Small stuck shed on tip of tail

Hey everyone,

I just experienced my ball's first shed (with me) a few days ago. It wasnt a great shed, the last two inches or so on him did not come off in 24 hours so I soaked him. The soaking worked great and got almost everything off except right on the end of his tail. Its maybe a quarter of a inch of unshed skin stuck on there. After the soak I was trying to get this last bit off, and maybe was being a little obsessive and I got tagged. Must have annoyed him a little :P

My question is if I should try to soak again and see if it comes off? Is it ok to just leave it on until the next shed?

Thanks for the help!

Use a washcloth wet it with warm water and gently pull the tail through the cloth

You can try gently rubbing it with a warm, wet towel or washcloth. Even if you only get a little bit at a time, it needs to come off. What will happen is if they get too many layers of stuck shed on the tail tips it will cut off the blood supply and the tip of the tail will die and fall off...

Uh oh, thats what I was afraid of.

Should I soak him first or just do the wet wash cloth? I was trying pretty hard to get it off with a wet wash cloth a few days ago when I soaked him and it just didnt want to come off. :confused:

Did you try following the "Bad Shed? No Problem" sticky? That was pretty helpful for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 55Ballin

Did you try following the "Bad Shed? No Problem" sticky? That was pretty helpful for me.

---

Yea, I read that before soaking him. Its was super helpful! But the tip didnt come off the first time around, and after getting bit I didn't want to stress him out by soaking him again the next day. But I will soak him tonite when I get home from work. Hopefully the second attempt will go smoother.

How old is he approximately? Because this is your ball's first shed with you, maybe had problems shedding from before that you weren't aware of? Either way, hopefully another soak will do the trick. Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 55Ballin

How old is he approximately? Because this is your ball's first shed with you, maybe had problems shedding from before that you weren't aware of? Either way, hopefully another soak will do the trick. Good luck.

---

I really not sure how old he is...I got him about a month ago. I've had people guess that hes maybe a year old. Hes about 22 inches long and 155 grams if that helps. Its definitely not his first shed ever, but just first time with me. Before this he had no signs of old stuck sheds or anything.

Thanks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

Yea, I read that before soaking him. Its was super helpful! But the tip didnt come off the first time around, and after getting bit I didn't want to stress him out by soaking him again the next day. But I will soak him tonite when I get home from work. Hopefully the second attempt will go smoother.

---

You don't need to soak him so much. The moisture from the towel should be enough. It may take a few times before it finally lets go...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vypyrz

You don't need to soak him so much. The moisture from the towel should be enough. It may take a few times before it finally lets go...

---

I only soaked him once, 24 hours after his shed to try and get the last two inches off. I will try using just the wash cloth tonight. Thanks so much for all the advice!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

I really not sure how old he is...I got him about a month ago. I've had people guess that hes maybe a year old. Hes about 22 inches long and 155 grams if that helps. Its definitely not his first shed ever, but just first time with me. Before this he had no signs of old stuck sheds or anything.

Thanks!

---

Mine is about the same size but about and inch 30g heavier. I'm sure with a little more moisture it will come off. The washcloth works well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 55Ballin

Mine is about the same size but about and inch 30g heavier. I'm sure with a little more moisture it will come off. The washcloth works well.

---

How old is yours?

Ahh, I feel relieved. I was thinking about this stuck shed all day at work. I just soaked him for a little and with a warm wash cloth it came right off. Thanks to everyone for the advice!! :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

How old is yours?

---

To be honest, I have no idea. I crossed forbidden lines and bought him from petco :please:. Never again will I do that, not that I've had any issues (as of yet), I'm just not fond of the idea.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 55Ballin

To be honest, I have no idea. I crossed forbidden lines and bought him from petco :please:. Never again will I do that, not that I've had any issues (as of yet), I'm just not fond of the idea.

---

I see...I have to admit I did the same thing. Got my little guy from petsmart about a month ago. He was there for almost 3 months before I got him and the whole time they were feeding him pinkies when he can easily take hoppers. He wasn't eating well for them and was skinny. Since I've had him he has eaten every time I offer food and is gaining weight. Othe than that I didn't have a bad experience, but next time I'll go with a breeder as I am not fond of the idea either.