Shedding help.

[moosenoose]

Hi everyone! Just sitting here watching my poor Darwin trying to shed off her skin. It's coming off in bits and pieces, and I'm wondering if I should either soak her in warm water to help, or as someone suggested awhile ago - put her in a damp pillowcase for 10 minutes or so to help soften the skin up. Any suggestions I'll appreciate. I'm hanging out to watch Dirty Harry again for the 20 millionth time, I'm struggling through Scary Movie 2 (what a big bag of crap!lol) so I feel as though I know what the snake is going through lol

 

[Guest]

My hatchling Maccie shed in bits and pieces a few days after I got him - I gave him warm water to soak in regularly and that helped.

 

[Ricko]

i put my snakes into water and then back in there cage and usually it works but sometimes not, have not tried the bag method but it seems to work for slaty as he is the one that told me about the bag. if neither work put the snake in warm water for a couple of minutes and then get it out and hold him rather tight but let him go through ur hands and then most of it will come off, this is a way i have had to do it before but not overly recommended,, make sure you get the skin off near the cloaca and around the spurs.

 

[moosenoose]

Okay I'll give her soak in some warm water and see how she goes.

 

[moosenoose]

and then get it out and hold him rather tight but let him go through ur hands and then most of it will come off, this is a way i have had to do it before but not overly recommended,,

What is the down side to this Ricko? Can you damage their new skin or something?

 

[Ricko]

just not good for the next shed that its not natural, well thats what i have been told has worked fine for me

 

[moosenoose]

Okay, Fair enough. I had to do something, the shed was all over the place and tearing off in little pieces. I'd watched her for about 2 hrs and she wasn't getting anywhere with it. I suppose the largish rat bump in her guts wasn't helping lol Anyway, gave her a good soaking and just squeezed enough for her to go through like you mentioned. I got it all I think, front & back lol I usually give her a mist with the mister outside the day before I reckon she'll shed and that works a treat. Trouble is though, she had a big feed late yesterday and I usually like to leave her go a day before picking her up and moving her about, so unfortunately didn't get the chance with the mister. Oh well, alls good......sigh.....

 

[jimmy_the_kid]

if putin it in warm water dosent work just gentle rub the end of its nose until the skin comes lose and try and pull it back past its head but b carful of its eyes

 

[Greebo]

If you are going to soak her, put in a drop of dishwashing detergent as well. This really helps the old skin come away easier.

 

[Hickson]

I put my coastal in the bath in some warm water a couple of years ago when she had trouble shedding. After 5 minutes she swam through my fingers and all the old skin just slipped off, very easily. No problems since then.

If you try this Moose, make sure the brills come off too.

Hix

 

[boost]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A DARWIN , SHE HAD A BAD CASE OF MITES WHEN I GOT HER AND SHE WAS HAVING TROUBLE SHEDDING . I TRIED TO SOAK HER IN WARM WATER BUT THIS DIDNT WORK IN THIS CASE , MY LOCAL VET WHO SPECIALISES IN REPTILES TOLD ME TO RUB VITIMEN E CREAM INTO THE AREAS THAT WERNT COMING OFF I DID THIS TWICE AND SHE FINNISHED SHEDDING WITHIN A DAY.

 

[moosenoose]

I'm taking this all on board, thanks everyone. I had sucess last night with the soaking etc. She wasn't super keen on a bath LOL but it helped soften the skin up and made it come off easily. I'm not used to seeing it coming off like it was, normally she has had perfect sheds and seems to able to do them fairly quickly. Hix, I take it the brills are the eye caps? If that is the case, they've come away with the skin.

 

[Hickson]

Hix, I take it the brills are the eye caps?

Yep, sorry about the jargon. I keep forgetting.

I always check the sheds to make sure the eyescales came off.

Hix

 

[Artie]

If you try this Moose, make sure the brills come off too.

If the eye caps don?t come off real easy, don?t try too hard, as you can damage the eyes and might end up with a blind snake.

 

[Greebo]

If the eyecaps don't come off, use a cotton bud dipped in water and a bit of detergent. Gently wet the eye and start from the back until the cap starts to lift then remove with tweesers. If you take your time and are gentle, you will not damage the snakes eye.

 

[Artie]

Well I sure as hell wouldn?t be confident to attempt it my self.
Have heard of people forcing them off, I guess thinking they are doing the right thing and then were sorry.
I was advised not to do it, unless as I said, they come off easy.

 

[peterescue]

This is something I read in a german publication and I have no proof that it works.
Keep in mind that overdoses are considered harmful.
A vitamin A defficiency can lead to problems with shedding.
So I give my rats carrots occasionally
Peter

 

[Artie]

Hey, if it?s German, it must be right! :wink:
Just kidding, I come from there.

 

[moosenoose]

I'd be too spooked to attempt the brill removal thing! I don't feel competant enough yet! I think I'd seek help off my local breeder who lives around the corner from me. I'm always watching if the caps have come off and luckily there's been no problem. It's interesting to note some of the methods posted though. I keep thinking mild soapy water would sting their eyes like it would us, but then again I forget my snake is more reptile than human and already sports a set of protective goggles lol

 

[africancichlidau]

A vitamin A defficiency can lead to problems with shedding.
So I give my rats carrots occasionally

Doesn't freezing the rat reduce the level of Vit A?

What is the harmful effect of excess Vit A?