BP Shed gone Bad!!!! Any help appreciated!

so the last week i recongized the signs of my BP beginning to shed, the first time since i brought her home, and i began to bump up her humidity as i was told would help with the shed. i also gave her warm baths several times since i saw that her eyes had cleared up. today i get home and i see some shed peeking out of her hide so i removed the hide to see it and found several pieces of shed and the rest was stuck on her. i know this is not normal and i pannicked. she's my first ball python and ive done a lot of research and talked to my local reptile expert and was told it should come off all as one piece like my boa's sheds. the eye pieces had come off completely by the way, on one of the pieces of shed i found in the tank. so i pulled her out and started soaking her in warm water. after she sat and soaked for bout 10 minutes i began to do the only thing i could think to do, slowly massage the shed where it appeared to be stuck and try to work it down. i did not squeeze her at all, just rubbed with my fingers, working it down her body. she sat almost completely still while i did this and at the point when i had gotten it about halfway down her body she pooped and peed.. i dont know if this was because i was rubbing her or just because it was her time to do that she ate bout a week ago and had already taken a small poop but i know she hadn't gotten all of the mouse out of her system yet. so that freaked me out of course but i didnt give up i was able to get the rest of the shed off without problem and promptly put her back in her terrarium where she has been basking since... i am concerned about why she didnt shed in one piece, and i almost forgot to tell you, she has mites.. i discovered the day after i brought her home that she did and just got a dust that my reptile expert said she has used when she rescued snakes that had mites. any kind of thoughts on this would be so appreciated, im still worried about her!!!
by the way, I'm Jasmine and tonight is my first night on the forum.

so the last week i recongized the signs of my BP beginning to shed, the first time since i brought her home, and i began to bump up her humidity as i was told would help with the shed. i also gave her warm baths several times since i saw that her eyes had cleared up. today i get home and i see some shed peeking out of her hide so i removed the hide to see it and found several pieces of shed and the rest was stuck on her. i know this is not normal and i pannicked. she's my first ball python and ive done a lot of research and talked to my local reptile expert and was told it should come off all as one piece like my boa's sheds. the eye pieces had come off completely by the way, on one of the pieces of shed i found in the tank. so i pulled her out and started soaking her in warm water. after she sat and soaked for bout 10 minutes i began to do the only thing i could think to do, slowly massage the shed where it appeared to be stuck and try to work it down. i did not squeeze her at all, just rubbed with my fingers, working it down her body. she sat almost completely still while i did this and at the point when i had gotten it about halfway down her body she pooped and peed.. i dont know if this was because i was rubbing her or just because it was her time to do that she ate bout a week ago and had already taken a small poop but i know she hadn't gotten all of the mouse out of her system yet. so that freaked me out of course but i didnt give up i was able to get the rest of the shed off without problem and promptly put her back in her terrarium where she has been basking since... i am concerned about why she didnt shed in one piece, and i almost forgot to tell you, she has mites.. i discovered the day after i brought her home that she did and just got a dust that my reptile expert said she has used when she rescued snakes that had mites. any kind of thoughts on this would be so appreciated, im still worried about her!!!
by the way, I'm Jasmine and tonight is my first night on the forum.

if it comes off in pieces there is a very good chance your humidity is too low.

dont rub it off to the point of irritation....give her a chance to get it off herself once you raise the humidity.

mites ill leave a mite expert to answer...

well i did get all the shed off, she didnt appear irrated she didnt hiss or strike, just laid in my hands and moved around occasionally like she does when i pull her out and she's asleep.. :(
she appears to be okay as of now, just basking under her night light like she does normally..

how high should her humidity be when shedding? ive been doing my best to keep it at 70 because thats what i read when i did my research. i had been gone for several hours tho and came home and found her to have shed some off. before i left i has wet down the bark in the bottom of the terrarium really well but the humidity was down to 50 when i got back

Bathing her before she actually shed was where you went wrong if your humidity was correct. Snakes produce natural oils that help them shed and when you bathed her, you effectively washed them away. The only time you should bathe a ball python is AFTER a bad shed. The proper humidity level at shed time is 60% or higher. You shouldn't be soaking substrate to keep humidity up, misting is okay though. Try cover most of the tank with aluminum foil to trap the humidity in if you can't seem to keep it high enough.

Mites can cause bad shed


Also no need to soak before shedding. As long as the humidity is fine, the shed should be good. Soaking before shedding can wash away some helpful oils and can actually lead to bad sheds. I feel like the mites + the soaking before shed is why she had a bad shed.


Finally, no need to post the same thread in 19 different areas. Once is fine.

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Originally Posted by mercerasian

Bathing her before she actually shed was where you went wrong if your humidity was correct. Snakes produce natural oils that help them shed and when you bathed her, you effectively washed them away. The only time you should bathe a ball python is AFTER a bad shed. The proper humidity level at shed time is 60% or higher. You shouldn't be soaking substrate to keep humidity up, misting is okay though. Try cover most of the tank with aluminum foil to trap the humidity in if you can't seem to keep it high enough.

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alright thank you for the help! i mist the substrate to keep humidity up and i will try the aluminum foil to keep the humidity in. i will not be bathing her before her shed again, thanks for letting me know

Soaking a BP dries out their skin, and can lead to a bad shed. you should only soak a BP if the snake has already had a bad shed and you need to get the pieces off.

That said a bad shed was probably unavoidable since your BP has mites. Stress can also lead to a bad shed, and mites will certainly stress a BP out.

Can you give us more details on what you are doing to treat the mites?

Humidity should be around 70% for shedding. More than likely the issue was caused by bathing her prior to a shed. Soaking before a shed removes the naturally ooccurring oils that helps the snake shed (so I have read).

The only time (pertaining to shedding) you should soak a bp is after they have a bad shed, to help soften the remaining stuck shed.

I'm sure the deification and urination was due to a warm bath and massage.

Welcome to bp.net!


Edit: evidently I type slow on my phone! Ooh well :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by interloc

Mites can cause bad shed


Also no need to soak before shedding. As long as the humidity is fine, the shed should be good. Soaking before shedding can wash away some helpful oils and can actually lead to bad sheds. I feel like the mites + the soaking before shed is why she had a bad shed.


Finally, no need to post the same thread in 19 different areas. Once is fine.

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okay thanks for the info, ill definitely avoid soaking before shed in the future.
i posted it in three areas in attempts to get some info from more experienced owners. i didn't read in the agreement that i couldnt do that and i was in a panic and was hoping for any helpful information as soon as possible.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

Humidity should be around 70% for shedding. More than likely the issue was caused by bathing her prior to a shed. Soaking before a shed removes the naturally ooccurring oils that helps the snake shed (so I have read).

The only time (pertaining to shedding) you should soak a bp is after they have a bad shed, to help soften the remaining stuck shed.

I'm sure the deification and urination was due to a warm bath and massage.

Welcome to bp.net!


Edit: evidently I type slow on my phone! Ooh well :D

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okay thank you :) im bummed i had to learn it the hard way but glad that it doesnt seem like she has underlying issues, i simply messed up the shed by soaking her! now that she's done shedding i can get rid of the mites and between that and the new info i learned on here tonight, im praying her next shed will be better.
thank you for the welcome! i had been on the site a couple times during my research and hadnt gotten a chance to make a profile so when this happened tonight i knew i could get a lot of priceless information from ball owners!

thank you for the reply and im glad i learned not to do that because i had read in multiple places to soak her before her shed to hydrate her but it obviously did the opposite so i wont be doing that again!
i just got Garden Tech's Sevin Dust, 5% which is what my local reptile expert said she has used when she brought home rescued snakes that had mite infestations. i havent used it yet because its a dust and i knew that if i put it into her terrarium i couldnt keep the humidity up where it should be for shedding. since shes done shedding i was planning on pulling everything out of her terrarium tomorrow, treating it, dusting the substrate really well and watching it for several days. that's what the reptile expert told me to do, not to sprinkle her with it directly but that as she moved around the terrarium it would get some on her and would kill the mites that are on her. i had tried right after i brought her home a zoo med mite spray but it didnt kill them

Hi I have put a snake with a bad shed in a pillow case with a damp towel that worked great it got rid of eye caps too. He just moved around and pulled it all off in the pillow case. I made sure he was in a properly warm spot. I have never used or or heard of using powder, I would be afraid of using it. I kept getting mites until I soaked the tank with a 10 water to 1 bleach ratio. I made sure to get under the lid and water dish. I have used Mite Off from Zoo med with luck on snakes. The big thing was clean bedding, soaking the tank and lid. Oh soaking will often make them Go LOL!
Good luck keep posting
Jeanus

Three seperate threads with the same question posted minutes apart is probably enough...

In your picture the snake is sitting on gravel. Is that what you have in the tank? You said the snake was basking. Can you elaborate on that? How do you create a hot spot? How are you checking the temps?

Your snake is probably very stressed. If the stuck shed isn't covering the vent and tip of the tail and the eyes are clear, I would say to just keep the humidity high and let your snake finish the job on their own. Otherwise you can put it in a warm, damp pillow case and let it crawl around in there for a while to work the rest off.

Please tell us a little bit more about how you keep the snake, what's in the cage, etc. It sounds like your local reptile expert may not have the most up to date info on ball pythons. I'll let someone else explain more about the mites. GL.

Mites can obviously create issues with sheds (and more), but if I ever have a less than perfect shed, i use a small snake bag, or burlap sack. I soak in hottest water I can, wring it out, then put snake in, and put in tub. Voila. Work every time rest of shed comes off. Don't worry about the heat from the hot water, the few seconds of wringing, and carrying to enclosure, cools it enough to be safe.

Some snakes aren't good at shedding. I have some that it is one piece and done... Others rip theirs in many pieces. But if I keep humidity up, add something rough, they'll do it on their own in like 5 days. Just depends on the snake. You only have one so you're not familiar with it yet, but when you get more, you will. Oh and don't soak, it removes the oils.

Here's an old video I did when my pinstripe didn't shed very well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wxf9cmS0qQ

The hour time frame is the max I would leave them in there. I was going for 45 minutes but he started getting it off on his own so I let him go.

I think everyone else has covered the shedding info, but I would suggest ordering some Prevent-A-Mite (PAM).

http://beanfarm.com/advanced_search_...e5aecc&x=0&y=0

I don't know much about the dust you are going to try, but this is made to kill reptile mites and will get rid of them quick! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jeanus

Hi I have put a snake with a bad shed in a pillow case with a damp towel that worked great it got rid of eye caps too. He just moved around and pulled it all off in the pillow case. I made sure he was in a properly warm spot. I have never used or or heard of using powder, I would be afraid of using it. I kept getting mites until I soaked the tank with a 10 water to 1 bleach ratio. I made sure to get under the lid and water dish. I have used Mite Off from Zoo med with luck on snakes. The big thing was clean bedding, soaking the tank and lid. Oh soaking will often make them Go LOL!
Good luck keep posting
Jeanus

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i tried the zoo med mite off and it didnt work for her. i havent done a bleach soak on the tank because i felt it was pointless if they are still on her because they would just get off her into the tank again!!
i will definitely keep the pillow case tick up my sleeve if this happens again thank you!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sho220

Three seperate threads with the same question posted minutes apart is probably enough...

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i didnt post it again, i realize that is enough. and i was already scolded for that, thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrLang

In your picture the snake is sitting on gravel. Is that what you have in the tank? You said the snake was basking. Can you elaborate on that? How do you create a hot spot? How are you checking the temps?

Your snake is probably very stressed. If the stuck shed isn't covering the vent and tip of the tail and the eyes are clear, I would say to just keep the humidity high and let your snake finish the job on their own. Otherwise you can put it in a warm, damp pillow case and let it crawl around in there for a while to work the rest off.

Please tell us a little bit more about how you keep the snake, what's in the cage, etc. It sounds like your local reptile expert may not have the most up to date info on ball pythons. I'll let someone else explain more about the mites. GL.

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i have small rocks over a small portion of the tank on the cool side and the rest is covered in reptibark. sitting on the gravel is a plastic branch that she sits on to bask, her basking lamp is directly above it by about 6 inches. during the day i have a 65 watt day bulb in it and at night a 50 watt moonlight bulb which puts out warmth but barely any light. i consider the hottest part in her tank is where i have a reptile heating pad under the tank and once in awhile shell lay on the bark on top of it, not too much. also on the hot side i have a half log hide. on the cool side there are the small stones, her water dish, and some larger stones that she'll lay on normally after she drinks water. i'm checking temps with one thermometer hygrometer combo on the hot side and a regular thermometer on the cool side. on the hot side her temp is basically always 88 degrees and on the cool side it varies from 80-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

First order of business.

1) take out everything in your tank.
2) use paper towel as substrate until mites are all gone. This will help identify the mites on the white background as well as keeping the enclosure simple
3) Do not have anything else in the tank other than a water dish and maybe a hide.
4) Disinfect and wash tank/hide/dish/accessories . Hot water + bleach will kill all the eggs.
5) Get Provent a Mite (aka PAM). This is the most effective mite spray. But make sure to read the directions carefully. It can kill your snake if used incorrectly.

You might have to throw out that log hide. It's not a very good hide due to the double open ends and the material. It's very hard to clean and disinfect. I can bet that thing is infested with mite eggs if you're having issues. Try one of those cave hides or home made ones with one entrance. Snakes feel more secure in those as long as it is a snug fit. (I made my own from $1 cereal bowls from the dollar store)

Also, I would quarantine your ball away from your boa. Or check your boa for mites too. The nymph stage of mites is airborne and can travel around.

For humidity/shed:
1) Needs to be 70%+
2) If you're using a tank, you can cover 90% of the tank with a damp towel, taped down tin foil, or plexiglass. This will help trap the humidity in your enclosure.
3) You can use a humid hide if you can't get the enclosure to 70%+. A humid hide creates a humid microclimate if the rest of the enclosure is dry. All you need is a tupperware with a cut hole for an enterance. Then you can place some damp moss or paper towel in there. Your snake will go in there when it needs that extra humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by satomi325

The nymph stage of mites is airborne and can travel around.

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That is terrifying.

I'm removing my clothes before entering my house and burning them after I go to petco or expos.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrLang

That is terrifying.

I'm removing my clothes before entering my house and burning them after I go to petco or expos.

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So your going to give your neighbors a show ;)


Sent from iPhone 5 using tapatalk :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reptilelove18

okay thanks for the info, ill definitely avoid soaking before shed in the future.
i posted it in three areas in attempts to get some info from more experienced owners. i didn't read in the agreement that i couldnt do that and i was in a panic and was hoping for any helpful information as soon as possible.

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I know you have already been told once is enough, but I have to say it really is. This is a VERY active forum. Post it once, and it will get attention. I would venture to guess within an hour at the longest. There are lots of people on here all day. :);)

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

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Originally Posted by satomi325

First order of business.

1) take out everything in your tank.
2) use paper towel as substrate until mites are all gone. This will help identify the mites on the white background as well as keeping the enclosure simple
3) Do not have anything else in the tank other than a water dish and maybe a hide.
4) Disinfect and wash tank/hide/dish/accessories . Hot water + bleach will kill all the eggs.
5) Get Provent a Mite (aka PAM). This is the most effective mite spray. But make sure to read the directions carefully. It can kill your snake if used incorrectly.

You might have to throw out that log hide. It's not a very good hide due to the double open ends and the material. It's very hard to clean and disinfect. I can bet that thing is infested with mite eggs if you're having issues. Try one of those cave hides or home made ones with one entrance. Snakes feel more secure in those as long as it is a snug fit. (I made my own from $1 cereal bowls from the dollar store)

Also, I would quarantine your ball away from your boa. Or check your boa for mites too. The nymph stage of mites is airborne and can travel around.

For humidity/shed:
1) Needs to be 70%+
2) If you're using a tank, you can cover 90% of the tank with a damp towel, taped down tin foil, or plexiglass. This will help trap the humidity in your enclosure.
3) You can use a humid hide if you can't get the enclosure to 70%+. A humid hide creates a humid microclimate if the rest of the enclosure is dry. All you need is a tupperware with a cut hole for an enterance. Then you can place some damp moss or paper towel in there. Your snake will go in there when it needs that extra humidity.

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thank you lots!! i will do all of this and let everyone know how it works out!
by the way, my girl is simply glowing since she shed!! her colors are crisp and bright and she is very soft :)

oh and i forgot, my boa is well quarantined from my bp. they are in seperate rooms of the house and i ALWAYS wash my hands before and after holding each one so there shouldn't be any cross contamination :) thanks for the info, i had no idea they were airbourne thats scary because im going to be bringing home my second baby veiled chameleon within 2 weeks and his tank is in the same room as my ball pythons.... hopefully the mites will be destroyed by then! if they dont appear to be ill set up the baby chameleon's tank in a different room just to be safe

so i started treating her and her enclosure for the mites and its already showing improvement!! im so happy!! cant wait till they are all gone and my girl is good to go :)