WTF happened? Bad Shed...

[brettliff]

so, my guy steve, has had his second shed. his first shed was so bad i literally completely shed him myself. this time, however, it appeared to be going perfectly. until he got about halfway through. he started having sections that wouldn't come off at all, and after 15 or so hours he got almost everything. this morning when i woke up i went to get him out of his hide to see his new skin and i noticed that he still had a complete piece going 2 inches up his tale. he acted like it wasn't even there. i barely tugged on it and it was like glued to his skin. there are pics in my profile of this. i brought his humidity up to 70-75% when he turned blue through the use of a wet towel on his cage and a larger water bowl, normally his humidity is 50-60%. what happened? i dont understand, its like he completely dried out and gave up just before he was finished. i keep perfect temps with probed devices and a gun. obviously i have soaked him since and removed everything. i even soaked him when he turned blue and when he went back to his normal color just before shed. i'm wondering if bathing is what caused the problem. i know humans have oils in their skin and hair and we wash those off when we shower.. but we use soap... and oil and water repel eachother... i'm so lost.

please help

b-rett the b-ratt

[brettliff]

And real quick i wanted to mention how happy i am to be apart of this community. when i got my first snake i learned everything i know from this site!

[Physician&Snakes]

I think you're over reacting a bit. Bad sheds happen here and there...if you want, you can try some Zilla shed-ease to get the rest of the shed off.

[sho220]

I think you're over reacting a bit. Bad sheds happen here and there...if you want, you can try some Zilla shed-ease to get the rest of the shed off.

Yupper...it happens...I take it as an opportunity to spend some quality time with them...


To the OP...I would skip the shed aiding sprays available in pets stores...a spray bottle with tap water works just as well imo...although I don't remember if the spray I used was from Zilla or not...

[brettliff]

I think you're over reacting a bit. Bad sheds happen here and there...if you want, you can try some Zilla shed-ease to get the rest of the shed off.

i was considering a shed aide. is there some kind of learning curve for them with shedding? or do they just get it? i agree that its probably nothing it just really surprises me that i've not let his humidity drop below 65 once and he appeared dried out.. i have my humidity probe on the floor on my cool side.

[brettliff]

Yupper...it happens...I take it as an opportunity to spend some quality time with them...

yeah thats totally what ended up happening. i never really considered what a snake with a personality would be like. but now im learning that they are all unique.

[sho220]

i was considering a shed aide. is there some kind of learning curve for them with shedding? or do they just get it? i agree that its probably nothing it just really surprises me that i've not let his humidity drop below 65 once and he appeared dried out.. i have my humidity probe on the floor on my cool side.

Successful sheds are mostly dependent on their environment...as long as the humidity is good, they should shed relatively easily in one or a few pieces. Lots of times I'll find just a strip along their spine that I'll have to hit with some water spray and peel it off (going from head to tail). Sometimes they just end up a mess and you have to soak them and pick it off...just the way it is...

[NYHC4LIFE8899]

OP sounds like you are having major problems with your humidity.

also misting with water works great as well as adding some moss to the hide,wett moss and even bump up the heat mat temps,,between the higher temps of the Matt and the hide and the wett moss,it's creates great humidity and it will help him shed nicely.

what I do is besides bumping up humidity during shed is,after he is out out of his blue cloudy eye faze,I take him out at night before bed and mist him down with water. After he sheds his eye caps he shed the next day always. So I make sure I mist him down both days atleast one time..

[brettliff]

OP sounds like you are having major problems with your humidity.

also misting with water works great as well as adding some moss to the hide,wett moss and even bump up the heat mat temps,,between the higher temps of the Matt and the hide and the wett moss,it's creates great humidity and it will help him shed nicely.

what I do is besides bumping up humidity during shed is,after he is out out of his blue cloudy eye faze,I take him out at night before bed and mist him down with water. After he sheds his eye caps he shed the next day always. So I make sure I mist him down both days atleast one time..

What does OP mean. You're the second person to say it. I mean unless my three gauges including one digital are wrong. And if they are wrong they all came from different places with the same incorrect calibration. And I mentioned that I bathed them at the same times you do. But I'm buying him a humidity hide and some moss tomorrow. And his mat is all the way up.

[Shera]

i even soaked him when he turned blue and when he went back to his normal color just before shed. i'm wondering if bathing is what caused the problem. i know humans have oils in their skin and hair and we wash those off when we shower.. but we use soap... and oil and water repel eachother... i'm so lost.

I have heard that this is true. That it's a bad idea to soak your BP while in shed and to only do it after to aid in the removal of any retained shed, because soaking before removes important oils. Also be sure to keep humidity up around 70% throughout the shedding process.