Bad first shed, Soaking questions.

[Montee]

How long do I let him continue to try to get his own shed off before I attempt to soak him? I woke up this morning to a horrible shed. his eye caps were stuck on and the old skin was torn up all along his sides. I just checked on him a few minutes ago and he seems to have gotten most of it off, but there is still plenty of little stuff to remove.

I'm home from work, working on the car today, so I can't exactly soak him right this second. Would it be acceptable to let him go a day or so before I try to give him a soak? He seemed extremely pissy this morning when I tried to get to his water dish.

I dont understand why he shed so quick i thought the process took atleast a week. I only noticed him dulling up friday morning. Saturday he was blue and today he's shedding. There was a huge feeding mishap last night. Since it was only a couple of days ago that I notice him blue up, I figured I still had another week before he shed. I tried to feed him and he missed the first strike and got some repti bark in his mouth. I had to hold him down and remove it from his mouth. He still killed the mouse but he never ate him. Could this stress have lead to a bad early shed? Or did my lack of experience and my inability to notice a shed earlier cause this?

Either way I'm in need of advice.

[Music28]

I'm having the same problem actually. Just purchased my ball about a week ago. When i bought her she was in the middle of a crappy shed.
Ive raised humidity and shes lost the majority of the skin but some patches on her sides still remain.
How long should we wait until we soak?

[Freakie_frog]

How long do I let him continue to try to get his own shed off before I attempt to soak him? I woke up this morning to a horrible shed. his eye caps were stuck on and the old skin was torn up all along his sides. I just checked on him a few minutes ago and he seems to have gotten most of it off, but there is still plenty of little stuff to remove.

I'd go ahead and get that off the sooner you do the easier it is

I'm home from work, working on the car today, so I can't exactly soak him right this second. Would it be acceptable to let him go a day or so before I try to give him a soak? He seemed extremely pissy this morning when I tried to get to his water dish.

Will it kill him if you let it go??? No... but remember this animal is in your care taking the time to properly care for it is part of the deal. Letting it go will only mean that your consciously neglecting the needs of that animal. It doesn't take long to soak them I suggest doing it today.

I dont understand why he shed so quick i thought the process took atleast a week. I only noticed him dulling up friday morning. Saturday he was blue and today he's shedding. There was a huge feeding mishap last night. Since it was only a couple of days ago that I notice him blue up, I figured I still had another week before he shed. I tried to feed him and he missed the first strike and got some repti bark in his mouth. I had to hold him down and remove it from his mouth. He still killed the mouse but he never ate him. Could this stress have lead to a bad early shed? Or did my lack of experience and my inability to notice a shed earlier cause this?

Either way I'm in need of advice.

I have seen stress cause a shed like that and then it went off feed. So watch him and keep us updated.

[dalvers63]

When my snakes have bad sheds, I use the damp pillowcase method to help them get the rest of it off.

Take a cotton pillowcase and get it wet with warm water (you want it damp but not soaking wet). Turn it inside out so the seams are on the outside. This will keep your snake from getting caught in any threads that might be sticking out. Then, put snake in the bag and tie the end closed. Put the bag back in their cage/tub and let them be for 30 minutes to an hour. Remove the snake from the bag and any shed that isn't off will be nice and moist so that you can remove it by hand.

[SatanicIntention]

If there is any shed encircling the body, or remaining on the tail, I would soak the snake in about 1/2" of lukewarm water. Get a small shoebox tub with a lid, add water, add snake and maybe some paper towels to add friction, put lid on, then place on the warm side of the snake's enclosure for 45 minutes to an hour. After the time is up, you can get a washcloth damp and let them slither through it. The skin should just slide right off.

You can soak them once a day for 3 days or so. Any shed that isn't on the tail or encircling the body(like a belt), you can leave until the snake sheds next time. It won't cause any harm if there are just patches of skin that won't come off. Bad shedding, especially if you just got the snake, is usually a result of the poor husbandry the snake received before you were the owner. Usually when the environment is correct, the subsequent sheds will not be a problem. That is, unless the snake is just a problem shedder anyway.

Just remember, if all the skin comes off without assistance, it's a complete shed, regardless of how many pieces the shed skin is in

[dr del]

Hi,


As a basic rule I let them try and take it off themselves as long as they are still trying.

So in Montee's case I'd raise the humidity if he is still trying - possibly try a light misting of the cage (not the snake they don't really seem to enjoy it) if you can't raise it any other way.

But in Music28's case and it's been a week and (presumably) they have stopped trying to get rid of it themselves then I would think it's ok to start following the soaking sticky.

What are the humidity levels in you guys cages and how are you measuring them?

**edit**
Doh too slow once again

**end edit**



dr del

[Montee]

I'd go ahead and get that off the sooner you do the easier it is

Will it kill him if you let it go??? No... but remember this animal is in your care taking the time to properly care for it is part of the deal. Letting it go will only mean that your consciously neglecting the needs of that animal. It doesn't take long to soak them I suggest doing it today.


I have seen stress cause a shed like that and then it went off feed. So watch him and keep us updated.

thanks for all the advice. I by no means plan to neglect it all day. I just cant do it right now, I've got the front suspension on my daily driver sitting on the floor of my garage and if I want to go to work tomorrow it HAS to be done. Ever since I noticed I've been spending most of my time watching him anyway. It breaks my heart to think my little friend is suffering. I'm sure being stuck to your old skin is no fun for him. I just need to get the car stuff done so i can get this grease off of me and tend to my pet.

I'll soak him this evening. I dont think he wants me to touch him right now anyway. I reached in there with some hemostats and caught a few loose pcs of skin. He's not a happy camper to say the least. it looks like his skin all along his back is still there

[Montee]

Hi,


As a basic rule I let them try and take it off themselves as long as they are still trying.

So in Montee's case I'd raise the humidity if he is still trying - possibly try a light misting of the cage (not the snake they don't really seem to enjoy it) if you can't raise it any other way.

But in Music28's case and it's been a week and (presumably) they have stopped trying to get rid of it themselves then I would think it's ok to start following the soaking sticky.

What are the humidity levels in you guys cages and how are you measuring them?


dr del

he's still trying, I did infact mist him a couple of times he doesnt seem to mind. He actually seems to try harder to get it off after I mist him. Like i said I'll let him go at it a bit and keep an eye out. Worst comes to worst he'll get a soak tonight.

[Freakie_frog]

thanks for all the advice. I by no means plan to neglect it all day. I just cant do it right now, I've got the front suspension on my daily driver sitting on the floor of my garage and if I want to go to work tomorrow it HAS to be done. Ever since I noticed I've been spending most of my time watching him anyway. It breaks my heart to think my little friend is suffering. I'm sure being stuck to your old skin is no fun for him. I just need to get the car stuff done so i can get this grease off of me and tend to my pet.

I'll soak him this evening. I dont think he wants me to touch him right now anyway. I reached in there with some hemostats and caught a few loose pcs of skin. He's not a happy camper to say the least. it looks like his skin all along his back is still there

LOL yea you need the front end of your car. Those stuck eye caps might be restricting his already limited vision. So its not that he's not happy he's unconformable from the bad shed and scared due to the limited vision of the eye caps.

[Montee]

LOL yea you need the front end of your car. Those stuck eye caps might be restricting his already limited vision. So its not that he's not happy he's unconformable from the bad shed and scared due to the limited vision of the eye caps.

heh yeah, word of advice, never track your daily driven car and never daily drive your track car

oh he's got the eyecaps off. I think those actually came off before anything else did. I just snuck another peek and it looks like most of his belly is clean, he just can't seem to get it off his back, and theres a little bit on his face. I tried to pick it off but like i said before, he's not a happy camper right now. I'm going to just stop fudging with him for a while. I've got another 12 hours worth of work under the car...