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  1. #1
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    Hognose went into shed but didn’t shed

    So my hognose usually goes about a year between shedding each time. She was due to shed and I hadn’t seen her out in a few days, and sure enough she was in blue. A few days later I saw she had cleared up and she usually sheds about 5 days after this.


    But it’s been 2 weeks and she still hasn’t shed. The weird thing is she doesn’t look like she’s in the clear phase anymore. Usually she still looks slightly dull but she looks 100% normal as if she’s already shed. But I know for sure that she hasn’t because her mouth is still gross (it gets gross from her going so long without shedding but comes off when she sheds) and she still has the flaky scales that she gets from not shedding for a year. Also, she has had trouble breathing since going into shed, I assume just from the shed in her nose, and she’s still having those issues (but no saliva in her mouth at all and no discharge).


    I’ve heard of snakes going into shed and never shedding, but I’m not sure what to search online to find more info (most of the stuff that comes up is people confused about the clear phase of shedding).

  2. #2
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    Have you thoroughly searched her substrate? I've seen snakes roll up their sheds into a tight & tiny ball, left under substrate. If that's not the case, I'd raise her
    humidity or put her in a damp towel inside a small carrier for a while, to see if she sheds. Sounds like this is an older snake? (because she's only shedding once a
    year) How old is she?
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  3. #3
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    It’s not in her substrate anywhere. I’ve tried the “sauna” method hoping it would encourage her to start shedding, but all it did was stress her out unfortunately. She’s always been like that with shedding. She’s 4 years old but has shed infrequently since she was a hatchling. She would grow a ton but just get flaky scales instead of actually going into shed.

    I did manage to find a few more cases of snakes going into shed but coming out without actually shedding, but no one seems to know why it happens. Mostly I’m concerned the breathing issues will develop into an actual respiratory infection if she doesn’t shed soon. I’m hoping if she doesn’t end up shedding, that she’ll go back into shed soon once she starts eating again (she always stops eating for a couple months during winter despite the temps and light staying the same).

  4. #4
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    There's something definitely odd about this...good question for a really qualified herp vet, IMO. It's NOT normal for a young snake (of only four years of age) to
    shed only once a year. Shedding depends on a healthy body...enough food & water...have you had her stool checked for parasites? (-that could be sharing her
    vital nutrition & weakening her to the extent that she cannot shed properly or grow adequately). I'd also try adding reptile vitamins to her food, & maybe re-think
    where you're getting your feeders from.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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  6. #5
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    She’s been checked for parasites and she grows normally. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of a hognose not shedding frequently. Seems to be way more common for hognose than any of the other species I’ve heard of. They grow a ton but just don’t shed all that often. Also she didn’t shed once a year as a baby, but it was still infrequent. Sometimes it took 6 months, sometimes 8 months. This is the first time there’s ever been any issue related to shedding for her. But even then, all of the cases I’ve heard of this happening have been in perfectly healthy snakes that never had any kind of health issues because of it.

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