Wrinkled Skin

[Zincubus]

I'm pleased you gave him a soak which will help to loosen the shed skin and also rehydrated the snake if he's in the least bit dehydrated - sometimes explains the wrinkles even if they're not shedding . After a soak they always look plumper and somehow healthier and many eat the next day or so which suggests that the soak helps them feel better in themselves . There are many who are happy to heap scorn on anybody who soaks their snake but it's seen to be far more accepted over here in the UK .


Anyways , enough of the waffling !!

The little known magic part of the soaking procedure is when you take him out of the soaking tub have a wet or very damp , rough textured towel handy and let him slither inside the towel in your hands , when his head pops out , cover it with the towel and encourage him to keep on slithering around inside the towel whilst applying VERY gentle pressure with your hands ... This normally results in all the skin and even the stubborn bits getting caught on the towel ....

[Austinwwest]

I'm pleased you gave him a soak which will help to loosen the shed skin and also rehydrated the snake if he's in the least bit dehydrated - sometimes explains the wrinkles even if they're not shedding . After a soak they always look plumper and somehow healthier and many eat the next day or so which suggests that the soak helps them feel better in themselves . There are many who are happy to heap scorn on anybody who soaks their snake but it's seen to be far more accepted over here in the UK .


Anyways , enough of the waffling !!

The little known magic part of the soaking procedure is when you take him out of the soaking tub have a wet or very damp , rough textured towel handy and let him slither inside the towel in your hands , when his head pops out , cover it with the towel and encourage him to keep on slithering around inside the towel whilst applying VERY gentle pressure with your hands ... This normally results in all the skin and even the stubborn bits getting caught on the towel ....

Should I use a paper towel or wash cloth? I used a paper towel but it didn't seem to do very much.

[Zincubus]

Should I use a paper towel or wash cloth? I used a paper towel but it didn't seem to do very much.

Sorry a paper towel won't help at all as it will simply dry the snake off .

Has to be a damp / wet rough textured cloth or towel . The rough texture is crucial .

[Eric Alan]

Should I use a paper towel or wash cloth? I used a paper towel but it didn't seem to do very much.

Either should work as long as you're applying the right amount of pressure (I just use my fingers). Too hard will rub actual scales off and too little won't do anything. I wouldn't try more than once/day though, so as not to stress them out too much with the "rough" handling.

[Austinwwest]

Either should work as long as you're applying the right amount of pressure (I just use my fingers). Too hard will rub actual scales off and too little won't do anything. I wouldn't try more than once/day though, so as not to stress them out too much with the "rough" handling.

Should I soak him again tomorrow? Thank you for helping me with this.

[Eric Alan]

Should I soak him again tomorrow? Thank you for helping me with this.

That sounds like a great plan. Stuck shed, while it looks miserable, isn't too horrible as long as you're on top of it. It's when it gets left on, piles up, and starts to restrict the snake's movement/growth that it gets serious. Go for it again tomorrow and let us know how awesome he looks once you've finished up.

[Austinwwest]

That sounds like a great plan. Stuck shed, while it looks miserable, isn't too horrible as long as you're on top of it. It's when it gets left on, piles up, and starts to restrict the snake's movement/growth that it gets serious. Go for it again tomorrow and let us know how awesome he looks once you've finished up.

So I soaked him today again for 55 minutes then took him out and ran him through a wash cloth with a little bit of pressure. I did this for about 10 minutes. I stopped because it didn't look like it was doing anything. Before I soaked him he had has scales that are a little lifted up but after I soak him he looks normal again. I am keeping the humidity at 60% - 70%. He also doesn't show the signs of going through shed (milky eyes). Although before I did soak him he did defecate and then started rubbing his nose against the branch and wall in the enclosure. I'm stuck on what to do because running him through the wash cloth didn't seem to do anything.

[Zincubus]

So I soaked him today again for 55 minutes then took him out and ran him through a wash cloth with a little bit of pressure. I did this for about 10 minutes. I stopped because it didn't look like it was doing anything. Before I soaked him he had has scales that are a little lifted up but after I soak him he looks normal again. I am keeping the humidity at 60% - 70%. He also doesn't show the signs of going through shed (milky eyes). Although before I did soak him he did defecate and then started rubbing his nose against the branch and wall in the enclosure. I'm stuck on what to do because running him through the wash cloth didn't seem to do anything.

The textured cloth trick only works if the skin is ready to come off or if there has been a bad / stubborn shed

[JodanOrNoDan]

There are many who are happy to heap scorn on anybody who soaks their snake but it's seen to be far more accepted over here in the UK .

Awe come on Zinc it always raining there anyway so everything is soaking regardless. LOL. Kidding.

I am guilty as charged on the soaking deal, but in this case I agree with Zinc. This snake should soak. I have only ever seen that bad a shed on an animal for sale at Petsmart. In this case I believe the benefits to the animal outweigh the risks. There are many reasons why soaking is not recommended so to the OP avoid the potential problems by using water no hotter than 88 and no colder than 75. Make sure the animal can touch the bottom. Do not leave the animal unsupervised at any time. And like Zinc said, a textured cloth is a must. You do not want to do this often. Ball pythons are not water snakes. They do not swim well and they do not enjoy it in any shape way or form.