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Q:
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Ball Python - Stuck Shed
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In Relation To:
tony rigatony
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so i got my ball python last month he was born on 6/29 and he has eatin every week since i have had him and he is in shed right now and he is shedding like SHIT! i hear spaying them down helps? but any way to fix it?
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Member Comment
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10/14/2009 10:39:55 PM
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Nicky2303
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i usually just get a wet towel and stick mine in it wrap it up and put it in its cage with the heat light on for about half an hour to an hour and the shed comes right off
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Accepted Answer
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10/15/2009 7:40:52 AM
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Sparkle
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I use a small shallow tub with a lid, lay a couple layers of paper towels in there, and add tepid (just slightly warmer than room temp) water - just enough to cover the snake. You want it to be immersed but not need to swim. I leave it in there until the shed starts separating from the skin (it wil turn kinda white and the edges will come loose) then I take it out and let it crawl through a towel to remove the old shed. If one soak doesn't do it, put it back in the tank and repeat the next day, since it's stressful for the snake. I add a little Shed-Ease to the water, not sure if it helps any but I had it on hand.
Are you misting the tank with water every day or every other day? And what kind of substrate do you have him on? If you don't keep the humidity up, you'll have this problem. Once I notice the eyes turning milky, I usually start misting every day.
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Assisted Answer
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10/15/2009 10:13:16 AM
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aaron
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Poor shedding is typically environmental issue or a hydration issue.
Helpful information would be:
Cage setup?
Type of heat?
Temperatures?
Ventilation?
Hydrated?
Substrate?
Fresh Water?
Photos of the setup, also helpful. Fix the source, and you won't have to fix the shed.
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 3:12:35 PM
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Darkdazeys
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What I do when my ball is in shed is fairly simple- 1. I spray down her WHOLE enclosure, and make sure that I spray her as well (spray it every time the bedding looks dry. I also use cocohusk as a substrate). 2. Cover half of the top lid of her cage with a wet hand towel. 3. I than place ice cubes or one of those small sour cream containers, the plastic kind, with ice on the other side of the lid, right next to the heat lamp. 4. Let the ice melt entireley, than mix it around. It brings the temperature and the humidity up. I also put her in the bath tub with warm water when her eyes are still milky. I never dry her off, I just put her back into her enclosure dripping wet, which will help her out quite a bit too. Try that and see what happens. Good luck! :D
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 5:04:57 PM
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kaorte
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Put the snake in a damp pillowcase for 15-20min and then use the pillowcase to help roll of the stuck shed.
Then fix the humidity issues in your enclosure.
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 5:09:17 PM
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Sparkle
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The pillowcase can suffocate your snake. NOT advised. The tub of water is safer...
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 5:10:16 PM
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aaron
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Never, EVER put a snake in a wet pillowcase.
I'd done it probably 20 times, until I used the one type of pillowcase that had the right wicking properties to form a complete seal. Which turned into a tomb overnight. She was an AMAZING Aru, and never got the chance to produce.
(kaorte, not directed at you AT ALL, but I'd gotten the pillowcase recommendation years ago, and have killed an animal with it. and apparently i'm not the only one).
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 5:13:26 PM
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kaorte
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I have never heard of a snake suffocating in the pillowcase. If it is a high thread count I can see that happening, but I use muslin snake bags.
That being said I have heard of MANY snakes drowning in a tub of water.
Regardless of what you use, you should be supervising your snake incase the snake goes into distress.
:/ Good to know though.
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 5:18:06 PM
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aaron
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I wish I would have taken pictures. She had the Han Solo look of horror on her face.
But I was WAY too upset at myself for causing her death. And embarassed as hell. And that was the way that I took care of all the chondros when they had bad sheds.
It took me a while to post about it over on MVF, and I started hearing a number of people who had done the same thing. Many off the record.
These days, unless they go through a couple of bad sheds, I just leave it on until the next time. They usually get it on the second stab. You gotta figure it happens in the wild too.
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 5:25:01 PM
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kaorte
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If you don't mind me asking, how long would you leave the snakes in the pillowcase? Did you leave them alone?
I have only have two bad sheds (it didn't rain for weekd here in chicago) and I mostly wanted to get the stuck shed off their head and the shed going around the neck. Once I got that off I just left the rest until the next shed.
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 7:40:08 PM
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aaron
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The girlie I killed was overnight.
I use a towel if I do anything. That way they can get out if they want.
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 8:09:18 PM
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Darkdazeys
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I sit right next to the tub when I let my snake swim. I never leave her side. It's always a terrible feeling when you feel like you caused a pet's death. :(
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Member Comment
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10/15/2009 9:43:36 PM
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Author Comment
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10/15/2009 9:58:43 PM
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Billy Warren
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k well thx alot guys u r a rly big help :) and he is only 3 months old so he is in a 10 gallon for now with screen top and a zoo med heat pad. carpet for flooring and i spray the whole encloser down every day. i also change the water out every day
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Assisted Answer
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10/17/2009 1:38:04 AM
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iatro
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Cover up most of that screen top, you'll lose a lot of humidity through it even though you spray every day. It doesn't have to be pretty, you can use like tinfoil! leave some of it uncovered (like 3 inches on the end) or poke a bunch of holes in it so there is still some airflow. :] (I use plastic wrap over half of the screen top on my tegu's cage to keep humidity in)
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Member Comment
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1/17/2011 12:03:08 PM
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abi21491
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This question has had no activity for 14 days and will be closed by an administrator unless the original poster takes action.
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