Is it Shedding time.

[dotc0m]

He kinda looks like a black pastel... in a cool... eery kind of way...

[dr del]

Hi,


Well I'm not saying that spray is a waste of money... aw heck yes I am.

It's very rare for you to need anything other than water to remove stuck sheds if you catch them early.

I'd follow the instructions in the sticky I linked to to be honest. If, after following that there is no movement of the skin then I would possibly try getting an inexpensive pillow case, turning it inside out, and soaking it in warm (NOT HOT!!) water and putting him in that, tying the neck shut securely and placing it in his tank for a couple of hours.

The idea is his movements against the cloth of the pillowcase will get the shed at least started coming away from his nose. If , when you open the bag it has started to come away let him run through a damp cloth like shown in the sticky.

The reason we say use an inexpensive pillowcase is twofold - they tend to have lower threadcounts and so allow air exchange (test this by blowing it up then seeing if you can squeeze the air out of it while it is wet) and, the most important reason, Rabernet hates the word "cheap" being used for anything related to ball pythons and I see no reason to offend her.

Now remember to leave the 24 hour period between these treatments - and try the one in the sticky first. It's there because it works.

Let us know how you get on and if you need any more advice.

And to answer your question the water everywhere could indeed mean he has been trying to soak - I always try and use a waterbowl they cannot fit in but then I also try and make sure their humidity is ok.

One possible handy tip would be to leave enough unfilled space in the waterbowl so that if he does climb in he won't spill water everywhere.



dr del

[bigrich0086]

i was told this spray helps with shedding big time if used daily. heres a link about it Link to Spray

[bigrich0086]

fi i do that wit hthe pillow case does it matter if i put him back in the tank or no. i tired the one in sticky but he flipped out in the tub so i took him out.

[dr del]

Hi,


Yeah I used to work in a shop and sold that stuff - since when did nature mist with vitamins and d3? Nature, if I recall correctly, mists with water.

It might be of value to lizards (doubt it even if they drank it though) but I cannot for the life of me think of one good thing it will do to a snake. In their daily life snakes aren't that prone to suffering from dry skin if their environment is correct. And if their environment isn't correct I wouldn't rely on things like that to fix it. It's up to you what you beleive but on the plus side I'm not trying to persuade you to give me some money.

Yes it's important you put him back in his tank to prevent him getting too cold as the water evaporates - try and put his bag half on/ half off the mat if possible but even the cool end is generally better than room temps.

Some snakes don't appreciate the soaking process it has to be admitted - make sure the water isn't too deep or warm but that's why we put a lid on it / tie the top of the pillowcase.

While I'm here be very carefull to make sure you don't get him caught in the knot - I generally ask someone to hold him in a lower bit of the pillowcase while I tie it off.


dr del

[bigrich0086]

at the tip of his mouth its beginning to flake off and at the tip of his tail. i could almsot feal it off liek a onion but i dnt want to force it hell get it off on his own. i kno this bad shed is my fault for low humidity. the spray is jsut to help me along not fix the problem it keeps hsi skin shining. im gonna buy a new hydrometer and a small humidifier and use that to maintain my 60%humidity. if he dont get it off this shed then hell get it off the next one. i held him for bout 15 mins makin him slither thorugh a towel and it helped minor by makin the tail begin to flake off.

[bigrich0086]

is there any truth in this statement.

problem shed is a sign of an even greater, underlying problem. New snakes, especially imports, typically have poor sheds their first one or two sheds in captivity. The import and pet store process is less than healthy and stress-free, and so their sheds reflect that period of prolonged stress (psychological as well as environmental). Once they are housed properly, treated for dehydration and parasites, and begin to psychologically acclimated to captivity, they become healthier, and by the third shed, should be shedding properly - quickly and in one piece

[dr del]

Hi,


Yeah you want to do either the soak or the pillowcase before trying to rub it off like that really. And, while I would prefer to see it removed rather than left till next shed, I want to caution you about trying to peel him like an onion. There are some mighty delicate areas (eyes, heat pits and cloaca) that you could really hurt him if the shed wasn't sufficiently loosened/ softned.

And I'm sure it does indeed keep his skin shining - they are usually based on an oil base to do that very thing. Oil however can actually cause shedding problems such as the skin coming off in smaller peices. I do not know if this is the case with this specific product however but over the years I have become somewhat cynical about products that make these claims.

Water works perfectly well and has no possibility of complications.



dr del

[bigrich0086]

jsut now i put my eat to the screen lid and i hear him slowly moving around under inside his cave hide. im hopin its the shed slither lol im not gonan sue the spray all the time ill say once a week to help with moisture and ill look into a humidifier this weekend laong iwth a new hydrometer and the screen clips. i wasnt goin to peel him at all i head bad stories ill only assist him. if i see it just dangling there ill rub it to loosen it. and im veyr quick on my replies as im a huge computer guy as i see you are too. www.richscomputers.com

[dr del]

is there any truth in this statement.

For imports? probably.

I don't remember you saying if your snake was an import or not - if it is you should get it checked for parasites etc. But most well started hatchlings should be fine. The good guys would have had him in the shop till they knew he was eating and healthy so you shouldn't really be dealing with that situation.

I don't know how to say this any plainer;

Forget you ever bought the spray - concentrate on getting the humidity right in his enclosure or build him a humid hide.

Don't rub at any stuck shed without having soaked him or otherwise softened/ loosened it.

He is only a little fella and his skin is very delicate.



dr del