Bathe Ball python with Soap?

[MercedesBenz]

Hi everyone,

My ball python smells like pee and poop!

If I use soap to bathe him would it be bad for him? Because I tried to just use water but the smell is still there.

[Oxylepy]

Clean your snake's enclosure, let your snake swim in the bathtub for a bit with warm water. The smell will go away in time.

Don't use soap, it may have a detrimental effect on the snake's skin oils and could lead to skin damage and infection. (Damage to the skin as well as damage from ingestion are worst case scenarios, I merely mentioned skin damage and the accompanying infection because it's a relatively remote possibility but would be bad)

[Craiga 01453]

I wouldn't risk it. I would think it may deplete the natural oils in the snake's skin, and as said above, I would be worried about ingestion.

A warm soak sounds like your best bet, maybe let your snake slither through a damp towel after (like you would do if you were assisting a bad shed).

And a nice, clean enclosure is always a good idea.

[Zincubus]

As above replies - no soap under any circumstances in my view .

I once scattered some shake & vac carpet cleaning powder near a couple of vivs and a Corn snake went beserk for about 30 seconds ! Scared the life out of me !

[cchardwick]

I started spraying down my snakes with water twice a week, keeps them really clean. I keep them right on the coconut husk substrate and spray them down with a pump up sprayer, all but their head. As long as the water is room temp (in the 80s) they seem to enjoy it. It's easier than soaking all my snakes and keeps them super clean. I wouldn't use soap if I were you. I used to give my snakes a bath in warm water but realized that I almost drown some of them, especially the spider morphs that have the wobbles and don't know up from down LOL. If I were to accidently kill any of my snakes I would be devastated. I use diluted Chlorhexidine on my tubs, cuts right through the smells and it's safe if it gets directly on the snakes, but I don't intentionally put it directly on my snakes... Works wonders for getting rid of smells. I buy it by the gallon and use about 20 mL per quart of water, lasts a long time.

[Craiga 01453]

^^^^ Yes ^^^^

I also mist my snakes, and like cchardwick said, as long as the water temp is right, they actually do seem to enjoy it. My BP doesn't like his head sprayed, but my King actually loves it (I think. He lifts his head and will even move towards where I'm misting sometimes) and the corns seem indifferent.

[Zincubus]

The regular misting helps towards good sheds as well of course ..

[JodanOrNoDan]

There is no need to bathe your snake. Absolutely do not use any kind of soap. At most a quick wipe down or rinse. Smell will go away with the next shed. The cleanliness of the substrate has far more to do with a snake stinking. If they stink it is because they are laying in their own waste.