Shedding issue

[Blam18]

Hi all,
Levi is going thru his first shed with us. He went thru the blue phase and then the "back to normal" phase. The next day I noticed some loose skin around his head, so we left him alone for a couple days. I've been misting the CRAP out of his cage because I am having a helluva time keeping his humidity up. I put a bigger bowl of water in the tank. The lid is covered 75% with foil and a towel. Sphagnum moss is all over the tank with both hides being humid hides at the moment.
Still, no progress on shedding. So, I searched these forums and tonight we gave him a soak for about 10-15 min. Barely did anything, and I'm worried about how "crispy" he looks and how super skinny he is. He didn't eat his meal last weekend and I chalked it up to him being in shed, but now I hate how he looks...am I just being an impatient noob, or should I worry?

Beth

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[Zincubus]

Soooo ... after the shed period , the eyes clear and colour returns it cash take up to another week ( or more ) before the skin actually comes off !! Crazy I know

Just keep spraying well , two or three times daily until you find the shedded skin ... I usually find them in a rolled up mess under one of the hides


PS .... it does kinda look as though it MAY be slightly dehydrated but it's difficult to tell for sure with it being in shed mode ..


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[Sonny1318]

I’m just curious if I missed something, but that little guy looks a little skinny? Or is it just me?

[Blam18]

Yes, as I said, that was one of my main concerns.

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[Crowfingers]

Keep doing what you are doing for the humidity. Eventually the skin will come off - it may not be in one piece from the look of him. Is he a pet store purchase? If so, I'd recommend keeping any feces that he produces during the shed (that's when a lot of them poo) and finding a vet to send it out for a parasite check. (this is not usually a super expensive test - your looking at $50-100 depending on what lab and which tests. The ova/parasite check is the cheaper and basic test). Keep the feces in an air tight, clean container in the fridge until you can get it to the vet. The fresher the better

Most vet clinics will send stool out for analysis on the exotics, you want to make sure it is a "ova and parasite screen" and maybe throw in a "cryptosporidum or giardia" screen as an additional stool test if you think he is loosing weight or if there has been any diarrhea since your purchase.

To help him get some weight on, make sure you weigh him and the prey items that you are feeding. Every meal he eats should be between 10% and 15% of his body weight. Since he's on the skinny side I'd stay closer to the 10% mark so you don't risk a regurgitation. For example: if he is 100 grams he needs to eat 10 grams of prey. Rats are easier when they are adults, so switching to f/t rats early is usually recommended, but I'd wait on changing prey type until you have him eating consistently.

Hope this helps.

[Zincubus]

He's so skinny I'd maybe be tempted to give him a 30 minute soak in a secure container ( with air holes ) the more I look the more I think it maybe dehydrated..

[Blam18]

So we've tried soaking some more, still only a few bits of skin here and there. And he's still SO skinny. This is our timeline:
10/28 purchased Levi from reptile store
10/29 he ate his live rat fuzzy
11/2 got a scale, he weighed 85g
11/3 First weekly feeding, he ate the small f/t mouse we had (yes, I'm ordering frozen rats online since no one around here seems to have any that are the right size)
11/10 weighed 96g, didn't eat this week, assumed it was since he was going into shed.
Today he's back down to 89g. I'm guessing this is not a normal fluctuation?
Think I'm gonna call the shop I got him from tomorrow.

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[Crowfingers]

96 grams down to 89 isn't overly alarming, but it is not the way that his weight should be going. When you call the shop you got him from, I'd try and find out if they know where he came from, ie was he wild caught, captive hatched, bought from a wholesaler (which is like flipping houses but with snakes - so no quarantine or close attention to health) etc. Honestly that's really the only useful info you will get from the store. Other than that, he may need a vet. Get a fecal test done first, parasites will sap their nutrients and energy as well as lead to other issues like anemia and GI irritation/ulcers.

Other than that make sure *ALL* his husbandry is on point. A picture of his set up may help us give you some tips as well. Once his environment is settled in and you get him on rats he should steadily improve, if he doesn't there is something more off than just husbandry and new home stress.

[Bogertophis]

He's so skinny I'd maybe be tempted to give him a 30 minute soak in a secure container ( with air holes ) the more I look the more I think it maybe dehydrated..

I agree, he looks both thin & dehydrated, and it's possible he's dealing with internal parasites, so I'd second the stool check too. You'll have to be patient & keep
helping him with humidity & soaks to get this shed done.

[Blam18]

Here's the setup

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