Help! Shedding and bleeding!

[catzeye21138]

I recently got a new baby ball python and it has already eaten many times and it is acting normal, but it has started it's first shed. It got all of it's head skin off, but stopped trying after he got about half an inch onto the neck. The is the third night of his "shedding". I've tried soaking him and all that stuff but it won't come off and he seems to have stopped trying. Also I noticed he has what looks like blood under his head and part of his neck on one side, there is a little in the corner of the tub and on the water bowl. I don't know why he bled???

Also I have the temp and humidity right, but he is on newspaper do I need to get something different? Should I spray his actual body to keep him moist while shedding? It looks like his body is in a little snakey straight jacket!!!!

[dr del]

Hi,

Is there any sign of a wound? Perhaps when he was rubbing himself on things to get the shed moving there was a rough spot somewhere?

If there is a wound then the next step depends how big/bad you think it is - if it's just a tinly little thing then possibly neosporin (the kind without painkillers) would be enough just to stop it getting infected till it heals.

As to the shed I would possibly think of putting him in a wet pillowcase (make sure air can get in and out of it when its wet first by blowing it up then pressing on it) and then putting him (still in the case) back in his tub for a little while and tryng to see if that loosens the stuck shed any.

If he has a wound though you will need to be very, very, gentle when working on the skin in that area to avoid opening it up again or anything like that.


But check him first before starting to do anything so you know what to be carefull of etc.


dr del

[catzeye21138]

Thanks a lot, I found a small cut sort of between his eyes on the bottom of his head if you can imagine what I'm talking about? I'll stop by the store tomorrow(it is late) and pick up some neosporin. Thanks for the pillow case advice, I imagine the water I soak it in should be luke warm? Oh one more thing, should I wait for the cut to heal before helping him with his shed, which is more important at the moment?

[dr del]

Hi,


Well I cant really picture which bit of his head you mean.

Is it the crease under his chin or on the top of his head near his nose?

But as you said he had got his head shed off then I would go ahead and try and take the rest off as it's encircling his body.

Yes use luke warm/ slightly warm water to soak the pillow case, wring it out a bit, then put him in the tank inside it.

Remember to turn it inside out and be carefull when knotting the top that he hasn't stuck his head up - I usually get someone to hold him inthe bottom while I knot the top to make sure. Then place it in his tank in the middle not on the heat at the hot end.

Hopefully that should get it hydrated enough to make removing the shed easy like peeling a sock. Still be very gentle though but the fact the cut is on a different bit is a good thing.

Once it's off treat the small cut on his head and keep an eye on it to make sure nothing gets caught in it or anything nasty starts.


dr del

[Freakie_frog]

I agree with Derek.

The moist pillow case trick should work. leave him in it over night bump your temps up just a little over night and see if that works.

As for the cut there isn't anything that he could have rubbed on trying to start shedding that could have cut him is there? Look at all the hides and inside and out and any other cage furniture that you have any barbs or thing that stick out a little file them off. Remember snakes rely on their scales for protection so their skin is really very tender.

The Neosporin is a good thing to keep handy for and herp keeper. Just be sure to get the kind without pain killer.

[catzeye21138]

Thanks, the cut is on the crease under his head, not on the top of his head. I am going to try the pillow case thing tonight, I'll take him out first thing when I wake up in the morning. =] Thanks for all the help!

And no, I can't find anything in his cage that would cut him. His hides are smooth and the water bowl isn't sharp, I really don't get how he did it at all. Unless he somehow cut it while he was out of his cage and opened it up again somehow??? I really have no idea.

[bearhart]

I would not leave him inside a wet pillowcase all night. I'm afraid he might suffocate since the airflow can't be that great. Even if you can expand it and then push the air out that doesn't mean air will actually circulate if he just sits in there.

[bearhart]

Also, that's not to say anybody here has given you bad advice. It sounds risky that if an inexperienced person doesn't do it just right he could harm his snake. Perhaps its not that risky but I'd hate for you to wake up with a dead snake!!!!

[Roswell]

I have had two snakes that i've recently purchased that have been either IN a bad shed when i got them or have a bad shed the first time after i bring them home.

The breeder i bought half my guys from suggested to put the snake in a clear tupperware style container (with air holes obv), fill half way with warm water, put the snake in a make sure the lid is on tight. Leave for as long as necessary (depending on size of snake and how bad the shed is), then remove the snake and gently rub with a towel to loosen the skin and then roll the skin down the snake.

In fact i just finished doing that with my big girl. It was her first shed with me. Took her over an hour to soak (checking every 15 min or so) so i could get it all off.

[dr del]

Hi,


There are circumstances where leaving him in there all night works and ones where it isn't as helpfull so it's not a cut and dried issue.

Leaving him in all night gives him longer to move around inside and possibly remove the stuck shed himself but does mean the pillowcase (and snake) will be mainly dry in the morning. If you are planning on removing the skin manually yourself then you still want him nice and moist so would typically leave him in for a shorter time.

I know what you mean about the air circulation Bearhart but it's only really a concern with close threaded pillowcases while wet - anything with a low to normal thread count shouldn't pose any significant risk and what risk there is drops as the pillowcase dries out.

This is one of those occasions where buying the cheap pillowcases is actually the best course of action.



dr del