First shed

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Well in this very thread , the op mentioned that the snake was out of blue and wandering around and that's when a few hinted about the idea of soaking .....

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Ohh sure does, shoot must've missed that one [emoji5]️

Incidentally , I took the liberty of starting threads in THREE different , well respected snake forums - an hour or so ago - just asking if anyone knew anything about the theory that soaking Royals can cause essentials oils to be stripped away and can cause future health issues ...in a very short space of time I had 9 replies from 9 different people and not one had ever heard anything about such an idea , all disagreed with the theory and all supported the method described above ....

Interesting ..... maybe it's a cultural thing again. ... like the live feeding

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Originally Posted by LivingwithBalls

I'm not trying to say it's wrong not to bathe them, or trying to convince anyone that you should, I just want him to have a good shed, and through research and others experiences, I decided to try it. Please don't get offended, it was not my intention to do so. Here's some proof of soaking being helpful, if I need to find more, I can do that.

Recently one of my snakes shed. I checked in on his tank to check humidity and he peed, so I took the opportunity to clean the tank. My snake reeked of snake pee, so I put him in a bin with warm water. As soon as I put him back in the tank, he started to work on loosening up the skin on his face. I'm not sure if putting him in the water provoked him to shed, but it was the cleanest shed I've ever had.



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I fail to see how this is proof of the soak being helpful? Perhaps he had been keeping proper humidity levels throughout the duration of the shed cycle and that was why the snake had a good shed? Seems a matter of coincidence to me.

I own one Ball Python. Personally, I do not do anything differently when it sheds. I am mindful of the fact that the environment I provide is adequate to aid in proper shedding. My Ball Python sheds perfectly nearly every time.

In over ten years of keeping snakes, I have only soaked a snake one time... It was a garter being treated for parasites that damaged connective tissues, and the shed was retained and literally only coming off one scale at a time.
All other times I've had shed issues, letting the snake crawl through wet paper towels and/or shed boxes have done the trick. I might up humidity a bit right before a shed, but I've never done a preemptive soak.

I just don't see any evidence that a pre-emptive soak is necessary for a good shed. If it were, I imagine BPs would be SOL in their native habitat. I can see it as a last resort for a retained shed that is hanging on despite all other options, but not as a preemptive sort of thing.

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Originally Posted by DVirginiana

In over ten years of keeping snakes, I have only soaked a snake one time... It was a garter being treated for parasites that damaged connective tissues, and the shed was retained and literally only coming off one scale at a time.
All other times I've had shed issues, letting the snake crawl through wet paper towels and/or shed boxes have done the trick. I might up humidity a bit right before a shed, but I've never done a preemptive soak.

I just don't see any evidence that a pre-emptive soak is necessary for a good shed. If it were, I imagine BPs would be SOL in their native habitat. I can see it as a last resort for a retained shed that is hanging on despite all other options, but not as a preemptive sort of thing.

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As I've said before, I am not saying it's necessary. But it can be helpful to loosen the skin and make the process easier. If you really think about it, wouldn't it be easier to get out of a moist skin rather than a dry one? If you want I can find links from this site and the web showing how soaking can be helpful.


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Originally Posted by LivingwithBalls

If you really think about it, wouldn't it be easier to get out of a moist skin rather than a dry one?

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This is exactly what misting or using a humid hide does. I literally had one of my snakes shed today. I knew she was going to shed so I misted her tub a bit. She had a nice long perfect shed that was nice and moist when I removed it and I could easily unravel it since it hadn't dried up yet.

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

This is exactly what misting or using a humid hide does. I literally had one of my snakes shed today. I knew she was going to shed so I misted her tub a bit. She had a nice long perfect shed that was nice and moist when I removed it and I could easily unravel it since it hadn't dried up yet.

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Misting, humid hides, soaking are all good techniques in my opinion. Glad to hear your snake shed well.


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Originally Posted by LivingwithBalls

Misting, humid hides, soaking are all good techniques in my opinion. Glad to hear your snake shed well.


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I think the same thing is true :) I think soaking can be beneficial as well but it really just boils down to what works best for you and your animals. Like the whole feeding inside the enclosure or in a separate bin debate lol. Both ways Can work, some just prefer one to the other.
And thanks [emoji4] I was going to do an update on her and share pics since she was looking extra pretty after her shed but I couldn't find the good camera and her colors are so impossible to capture indoors. So I'll have to wait until it warms up so she can have an outdoor photoshoot.

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

I think the same thing is true :) I think soaking can be beneficial as well but it really just boils down to what works best for you and your animals. Like the whole feeding inside the enclosure or in a separate bin debate lol. Both ways Can work, some just prefer one to the other.

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Exactly.


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Originally Posted by DVirginiana

In over ten years of keeping snakes, I have only soaked a snake one time... It was a garter being treated for parasites that damaged connective tissues, and the shed was retained and literally only coming off one scale at a time.
All other times I've had shed issues, letting the snake crawl through wet paper towels and/or shed boxes have done the trick. I might up humidity a bit right before a shed, but I've never done a preemptive soak.

I just don't see any evidence that a pre-emptive soak is necessary for a good shed. If it were, I imagine BPs would be SOL in their native habitat. I can see it as a last resort for a retained shed that is hanging on despite all other options, but not as a preemptive sort of thing.

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Where did this ' preemptive ' aspect come from ??

I've not seen anybody suggesting a soak BEFORE a snake goes into shed , certainly not myself .... the time for a short soak is AFTER it has had an unsuccessful shed ..