stuck shed on tip of tail

[cmack91]

my boa just had her first shed with me, and shes beautiful now, it came off in two big pieces and three small ones, but i noticed she still has a tiny piece of shed stuck to the very end of her tail, on just those last scales. ive noticed shes been rubbing and pulling her tail over anything rough she can find and it seems to be driving her crazy, and cant seem to get the skin to grip on anything to pull it off, any ideas of what to do? should i try the pillow case and towel method?

[West Coast Jungle]

I have used fragrance free moisturizing lotion that you put on your skin. It will rehydrate stuck shed like it does to skin. Make sure it's "fragrance free" which means it has no added chemicals, its used by folks with allergies. I rescued a snake once that had bad eyecaps and after a few applications they came right off

[smd58]

That or try a quick soak, if its dry shed should come right off.

[cmack91]

I have used fragrance free moisturizing lotion that you put on your skin. It will rehydrate stuck shed like it does to skin. Make sure it's "fragrance free" which means it has no added chemicals, its used by folks with allergies. I rescued a snake once that had bad eyecaps and after a few applications they came right off

would vaseline be okay? we dont have any kind of lotions around the house

[Salamander Rising]

would vaseline be okay? we dont have any kind of lotions around the house

I just went through this last night with one of my BPs.

I put him on my lap and wrapped a warm, wet paper towel around the end of his tail for about 5 minutes and then started slowly rubbing the paper towel front-to-back and the tail tip shed popped right off.

Then he peed on me.

[wilomn]

A dab of cooking oil will do the job too. Rub it in and the skin should loosen.

[Emily Hubbard]

I just went through this last night with one of my BPs.

I put him on my lap and wrapped a warm, wet paper towel around the end of his tail for about 5 minutes and then started slowly rubbing the paper towel front-to-back and the tail tip shed popped right off.

Then he peed on me.

HAHAHAHA. Funniest thing I have heard all day. Gotta love how they say "thank you." Jerks. haha

I went through something similar with my ball python too. I soaked her three days in a row for 30 min. 3rd time, the little tail bit came off, by which time, we were both over the soaking thing. I just very gently rubbed it with my finger tips, though she spun around with her neck in an S and stared me down. Didn't hiss or strike, but still communicated very well that she was not happy about being soaked 3 times followed by having her tail messed with. Worked though. Oh, the woes of bad sheds. I count that as the most frustrating part of husbandry. Happens to everyone now and then, no matter how obsessively you check your humidity.

[Salamander Rising]

HAHAHAHA. Funniest thing I have heard all day. Gotta love how they say "thank you." Jerks. haha

I went through something similar with my ball python too. I soaked her three days in a row for 30 min. 3rd time, the little tail bit came off, by which time, we were both over the soaking thing. I just very gently rubbed it with my finger tips, though she spun around with her neck in an S and stared me down. Didn't hiss or strike, but still communicated very well that she was not happy about being soaked 3 times followed by having her tail messed with. Worked though. Oh, the woes of bad sheds. I count that as the most frustrating part of husbandry. Happens to everyone now and then, no matter how obsessively you check your humidity.

Almost without fail, several of my BPs will "hold it" until it's their day to be taken out and loved up.

I'm not sure if they're just compulsively fussy about messing up *their* homes or if they're making some kind of scatological statement....

My male Pastel has apparently never read the rule about "pre-shed soaking".

As soon as his goes pink, he starts soaking and I have to help him get the last bits off.

The other 2 males never soak and when I'm not looking, they leave me a neatly rolled skin outside the door of their hides.

And then they let loose of everything the next time I take them out.

The girls never evacuate their entire payloads onto my lap.

I'm not sure what "message" I'm being given.

[I'm so happy I could just ****?"



[thank heaven the Dumerils doesn't 'let 'er rip' on my lap]....LOL

[cmack91]

I just went through this last night with one of my BPs.

I put him on my lap and wrapped a warm, wet paper towel around the end of his tail for about 5 minutes and then started slowly rubbing the paper towel front-to-back and the tail tip shed popped right off.

Then he peed on me.

i'll try that, and hopefully she'll sit still for once, ive just been kinda massaging her tail when i handle her, she doesnt like it, but she doesnt give me any atitude either

and sorry you got pee'd on lol, ive never had that happen, at least its not a blood python though, ive heard they can hold it for months and just let out a huge school bus of a turd haha

[cmack91]

A dab of cooking oil will do the job too. Rub it in and the skin should loosen.

i'll try the paper towel like salamander said, but if she wont sit still i'll try this.

i feel kinda bad for her because shes been going crazy the last two nights doing anything she an to try to get it off