Multiple Sheds ... Again!!

[SnakeWrangler]

I guess I will have to just wait and see, stressful days ahead for me then.

[Sdaji]

Let's hope for the best. Please keep us updated.
If it is the same condition, and it does turn out yours aren't related to mine (as seems to be the case), then my guess is that blonde maccies may be prone to this condition more than most snakes. How old and how large is it? Have you given it any particularly large meals lately?

[SnakeWrangler]

I will definately keep you updated, she is about 8 months old, 60cms long and I have been feeding her one or two weaner mice every 4 or 5 days, sometimes replacing one of the mice with a rat pinky just to keep her used to the taste of rats.

[NCHERPS]

Originally Posted by Sdaji

Have you seen many snakes have crinkly spectacles which have gone back to normal after sloughing? I've never seen it.

I have only seen it in snakes that have been kept in poor conditions and have retained one shed, and then have had another on top without the first coming off!
Causes of this to include poor, incorrect enviromental conditions for the species, ie. Low humidity, due lack of any water bowl etc., or a tropical species being kept in a room full of Desert dwellers.
After the correct conditions were given and a bit of help with the shedding of both skins, the condition never re-occurred.

I don't in anyway, compare your snakes condition or SW's to snakes that I have seen this way, it is a different condition altogether, just similar in that the eye shields were crinkly.

I would be interested in knowing the breeders name by PM if it turns out to be the same breeder.

Neil

[Sdaji]

It turns out that they came from different parents, SnakeWrangler and I are now trying to establish if they are related (without stirring up too much dust)

[africancichlidau]

SW are you sure that the previous shed was complete? By this I mean did the snake definately shed both spectacles?

[SnakeWrangler]

100% Sure Afro, I always check every shed to make sure that both spectacles and the tail tip have come off. I also check the snake and the skin to make sure that every bit in between has come away properly as well.

Actually the last time the spotted shed she looked to be having trouble getting the skin passed her nose tip so I stuck her in a damp pillow case and 20 minutes later she was perfectly shed.

Out of curiosity, what happens if the spectacles do not come away?

Cheers.

[NCHERPS]

SW,
If the spectacles don't come away, then they will stay on there until the next shed, and might hinder the snakes already poor vision.
I have seen snakes that have had several spectacles built up, I remember one Burmese python with 4, boy was it relieved to get rid of them.
They can suffer from eye infections with retained spectacles, but it is quite rare, more the case that their vision is impared.

Neil

[craig23]

Classic signs of mites, and possably some other skin condition/infection, is constant moving around/rubbing head and body against things, lifted scales, and frequent shedding. Soaking in the water bowl alot is also a good one.

I would examine a shed and your snake very well to try and find a mite.
Other things to think about could be....
-what do you clean your cage out with? any harsh chemicals that could irritate the snakes skin?
-Humidity, does your enclosure have extremely low humidity for some reason?
-Scale rot, is there any loose or damaged looking scales?

With mites you will need a more complete treatment than just TOD in most cases. you need to destroy eggs, mature mites and juv mites. You need to treat the snakes, and the enclosure/furniture. Orange Medic or other human lice shampoo diluted works well to bath the snake, as well as treating the enclosure with TOP. It can be a long process to get rid of them properly, and the more snakes/cages you have the harder it is. None of these things will kill mite eggs, so you need to treat again in a week and again in 2 weeks to kill eggs that have hatched after your first treatment, otherwise you will get reinfested.
In one book I have is says mites can burrow in around the snakes eyes and cause damage in bad cases. Maybe this is whats causing your eye problems.

As everyone has said, could just be a growth spurt.. but if there are lifted scales, and the snake is restless, as well as fast shedding... sounds like there is a problem to me, and they are all tell tail signs of mites in all my books.


Craig

[bigguy]

Just reading this entire thread with some interest. I know of no one who appears to grow their pythons as fast as I do, and yet in all my years of keeping I have never seen a snake get crinkley eyes from growing too fast.

As for Sdaji's comments that Blond Macs may be prone to this condition I think not. I have been breeding this phase longer than anyone in Australia and have literally bred thousands, yet SW's was the first one of my breedings to get crinkley eyes. This condition is normally caused by infections under the specticules, or if a snake is dehydrated. The eye fluids dry out slightly causing the speckicule to colapes. If it was a genatic defect they would be born with it, not develope it later in life.

In Sw's case, he has a snake going through multiple sheds. This robs the snake of fluids which it has to produce to keep shedding. I would suggest that the eye fluids have been slightly dehydrated by the constant shedding which caused the collape of the lens covers.

Sw has to look at the cause of the multiple sheds. Is it just a growth spurt. Is it a reaction to TOD. Or has he an infection in his snakes. As 2 snakes both did mulptiple sheds at the same time, I would suggest something agrivated their skins. Maybe the TOD or as Ncherps stated maybe a cleaning agent.

Remember all snakes are individuals and only a few in a collection may react badly to foriegn substances. Most may handle them, while a few may not.

Multiple sheds??? damn, i havent even got a backyard for one!!

Sorry, stupid i know, but i couldnt go to bed till i wrote it.

[bigguy]

Teamsherman, well if you moved out of the city, maybe you could get a house with a backyard. Then you too could have multiple sheds

[Sdaji]

This condition is normally caused by infections under the specticules, or if a snake is dehydrated. The eye fluids dry out slightly causing the speckicule to colapes. If it was a genatic defect they would be born with it, not develope it later in life.

Bigguy, so you've seen this a few times before? Please provide details as I've asked heaps of people and heard nothing at all. The ones I had weren't dehydrated and despite being kept separately all developed the condition in both eyes within weeks of each other at a few months of age. It seems highly unlikely that all would get eye infections simultaneously when kept separately in clean enclosures.

I still wouldn't rule out genetics. Genetic conditions (deleterious) often/usually don't show up until later in life. I agree that genetics seems very unlikely and am certainly not trying to convince anyone that it is, but in my case I can't rule it out. Genetic problems don't always manifest themselves, many only show up under certain environmental conditions.

[Sdaji]

SnakeWrangler, how is the snake? What's the latest?

[SnakeWrangler]

Hey Sdaji, I was going to do this update tonight, but seeing as though you have asked I will do it now.

She isn't going too bad, her worst affected spectacle seems to be starting to come good again, she hasn't actually shed yet but her scales are really dry, she hasn't eaten since the problem started and she seems to have lost some weight.

When my female coastal had some problems, which I thought was mites, she lost a fair bit of weight and her scales went really dry looking. She had problems for about 4 weeks and then all of a sudden came good, she is now eating again, she has started to put the weight back on and she seems healthy. I don't know what happended to her but she seems to have been able to fight it off herself.

I was going to take the spotted to the vet on monday just gone but when I noticed that the eye looked like it was improving I decided to wait a bit longer, I am thinking that whatever affected my coastal is now affecting my spotted, when my coastal wasn't well I just left her alone alot so I am not sure if she experienced the same thing with her spectacles or not.

I think I will give the spotted a few more days before I take her to the vet, I want to see if she will improve after she finally sheds.

Cheers.