Is my snake sick?

Hey, im new to owning a snake, and just recently bought my first ball python about 3 months ago. Things seem to be going okay, for the most part. He never turned down food, and loved being handled. Till just recently he went through his first shed with me. I noticed the change in colour in his eyes, and saw most of the signs. So i tryed to prepare by keeping his humidity at 75% for a solid week. and a bit before his skin started to come off, in pieces. So I messed up somewere. What my concern is, it took about a week or so for all the skin to shed, and when he came out his colour seemed back to normal. Its been a week sence and now hes been hideing more than normal. And just yesterday his eyes clouded over to look almost silver. His skin also seems a bit pale and he turned down food for the last time last night. It almost looks like hes starting shedding all over again. Please help, im a little concerned. :(

Hi,

Did he get all the old skin off?

More specifically did he shed his eyecaps ok?

Can you perhaps get us a picture?


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

Did he get all the old skin off?

More specifically did he shed his eyecaps ok?

Can you perhaps get us a picture?


dr del

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I believe so, he went for about 3 days curled under the moss in his habitat and came out looking like he had finished. The last bit of skin was left hanging off him and it rubbed off against his rock. His eye caps i believe came off first because one was still stuck to him throughout most of the shedding, but just behind his eye attached to more skin. And i have a picture im just not sure how to upload it.

No, your snake is not sick. Bad sheds happen, but luckily your snake has a caring owner and you will adjust to make sure next time is better.

After the first initial shed, where he got his eye caps off but still retained some old skin, I've heard that soaking in warm water helps, and you can try to slowly work the old skin off. Ive watched videos and it looks like it just peels off like a sock.

As for next time, are you using a reliable hygrometer ? Does your snake have anything to "rub" against to get his skin off ? 75% is usually more than enough for a BP, my BP sheds absolutely fine at 60%. And what kind of bedding are you using ? You may want to try Zoo Med's Forest Floor Cypress Mulch if you want to increase humidity for next time. The stuff is great. Good luck!

BTW: the fact that he got the eye caps off is good! retained eye caps, i'd imagine, are a big hassle and makes your snake feel like they dont have control (cuz they cant see)

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Originally Posted by mattchibi

No, your snake is not sick. Bad sheds happen, but luckily your snake has a caring owner and you will adjust to make sure next time is better.

After the first initial shed, where he got his eye caps off but still retained some old skin, I've heard that soaking in warm water helps, and you can try to slowly work the old skin off. Ive watched videos and it looks like it just peels off like a sock.

As for next time, are you using a reliable hygrometer ? Does your snake have anything to "rub" against to get his skin off ? 75% is usually more than enough for a BP, my BP sheds absolutely fine at 60%. And what kind of bedding are you using ? You may want to try Zoo Med's Forest Floor Cypress Mulch if you want to increase humidity for next time. The stuff is great. Good luck!

BTW: the fact that he got the eye caps off is good! retained eye caps, i'd imagine, are a big hassle and makes your snake feel like they dont have control (cuz they cant see)

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Bad sheds sometimes happen because a ball python is sick, so it's a little early to rule that out. The fact that he sounds like he is going straight back into shed isn't normal.

Well it was odd becuase over the 3 weeks or so it all took place, he ate during at right after. Aswell just after the tempurature dropped alot were i live and keeping his habitat warm is becoming harder, i had to switch from UVB to a heating bulb. Maybe that attributed to this? Aswell could i use both?

It sounds like time to go back to the very basics to make sure you're providing a proper environment.

BPs do not need UVB, but they DO need heat. Have you been heating the enclosure at all? If so, how have you been providing heat? And if so, have you been regulating the heat with a thermostat or dimmer? How are you measuring the temps and humidity inside the enclosure?

Take a look at the caresheet on this site and make sure the basics are covered. I agree that going immediately back into shed is not normal and is something snakes might do when injured.

What are the temps of the hot side and cold side. Temps should be consistent 88-90 hotside 82-84 cold side. Do you have a under tank heater and a thermostat? Husbandry issues can affect sheds and make them shed earlier.

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Originally Posted by samsman740

Well it was odd becuase over the 3 weeks or so it all took place, he ate during at right after. Aswell just after the tempurature dropped alot were i live and keeping his habitat warm is becoming harder, i had to switch from UVB to a heating bulb. Maybe that attributed to this? Aswell could i use both?

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I have a Thermostat and Humidity guage combo that im starting to lose trust in. His cool side is at 70 (i only have one so i figured it was best to know how cold it was), and I also have an undertank heater that hes sleeping on. They told me when i bought him that he needed UVB, so i guess i was misinformed. Hes on Aspen bedding and i have some moist moss around the habitat. Hes got a rock hide that doubles as a basking spot so i have his light on the rock, and half a hollowed out tree tunk on top of his heating pad.

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Originally Posted by samsman740

I also have an undertank heater that hes sleeping on.

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And what are you using to regulate the UTH??

Nothing, other than the amount of substrate.

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Originally Posted by samsman740

Nothing, other than the amount of substrate.

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You really need something to control the temps of that UTH because it can become so hot that your snake could be burned. You should have a theromstat or a lamp dimmer at the very least.

I'd be concerned that the snake burrowed under the substrate and may have burned himself on the unregulated UTH. Injuries like burns will make the snake shed more frequently as part of their healing process.

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Originally Posted by Inknsteel

I'd be concerned that the snake burrowed under the substrate and may have burned himself on the unregulated UTH. Injuries like burns will make the snake shed more frequently as part of their healing process.

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x1

I never appeard that warm, but would there be any signs, burn marks? Im more worried about the cold canadian enviornment and that im a struggling student and cant afford to turn on the heat yet so its cold in my apt. :redface:

UTH needs to be regulated. It might seem fine one moment but than spike. They can get over 110 degrees. And you might never know it. That how snakes get burned. A light dimmer or rheostats are very affordable.

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Originally Posted by samsman740

I never appeard that warm, but would there be any signs, burn marks? Im more worried about the cold canadian enviornment and that im a struggling student and cant afford to turn on the heat yet so its cold in my apt. :redface:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by samsman740

I have a Thermostat and Humidity guage combo that im starting to lose trust in. His cool side is at 70 (i only have one so i figured it was best to know how cold it was), and I also have an undertank heater that hes sleeping on. They told me when i bought him that he needed UVB, so i guess i was misinformed. Hes on Aspen bedding and i have some moist moss around the habitat. Hes got a rock hide that doubles as a basking spot so i have his light on the rock, and half a hollowed out tree tunk on top of his heating pad.

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That is a thermometer, not a thermostat. For a thermometer you'd be hard pressed to beat an Accu-rite digital thermomter/hygrometer for the price. They are under $15 at Wal-Mart.

A thermostat controls the temps. I use Spyder Robotic's Herpstats and I cannot complain about them. Anyone here will tell you the same, they are top notch. They usually run about $110. As has been said, UTH's can have spikes and burn your snake. I know it seems like you should be more worried about the cool end, but I would be far more concerned with the hot side. That said, you need to bump up your cool side temps as well because 70 is too cold. You want 80ish cool side and 90-92 hot side with an ambient air temp in the mid 80's.

And no, ball pythons do not need UVB. UVB is more of a "lizard thing" not to put too fine a point on it. Balls actually do not need any supplemental lighting.