Eating: While Half Shed, or Wait Till It's All Come Off?

[Patricia]

Hi all, our li'l one got 3/4 of its shed off last night. It's acting hungry, though, and today would've been its regular dinner day.

Is it OK to feed him tomorrow, if some of the shed is still on? Or wait till it's all completely off? I didn't feed him today.

[harm286]

Really dont kno if its a good thing or bad thing to feed in shed but if your snake is hungry feed it. I test my snakes, some will eat in shed some wont so yah.

[BiggBaddWolf]

I have always been told to wait until after they shed...but I guess that would be up to you...personal preference I guess...

[dr del]

Hi,

I would get the shedding over with first.

Once they eat you do not want to handle or bother them for 48 hours and they normally just coil up and digest.

Is the snake still trying to remove the rest of the shed? Have you tried misting the snake to see if it helps loosen it?

The reason I ask is if it is a stuck shed the snake isn't trying to remove then 1/4 left probably means it encircles the body so you might want to help remove it and you wouldn't be able to do that if you had just fed the snake.


dr del

[knott00]

The last stage of shedding where the skin is being removed from the body should happen pretty quickly. If the skin is still stuck to your snake I would assist with the shed before feeding. Quite often snakes shed, urinate and poo all right around the same time. So if the shed is stuck right over their vent, they may not go and may just hold it in. As you can imagine this isn't a good thing if they really have to go.
They can also go and leave you with a snake with poo all over it because the shed got in the way. Both scenarios are ones that I'm sure you'd want to avoid.

[Patricia]

Is the snake still trying to remove the rest of the shed? Have you tried misting the snake to see if it helps loosen it? The reason I ask is if it is a stuck shed the snake isn't trying to remove then 1/4 left probably means it encircles the body so you might want to help remove it and you wouldn't be able to do that if you had just fed the snake.

I took a look at it just now, and that shed is still on it with no additional pieces in the tank, so I'm assuming it didn't try to shed any more overnight. Your reply came just in time, as I'd taken a mouse out to thaw to feed Patriot later today. I'll read that "stuck shedding" stickey to see what to do.

So, it doesn't hurt the snake to peel off stuck shedding? Oh, and by "misting the snake" do you mean actually spraying water onto the snake itself? I've been spraying the tank (currently 80% humidity) but not Patriot directly. Any time a few drops of water falls on him, he flinches.

Quite often snakes shed, urinate and poo all right around the same time. So if the shed is stuck right over their vent, they may not go and may just hold it in.

Ooh, that's good to know. Would be terrible if it happened. Thankfully, Patriot did pee and poop mid-shed. It was funny... after spending over an hour going around in circles, he came out of his hide and wouldn't go back in! Thank goodness the poop was near the door of the hide, where I could see it, and that he didn't continue his merry-go-round through it. I cleaned everything up and he went back into the hide to continue shedding.

Thanks for the help, folks!

[dr del]

Hi,

I meant spraying the tank indeed.

I do occasionally spray the snakes directly but only when I am actually trying to remove a piece of stubborn stuck shed directly when all else has failed.

And no they really don't like it.

YouTube - 8 Ball Pythons - Shedding Lessons


dr del

[Patricia]

And no they really don't like it.

Oh gosh, that's putting it mildly! I just tried that with Patriot and he was TERRIFIED! I didn't box him away for an hour in case he started freaking out, trapped. Instead, I just wet him and then let him slide through the towel I was holding, but that didn't do much. The shed didn't come off unless I peeled it off. (Is that why they box up the snake for an hour? But the water isn't on the back, where the stuck shed is. Or does the sheer humidity loosen the skin up?)

He got so scared though, trying desperately to get away. I held him mid-air more than in the box of water. I think it's all off now, but next time will try the wet pillowcase method. Poor li'l frazzled guy is back in his warm tree hide now. And for as scared and frantic as he was, he didn't bite.

[dr del]

Hi,

Yes they put them in the box so it gets really really humid - it does a good job of loosening it most of the time.

The spraying isn't as good at that but it is good for spot softening on the stubborn bits.

And I'm glad he didn't bite you.

I had to wash Cleo this morning and then rinse her off and she didn't bite me either.


dr del

[Patricia]

Yes they put them in the box so it gets really really humid - it does a good job of loosening it most of the time.

I was thinking about that... the water would get cold pretty quickly. Poor snake!

After that scary ordeal, I put back into the fridge the mouse that had been thawing out during the day, planning to give it today instead. Patriot was roaming around late last night, though, looking hungry. I warmed up the mouse and yup, he ate!

So much for the caution of not handling shy BPs for 24 hours before feeding, lest they be too stressed to eat!