Help! Shedding and bleeding!

I recently got a new baby ball python and it has already eaten many times and it is acting normal, but it has started it's first shed. It got all of it's head skin off, but stopped trying after he got about half an inch onto the neck. The is the third night of his "shedding". I've tried soaking him and all that stuff but it won't come off and he seems to have stopped trying. Also I noticed he has what looks like blood under his head and part of his neck on one side, there is a little in the corner of the tub and on the water bowl. I don't know why he bled???

Also I have the temp and humidity right, but he is on newspaper do I need to get something different? Should I spray his actual body to keep him moist while shedding? It looks like his body is in a little snakey straight jacket!!!!

Hi,

Is there any sign of a wound? Perhaps when he was rubbing himself on things to get the shed moving there was a rough spot somewhere?

If there is a wound then the next step depends how big/bad you think it is - if it's just a tinly little thing then possibly neosporin (the kind without painkillers) would be enough just to stop it getting infected till it heals.

As to the shed I would possibly think of putting him in a wet pillowcase (make sure air can get in and out of it when its wet first by blowing it up then pressing on it) and then putting him (still in the case) back in his tub for a little while and tryng to see if that loosens the stuck shed any.

If he has a wound though you will need to be very, very, gentle when working on the skin in that area to avoid opening it up again or anything like that.


But check him first before starting to do anything so you know what to be carefull of etc.


dr del

Thanks a lot, I found a small cut sort of between his eyes on the bottom of his head if you can imagine what I'm talking about? I'll stop by the store tomorrow(it is late) and pick up some neosporin. Thanks for the pillow case advice, I imagine the water I soak it in should be luke warm? Oh one more thing, should I wait for the cut to heal before helping him with his shed, which is more important at the moment?

Hi,


Well I cant really picture which bit of his head you mean.:confused:

Is it the crease under his chin or on the top of his head near his nose?

But as you said he had got his head shed off then I would go ahead and try and take the rest off as it's encircling his body.

Yes use luke warm/ slightly warm water to soak the pillow case, wring it out a bit, then put him in the tank inside it.

Remember to turn it inside out and be carefull when knotting the top that he hasn't stuck his head up - I usually get someone to hold him inthe bottom while I knot the top to make sure. Then place it in his tank in the middle not on the heat at the hot end.

Hopefully that should get it hydrated enough to make removing the shed easy like peeling a sock. Still be very gentle though but the fact the cut is on a different bit is a good thing.

Once it's off treat the small cut on his head and keep an eye on it to make sure nothing gets caught in it or anything nasty starts.


dr del

I agree with Derek.

The moist pillow case trick should work. leave him in it over night bump your temps up just a little over night and see if that works.

As for the cut there isn't anything that he could have rubbed on trying to start shedding that could have cut him is there? Look at all the hides and inside and out and any other cage furniture that you have any barbs or thing that stick out a little file them off. Remember snakes rely on their scales for protection so their skin is really very tender.

The Neosporin is a good thing to keep handy for and herp keeper. Just be sure to get the kind without pain killer.

Thanks, the cut is on the crease under his head, not on the top of his head. I am going to try the pillow case thing tonight, I'll take him out first thing when I wake up in the morning. =] Thanks for all the help!

And no, I can't find anything in his cage that would cut him. His hides are smooth and the water bowl isn't sharp, I really don't get how he did it at all. Unless he somehow cut it while he was out of his cage and opened it up again somehow??? I really have no idea.

I would not leave him inside a wet pillowcase all night. I'm afraid he might suffocate since the airflow can't be that great. Even if you can expand it and then push the air out that doesn't mean air will actually circulate if he just sits in there.

Also, that's not to say anybody here has given you bad advice. It sounds risky that if an inexperienced person doesn't do it just right he could harm his snake. Perhaps its not that risky but I'd hate for you to wake up with a dead snake!!!!

I have had two snakes that i've recently purchased that have been either IN a bad shed when i got them or have a bad shed the first time after i bring them home.

The breeder i bought half my guys from suggested to put the snake in a clear tupperware style container (with air holes obv), fill half way with warm water, put the snake in a make sure the lid is on tight. Leave for as long as necessary (depending on size of snake and how bad the shed is), then remove the snake and gently rub with a towel to loosen the skin and then roll the skin down the snake.

In fact i just finished doing that with my big girl. It was her first shed with me. Took her over an hour to soak (checking every 15 min or so) so i could get it all off.

Hi,


There are circumstances where leaving him in there all night works and ones where it isn't as helpfull so it's not a cut and dried issue.

Leaving him in all night gives him longer to move around inside and possibly remove the stuck shed himself but does mean the pillowcase (and snake) will be mainly dry in the morning. If you are planning on removing the skin manually yourself then you still want him nice and moist so would typically leave him in for a shorter time.

I know what you mean about the air circulation Bearhart but it's only really a concern with close threaded pillowcases while wet - anything with a low to normal thread count shouldn't pose any significant risk and what risk there is drops as the pillowcase dries out.:)

This is one of those occasions where buying the cheap pillowcases is actually the best course of action.:D



dr del

Letting the snake soak in lukewarm water for an hour is a good idea but make sure you fill it up 3/4 the height of the snakes body, so he can rest his head on his body and not be forced to hold his head up. Also, use a wet towel and let the snake squeeze through it. Use your hand to make a gentle fist around the towel and apply an even amount of pressure to the snake as he slithers through, and the shed will come off with ease.

Theres a good thread about it here: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403. Its called the towel method. Worked wonders for me. Some snakes just don't shed as well as others.. even with proper humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,


There are circumstances where leaving him in there all night works and ones where it isn't as helpfull so it's not a cut and dried issue.

Leaving him in all night gives him longer to move around inside and possibly remove the stuck shed himself but does mean the pillowcase (and snake) will be mainly dry in the morning. If you are planning on removing the skin manually yourself then you still want him nice and moist so would typically leave him in for a shorter time.

I know what you mean about the air circulation Bearhart but it's only really a concern with close threaded pillowcases while wet - anything with a low to normal thread count shouldn't pose any significant risk and what risk there is drops as the pillowcase dries out.:)

This is one of those occasions where buying the cheap pillowcases is actually the best course of action.:D



dr del

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Yea, I would be terrified of asphyxiation (sp?). But I haven't ever done it so I can't really comment on the actual risk.

I would guess that snakes don't need as much oxygen as warm-blooded creatures. Is this a factor that makes the pillow-case technique safer than it appears?

I have made air hole in the containers i use. Also i don't leave them in there all night. The snake's safety and comfort is always my first priority.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bearhart

I would guess that snakes don't need as much oxygen as warm-blooded creatures. Is this a factor that makes the pillow-case technique safer than it appears?

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Hi,

Yes their lower overall metabolism means it is a small risk as long as you use the cheap cases. :yes:

The Pillowcase does not start out sodden or running water so they dry out quite quickly to the point oxygen exchange is at high enough levels to avoid any problems.

I have to say I have never used or tried any of the high thread count pillowcases ( I'm stricktly low-rent :P ) so am not entirely sure how much extra risk they pose and am going purely on anecdotal(sp?) evidence.:)

If anyone has direct experience I for one would dearly love to hear it.


dr del

You know I used to use spaghnum/fir bedding but I got started on this recycled paper bedding when Snakey had an RI. Originally the change was to minimize lung irritants but I've stuck with it because it comes packed so your standard $20 bag is 60L vs 20-30L for other beddings. Also, it is super absorbent.

But Snakey used to have a perfect shed everytime, but since I switched he's had a bit of retained shed every time.

Hi,


Do you have any ideas on how to get the humidty back up to the levels it was before you changed? Assuming it was extra humidity coming from the old bedding that kept it high obviously. Admitedly that was an assumption and I think umption is getting sick of me ruining his rep.:P


dr del

Thanks for the advice! He got half of it off the first night, and the rest off the second night. =] And the cut seems to be healing nicely, I'll update in a few days!

Also I didn't want to soak him for long, I tried that before the pillowcase technique. He is still a baby basically and just over a foot long. Barely thicker then my thumb at his gurth. He freaked out everytime I got him in the water, it is hard to hold on to smaller snakes!

And I'll bring the bedding up with my sister, she has a larger snake that she keeps on reptile bark. It doesn't hold moisture well. I end up spraying the bedding twice a day because she doesn't do it.

ALSO, I never posted about this origionally but I'd like to say this now:

My humidity was jumping all over the place. It would be normal, then it would spike so I would turn it down and a few hours later it would be too low so I'd turn it up and it would be normal. The next day it would spike again. My dad had been spraying my tub! I asked him to stop and I guess he has, no humidity problems. I have no idea why he did that! He NEVER sprays my sister's snake! & I think my sis' snake has an RI. I can hear him breathing when I have him out. Sort of wheezy, and I heard him sneeze/cough. She doesn't take the best care of her snake. But she is gettin a bigger tank. Doesn't believe in the tub technique.

Sorry for the life story!

Linds

Hi,


Glad he's doing better.:)


dr del

If this happens again and you soak him just put a lid on. you don't actually need to hold him then. they're just too darn slippery anyway.

Glad he's on the mend and doing better! :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by catzeye21138

Thanks for the advice! He got half of it off the first night, and the rest off the second night. =] And the cut seems to be healing nicely, I'll update in a few days!

Also I didn't want to soak him for long, I tried that before the pillowcase technique. He is still a baby basically and just over a foot long. Barely thicker then my thumb at his gurth. He freaked out everytime I got him in the water, it is hard to hold on to smaller snakes!

And I'll bring the bedding up with my sister, she has a larger snake that she keeps on reptile bark. It doesn't hold moisture well. I end up spraying the bedding twice a day because she doesn't do it.

ALSO, I never posted about this origionally but I'd like to say this now:

My humidity was jumping all over the place. It would be normal, then it would spike so I would turn it down and a few hours later it would be too low so I'd turn it up and it would be normal. The next day it would spike again. My dad had been spraying my tub! I asked him to stop and I guess he has, no humidity problems. I have no idea why he did that! He NEVER sprays my sister's snake! & I think my sis' snake has an RI. I can hear him breathing when I have him out. Sort of wheezy, and I heard him sneeze/cough. She doesn't take the best care of her snake. But she is gettin a bigger tank. Doesn't believe in the tub technique.

Sorry for the life story!

Linds

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Hey! Don't let your sis mistreat her snake!

Can you clarify what you mean when you say that the humidity would spike and then you would "turn it down"?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bearhart

Hey! Don't let your sis mistreat her snake!

Can you clarify what you mean when you say that the humidity would spike and then you would "turn it down"?

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Well, my dad and my sister both think they are experts ball python wise so I don't get a word in.

I just had trouble regulating the humidity. It would go way above what I set it at and when I tried to regulate it again it would go too low for a ball python. But I have it regulated now, my dad was just spraying my snake with a spray bottle.