Shedding

Hi folks. My BP shed a few days ago, however I noticed that a piece on the tail did not come off. Is this going to be a problem? I've tried to roll it off, but the lose pieces just tore off and now there's nothing big enough for me to grab. Should I just not worry about it, or is there something that I should do in order to get the rest of it off?

Here is a pic.

http://myf150.net/Jigsaw/tailshed.JPG

soak him for bout a half an hour and slowly rub it off. Leaving it on can mess with his circulation.
good lookin bp btw

Hi I would not worry too much about it as long as it is not going to prevent the snake from going to the washroom. If my snake does not have a full shed I normally just soke him in the sink for a bit (luke warm water). After soaking u can just take a cloth or sponge and normally that will do the trick. Also, try to up the humidity level when the snake is going into shedding.

Good Luck

you really need to soak him like green_man suggested. if the old skin gets too tight around your snake's tail as he grows it will cut off the circulation, causing its tail to die and fall off where the blood can't circulate. leftover skin on the tip of the tail like that is really important to get off. once you soak him it should come off very easily for you. good luck!

my snake lost a little bit of tail when i first got him. When I say a little I mean just the vry pointed part, less than a mm probably, but it was due to a small shed piece that I just could not get off. No one can even tell it ever happened, not even the vet, but it just goes to show that what they say about stuck tail sheds is true. If that shed does not come off you will have a snake with no tail.

Should I just put him down in the sink and make sure it's not too deep? Or should I use some kind of bowl or something. My bp is only 2 months old and this was his 2nd shed, so he's not very big yet. The humidity pretty much stays a constant 70% in his tank, so lack of humidity shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks again

ouch, 70's a bit high really. He probably had a bad shed due to the previous owners lack of humidity. 70% humidity is ok during shed, but try to knock it down to 60% when not in shed. Dont want jigsaw gettin sick...

As for soaking, get a tub or clean out and use your bathtub. Its hard to keep them in a sink. Remember he is cold blooded when soaking too. What feels warm to you could be very hot to him. Soak in room temp water or just a tad warmer.

You might even want to consider getting another thermometer for just this purpose. I picked up another small digital one for about 7 or 8 bucks. It just has one temp and a probe, perfect for finding out how warm the water is. You'd be suprised how warm cool feeling water actually is.

What temp should the water be? Between 80 and 90?

Exactly. :)

Sweet, thx. I'll give that a shot tonight.

I get mine to about 82-84 degrees. A little warmer than the cool side.

Does your bp constantly try to struggle to get out?

Sorry I'm asking so many questions...I just want to make sure that my BP has the best possible care. Do you think he'll freak out if I put him in the water and should I keep picking him up and putting him back in it if he tries to get out?

Some struggle, some dont. I acutally have a seperate rubbermaid i use for just such occasions. In goes the water, temp probe, bp and on goes the lid. Then the whole works gets put on another heating pad to help maintain some warmth. Just dont fill it so much that your bp has to struggle to keep its head above water. I usually dont leave them in there for anymore than 10 mins at a time.

after i put roxy in she loves to try to climb out so i just put the lid on (make sure there is air holes and the water is not deep) and i just let her cruise around in there.The last time she shed she had a little piece like that on her tail i just put her in the water and rubbed it right off, no prob.

I always keep the water shallow and put in coasters or a fishtank rock for them to rest their wee heads on. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marla

I always keep the water shallow and put in coasters or a fishtank rock for them to rest their wee heads on. :)

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yeah when Pandora had her play time in the water, i brought her stick in there too. she has fun in the rubbermaid. she almost dives off the stick. its so fun to watch!!

My first shed with Pelota was good. It all came off clean except the tail end. There was about a half an inch left on. Much like what you're having trouble with now. But I wasn't about to leave it there like that, so I soaked her little tail in the water for a minute or so, then held her, and rubbed it off with a cloth until it was all off. She didn't even seem bothered by me playing around fussing with her tail, lol. I think she wanted it off as much as I did.

Also, when she was in shed, I soaked her in our sink upstairs. I filled it up to my knuckle deep, then put her in. She was fine for a few minutes, then she seemed to get squirmy, trying to get out. So I left her struggling for a half a minute more, then got her out, dried her off, and put her back in her home. Like already said, some struggle, some appreciate it during shed. Mine appreciated it for two minutes, then got tired of it, lol.

On a totally different subject, my sister found out that Pelota loves her...Pelota told her how relaxing and loving she is with Courtney by peeing down her shoulder. :D Sister hated it, but I made sure she didn't hold anything against Pey-Pey, and had her hold her after she changed. She fell in love with Pelota again right away. ;)

luckily, no snake has soiled me yet.. but i'm sure my time will come

i said the same thing when i was at work one time. about an hour later, i was holding a little dog and had it resting on my hip, and BOOM, it pees all down my leg, in my shoe and completely soaked my sock.

*knock on wood*

I find it a priveledge when Pelota goes on me. I think it means she's comfy with me and likes me. :) Maybe marking her territory. 8)

That's a good attitude. :) I find it gross but just part of the deal.

yeah that's kinda how i feel to. i've gotten peed on several times and i can't really say i find it enjoyable. and once i had nellie on the floor and i was watching her climb between these bars on a desk i have and all of the sudden, POP! SQUIRT! ooooooooze. i jumped back so dang fast...and then went to get the resolve carpet cleaner. never thought i'd be using that for snake poo stains.

Hasn't happened yet .... but i expect it to someday ;)

Haven't been messed on yet. My snake hates water, at least every time except one and when he is in his new water fall. I have not idea what makes the difference.

LOL..well I haven't had Jigsaw poop or let loose on me...yet, but I'll have to watch out for that.


To follow up, I did soak him last night and it did peel off easily....except for one part. He has a little bit that is stuck on the belly. I think its coming out of the vent area, but I'm not certain. I tried to tug on it, but it feels stuck in there pretty well. Should I keep trying to soak him every night and tug on it until it comes out or should I just leave it there and hope that it wears off?

I would say you could continue soaking, but as long as the shed does not encircle the snake you can wait for it to come off in the next shed.