use a 60watt but it's heating everything nicely


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I will change over next week, hopefully it will give enough heat without a too high basking spot... The rep radiator is good but I think it takes over too much of the warm end or maybe better with a higher roof. Do you use orchid bark substrate?

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Originally Posted by Smith123

I will change over next week, hopefully it will give enough heat without a too high basking spot... The rep radiator is good but I think it takes over too much of the warm end or maybe better with a higher roof. Do you use orchid bark substrate?

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I have 0 experience with reptile radiators so can't comment, do you have a tstat for it? And Yep I use orchid bark.. I'm getting a Perspex sheet for the bottom of the viv just to ensure the wood doesn't rot


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Yeah it's on a dimmer stat, they very good for not taking up much room. I worry about him eating bits of bark by accident !

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Originally Posted by Smith123

Yeah it's on a dimmer stat, they very good for not taking up much room. I worry about him eating bits of bark by accident !

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Never used a dimmer stat I'm using a proportional Pule stat keeping the temps exact which is what I like, and no as long as the rodent is dry and you watch him swallow he should be fine or just lay down some paper towel to feed him on


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Originally Posted by SRMD94

Never used a dimmer stat

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They can work just fine. They just require either a consistent ambient temperature and regular temp monitoring or a less-than-consistent ambient temperature and hyper-vigilant temperature monitoring. :)

As far as I was aware it was the best one available ? It was more expensive than a pulse. The temp doesn't fluctuate not even by point of a degree

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Originally Posted by Smith123

As far as I was aware it was the best one available ? It was more expensive than a pulse. The temp doesn't fluctuate not even by point of a degree

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Maybe a dimmer stat is better suited to a reptile radiator? but I think pulses are made for ceramics.


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Any updates?

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i'm waiting for an update too. Hopefully he'll be ok :please:

I think you should soak him for about an hour a day until he sheds.

Well I left him in the pillowcase in the viv for 5hrs, he looked a lot better when I took him out but he never shed, he hasn't shed overnight either? Why won't he shed! Is he not ready?

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Originally Posted by Smith123

Well I left him in the pillowcase in the viv for 5hrs, he looked a lot better when I took him out but he never shed, he hasn't shed overnight either? Why won't he shed! Is he not ready?

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You are doing more harm then good by soaking that poor snake all the time. You are stripping his skin of the essential oils it takes for the snake to shed his skin. As long as there is no shed stuck on his tail or if he does not have retained eye caps, leave him be until his next shed cycle. Please stop soaking the poor little thing so much.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

You are doing more harm then good by soaking that poor snake all the time. You are stripping his skin of the essential oils it takes for the snake to shed his skin. As long as there is no shed stuck on his tail or if he does not have retained eye caps, leave him be until his next shed cycle. Please stop soaking the poor little thing so much.

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X2 ^^^^


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I'm sorry but it's my first snake! I'm taking advise from this forum?? What am I to do?
And he has had two half hour soaks in the bath and the pillowcase yesterday in the space of two weeks so it's not like I've been doing it often...
I don't know about washing essential oils off his skin as he feels dry and rough to the touch or at least he did until he came out of the pillowcase yesterday in which he looked and felt better.
So you advise to leave him to it? Any idea on why he hasn't shed like most do??

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Originally Posted by Smith123

I'm sorry but it's my first snake! I'm taking advise from this forum?? What am I to do?
And he has had two half hour soaks in the bath and the pillowcase yesterday in the space of two weeks so it's not like I've been doing it often...
I don't know about washing essential oils off his skin as he feels dry and rough to the touch or at least he did until he came out of the pillowcase yesterday in which he looked and felt better.
So you advise to leave him to it? Any idea on why he hasn't shed like most do??

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We are all just trying to help so don't take offence, but no you never have a reason to bath a snake, causes unnecessary stress.


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can you please post some pics of him after the pillowcase treatment?
any stuck eye caps or tail ends?

He hasn't been bathed since last week, and he only went in the damp pillowcase yesterday under advise from here including yourself!
I will just leave him alone, what will be will be....

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Originally Posted by influence

can you please post some pics of him after the pillowcase treatment?
any stuck eye caps or tail ends?

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The only shed that has come off since this whole process began is his nose and pretty sure his eye caps too... Should I get a pic of him now?

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Originally Posted by Smith123

He hasn't been bathed since last week, and he only went in the damp pillowcase yesterday under advise from here including yourself!
I will just leave him alone, what will be will be....

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The pillow case method is fine don't worry.


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Right just taken him out and it's moved on a little bit, here's what he looks like today. From what I can see he has one eye cap remaining? One eye looks fine one eye has dent in it??
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...aaf318f5c8.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...fe22a8e80e.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...558ffa8e74.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...f70ab773dc.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...218296b06e.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...8aa481e4c2.jpg


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Honestly, he doesn't look that bad. I apologize if I have come across as being angry or rude. I am just trying to help you and your little guy. I would just leave him be until the next shed cycle.

It seems the damp pillowcase helped loosen it up.... Could I do that again or leave him? Will that one eye cap be ok left? His skin almost looks like it would roll back now and it didn't before ....

I realise that everyone is against soaking but that aside .... after the soak did you let it run / climb through a camp , rough textured towel ??
That usually helps with any old satin in my experience . You just keep feeding his head under the towel when it comes out the other end and do this for a few minutes ... Just one thing if soaking and bathing is such an horrendous torture for the poor things why do so many love swimming in the wild ... isn't the Florida glades overrun with thriving Burms as we speak ??

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Just one thing if soaking and bathing is such an horrendous torture for the poor things why do so many love swimming in the wild ... isn't the Florida glades overrun with thriving Burms as we speak ??

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I suppose you could say that is the snakes choice to go in the water, compared to when people bathe them they are just taking out of there home and placed into a bath.

Could you imagine just sitting there sleeping, then just picked up and threw into a swimming pool, wouldn't be too nice I suspect.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

I suppose you could say that is the snakes choice to go in the water, compared to when people bathe them they are just taking out of there home and placed into a bath.


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Sure but there are many snakes that enjoy a good soak in the family bath ...and how many times do you see advice suggesting a good sized bowl or tub for them to soak in .... why do those soaks not " strip their natural oils away " as described above...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I realise that everyone is against soaking but that aside .... after the soak did you let it run / climb through a camp , rough textured towel ??
That usually helps with any old satin in my experience . You just keep feeding his head under the towel when it comes out the other end and do this for a few minutes ... Just one thing if soaking and bathing is such an horrendous torture for the poor things why do so many love swimming in the wild ... isn't the Florida glades overrun with thriving Burms as we speak ??

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We are not talking about Burms here though. We are talking about a ball python.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Sure but there are many snakes that enjoy a good soak in the family bath ...and how many times do you see advice suggesting a good sized bowl or tub for them to soak in .... why do those soaks not " strip their natural oils away " as described above...

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Exactly my point if you provide the water bowel and they choose to use its then it's the snakes choice. The snake always knows what's best for the snake more than we do.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

We are not talking about Burms here though. We are talking about a ball python.

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Surely snakes are snakes is some respects ?

Are you suggesting that Royals lose natural oils when they soak but Burms don't ?

error ....

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

Exactly my point if you provide the water bowel and they choose to use its then it's the snakes choice. The snake always knows what's best for the snake more than we do.

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Just because it's our "choice " doesn't mean they won't enjoy or benefit though , does it ?