Why do these products exist, then?

I recently posted about giving my snake Jump-Start (a calorie/energy/whatever supplement that choked him the other day) and whether or not to soak him. I was given... quite a few opinions, so I will follow that advice.

My question is: Why do products like Shed-Ease exist if you're not supposed to soak them? Why do Jump Start and Repti Boost exist? Are these companies just knowingly selling useless products? Because there are many people on Amazon who are like "THIS PRODUCT CHANGED MY LIFE!"... is it a placebo effect? Just curious because I bought both the Shed-Ease and Jump Start before I even bought my snake, because according to all the reviews they were essential to proper husbandry. I now know better, but why do companies make them, and why do so many people buy them?

Also, will Jump Start actively hurt my snake (aside from one accident) or is it just unnecessary? It's irrelevant now because I'll no longer use it, but is it to snakes' detriment to give them supplements?

I realize I have done some things wrong and I'm going to correct them. I'm just wondering why so many people are doing the same thing without knowing they're misguided.

I think things like jump start are for other animals that aren't snakes, specifically ball pythons. I know some lizards do need supplements and the like.

snakes are easy in that they don't need supplements at all, afaik. A regular diet of rats should suffice.

Shed ease on the other hand doesn't seem it has much use outside of really bad sheds but that can be solved with just water. Not sure who it's actually marketed to.

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Originally Posted by m1lkhoney

My question is: Why do products like Shed-Ease exist if you're not supposed to soak them? Why do Jump Start and Repti Boost exist? Are these companies just knowingly selling useless products?

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They want to make money. Yes, they sell some useless stuff. They see something people struggle with (humidity - bad sheds) and so they bottle water with some 'additives' and market it as something that will help. Is it needed? no, not in the least bit. Do they care? no, they can sell it and make money.
Heck, people buy bottled water. (hehe)

Products exist so manufacturers make money (pretty simple business concept), now if you do the proper research you will know which product are necessary and which are useless based on the specific needs of your animal.

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Heck, people buy bottled water. (hehe)

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That says it all.

Ball pythons are absolutely the easiest animal I have ever kept or bred. If you follow the quite simple rules, rarely does anything go wrong. The hardest thing in my mind is accepting their eating habits. As long as people insist on violating the rules there will be supposed cure all products to fix problems that do not have to exist in the first place. It is very easy to be sidetracked by advertisements and such. It is the reason places like this exist. The accumulated knowledge on this board has served me better than any other single source.

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Heck, people buy bottled water. (hehe)

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lol some buy bottled water for the BP's!

Pt Barnum once said "there is a sucker born every minute". People will spend money on anything if you advertise it well enough.


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Seems like the stuff you listed is marketed to owners who have no clue what they're doing, but are having problems with their animal. Or basically just... people who don't know what they're supposed to be doing.

Ball pythons get everything they need from a diet of rats, and only rats. (Or mice and only mice, for those who refuse rats.) Along with proper humidity and temps and hides, just from having a good enclosure. Nothing else is needed!

Honestly, any additional products past what ball pythons NEED should be seen with skepticism, because the only possible outcomes are either useless or negative.

thanks for the info! Glad I don't have to buy anything except his mice. (Soon to be rats, yayyyy)

Just like the pet setup any big box shop sells for basically any animal, full of completely useless and inappropriate items. I rescue ferrets and most people we take them in from have a box full of sugar filled treats/lax/"vitamins", runaround balls, sprays, shampoos, water additives, etc, a small fortune in things I would recommend they throw straight in the trash. Pet supplies is a big market, very little is actually needed.

A lot of these products do have an appropriate use, though generally a very narrow range of usefulness. For instance, Jump Start as mentioned. It's corn syrup. This can be useful to pep up a very weak animal, get them strong enough to take real food. With reptiles, I don't think I'd use it on a pure carnivore like a snake, but if you had a very weak baby iguana, a bit of Jump Start might get him going enough to eat some fruits or veggies and get some real nutrition. They sell the same product for mammals, and it's very useful in certain circumstances (hypoglycemic toy puppies, for instance). But you don't give it to your dog every day. I'm annoyed that these things are recommended by pet store employees as often as they are though.

Yeah, having ferrets will teach you that most pet supplies are either harmful or useless. Jeez the junk they sell for ferrets is appalling. Pro tip: if you get ferrets, don't buy anything from the ferret section. Seriously. (Actually it's a little better now. They actually have some decent stuff. 20 years ago when I got my first ferret it was all trash).

Why?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

And more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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Originally Posted by Ax01

lol some buy bottled water for the BP's!

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Heck, I buy bottled water for my tarantulas! :rofl:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Heck, people buy bottled water. (hehe)

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I don't - I have a filter for my drinking water.

As for why some products exist, a fool and his money are soon parted.

Why do people spend thousands of dollars each year on clothing just because it has a particular name stamped on it?

Why do people pay to put spoilers on cars that they can't legally drive fast enough for it to make any difference?

As long as there's someone that will pay for it, someone will try to sell it.

That said, I have lived in a town where bottled water was the only way to go. The tap-water, even after filtering, smelled like it came out of a mud flat. Even the plants died if I used that stuff on them. Everything got bottled water. Showering was a horrible experience. I moved.