New Python - Bad Shed

[Diesel72]

Ok so I got my Windorah Stimsons Python hatchie almost 2 weeks ago. She is about 7 months old and named Ash (Ashley). She's in a click clack with a heat mat. Ambient temp gets pretty low down here so its 33 surface temp hot end about 31 in her hide and the cold ends stays room temp. According to the feeding chart she hadn't eaten in at least 2 weeks. Tried feeding her 3 days after she got here. No luck. Tried again a week later. No luck. Then I noticed some snake skin in her click clack. This explains the not eating but as I checked her the she had shed the skin off her head but about 6cm down the skin had not come off and it is still around her belly. Humidity is normally around %60 Gave her a warm bath just now for about 10 mins. Used a damp paper towel to try and help with the shedding. Not much luck she was very patient but as she's new I didn't want to stress her too much as she hasn't eaten yet. Might try and offer her a feed tonight.
Any ideas?

 

[LiasisKing]

i would give it some more time, when i got my olives one of them didnt eat for 6.5 weeks ! and it is fine now
if your main worry is it not eating, then you can try scenting with a day old quail (or feeding a day-old quail all together)
if you are worried about the shed, i would just leave a bowl of water in her click-clack (in the middle, so it is luke warmish ) just make sure that it is big ensough for here to fully submerge herself in it...

i have had both of these problems in tha past, and i have overcome them and the animals involved are happy and healthy now !

good luck,
Kel

 

[Diesel72]

K thanks yeah not worried too much about her not eating I know it takes some time to settle in. Snakes can go awhile without food but the sooner the better. I baked a rock and put it in her tub so that should help. I guess she'll work it out by herself. If not might have to try the bath thing again in a couple of days.

 

[Tsubakai]

Keep going with the attempts to get the shed off. Once that is sorted only then worry about the feeding.

 

[Diesel72]

Yeah i might try and give her a longer bath tomorrow. Maybe it will loosen up by then

 

[Miffy]

Let it soak in some luke warm water with a little bit of non fragrance fabric softner mixed in the water. The fabric softner helps replace the oils under the skin which help the old skin seperate from the new skin underneath it. If you just use water, the risk is that the old skin can dry out and adhear to the new skin, rather than seperate.

I found out this after exactly that happened once to my bredli, and he had to be treated by herp vet Dr Jim Greenwood.

 

[cement]

A 10min bath is not long enough, put a tub with water in the bottom on a heat mat so the water keeps at around 28-30 degs and leave her in there for a good hour or two. Give her a stick or something small to rest her head on if she needs, if the skin doesn't come off really easy put her back in.

 

[Diesel72]

Ah thanks for the tip Miffy and yeah ill try a longer bath tomorrow felt so bad for her but it'll be better for her in the end. Just wondering what are the long term effects if she doesn't shed.

 

[Fantazmic]

a damp towel and let her slither through it over and over again that the shed should come off. In the future when you see her coming inot shed get a water sprayer than has a fine mist and mist her morning and night. I always do this and have never had a bad shed. Write down everything when the shed happened poos everything...so that you can start to get an idea of her routines. Also dont offer food when the snake is in shed...if they have a bump in their tummy it can make it difficult to get the skin off.

Elizabeth

 

[Diesel72]

Ah good point about the feeding ok bathing her tonight

 

[pythrulz]

the windora stimpsons are good looking snakes my local pet store got some in with the bad shed make sure Ash has plenty of water the wet paper was good that will do but be persistent take a lot of patients but the snake should know your trying to help goodluck

 

[dickyknee]

if your main worry is it not eating, then you can try scenting with a day old quail (or feeding a day-old quail all together)

DO NOT take this advice , it was feeding fine when i sold it you and IF you start scenting you will be going back to square one ... Scenting a feeding hatchling is a ridiculous idea IMO.
It has only been around 2 weeks , with the shedding and moving and now the stuck shed it is not likely to have eaten , and may not now till the shed is gone and its settled .

As for the shedding , soak it in warm water for a few good hours then you can often get it off if you hold it in a towel and let it gently run through you hands , or I normally leave them in their normal tub and soak the paper towel , put some thing hard in the tub for it rub against too .
Once you get this sorted , i would suggest you get a larger bowl or move the bowl you have now closer to the heat to create a little more humidity in the tub .

Any way if you have any more issues please ring me and I will help you through it .

Brett .

 

[daniel1234]

Brett is right, on all counts.
Just make sure skin is removed in direction of scales (head to tail) like it would if she did it herself. I think snakes can be a bit lazy or become accoustomed to retained shed if they cant remove it. Several problems with this appart from cosmetic, depending where it is can act like a tourniquet.

 

[Diesel72]

Yeah well atm the skin is shedding sideways which is bad. Trying to get the stuff under her belly but it pulls the new skin tried wet face washer but its just not coming off. I put the water bowl over the hot end of her enclosure and wet all the paper towel. Her click clack has gone foggy which is good. Should help alot gonna leave for about 6-7 hrs then give her a bath see if anything happens.

 

[Diesel72]

Mmm skin is hard to get off. Soaking her now.

 

[Diesel72]

Thx for all your help guys. Got all of it off. Took almost 3 hours and she was amazingly calm for all of it. Even when I had to pull off skin under her head. Long process. Also anyone looking at this that is having trouble with their snake shedding when pulling the old skin off pulling at the right angle makes a lot of difference.

Thx again everyone

 

[dickyknee]

Hey Daniel , glad its all off ... As i mentioned on the phone place the water bowl closer to the heat , also if you see a shed coming up you can mist the tub a little bit to help in future ...
As for feeding , give it 3-4 days to settle down again and try feeding .