Aussie Pythons and Snakes

theRAVENv1 · #1 30-Mar-08, 09:59 AM

Hi all, hope that someone can help me with this matter!?

As of yesterday I'm the proud owner of a fine juvenile Stimsons!

BUT! Late last night while watching him i noticed that he must have just finished his slough as he has a piece of dry skin half way down his body and also one eye looks as though it still has the cap left on, it doesn't look all shiny like the other eye!

How can I help him? Should I help him? Like I said he's only new and my first i don't want any problems with him but shouldn't I let him settle before bathing him etc?

Help please!

Thanks.

blurb · #2 30-Mar-08, 10:08 AM

hold him in a luke warm bowl of water for a bit and take the shed off his body. his eye cap will come off. i have never had to take on of them off before

theRAVENv1 · #3 30-Mar-08, 10:33 AM

Will that stress him to much? He doesn't seem stressed/scared tho, opened the lip of his click clack this morning to rearrange the thermometer and he wanted to climb my hand! lol any other opinions? Thanks blurb!

PigFeet · #4 30-Mar-08, 10:50 AM

i put my water bowl up the warm end of my snake tubs when they have there first couple of sheds to create condensation in the tub which keeps their skin moist for shedding, maybe try that.

junglepython2 · #5 30-Mar-08, 10:50 AM

You are better off soaking him, it won't stress him too much.

theRAVENv1 · #6 30-Mar-08, 10:54 AM

Thanks guys, yea there isn't much skin, i just got him yesterday, and only noticed a little skin still on him last night. Will definitely be watching the humidity next time he's ready to slough. Will his eye cap come off next time?

blurb · #7 31-Mar-08, 07:16 AM

he will get really cranky if it doesn't come off. get your self a water bottle and give him a spray from time to time. that will help him. has all the shed come off yet? If not put him in the water or it will scab up and scar hmi. It happened to one of my darwins. I'm not happy about it.

Miss Morph-lette · #8 31-Mar-08, 07:50 AM

Getting the eye cap off is pretty important. Try putting him in a moist pillowcase, and hopefully he will rub it off. Leaving eye caps on could cause blindness, and leaving multiple tail sheds on can lead to a little one losing his tail as he grows.
Remember if you're helping to take the shed off to go from snout to tail and it will come off a lot easier and hopefully without ripping.

theRAVENv1 · #9 31-Mar-08, 04:23 PM

Thanks everyone! Well I've soaked him, and still nothing. Started to think it was a scar but when he was in the water for a bit the skin when pale. So it must be skin but seems to be really stuck, it doesn't seem to be aggravating him and considering I've only had him 2 days he's really placid and doesn't mind being picked up and put in the water & damp towel.

Will it definitely scar if left on? Some people are saying if its really stuck I'll have to pay attention next time he sheds. I wish now i had a MUCH closer look at him when I purchased him. The area of skin is not really big but its on his side so it wasn't obvious when I bought him.

Hope he'll be ok!

Aslan · #10 31-Mar-08, 06:36 PM

Raven - The simplest way I remove incomplete sheds is to soak the snake in a luke warm tub with a towel in it...I crumple the towel a bit so the snake will crawl through it...

If the shed is not completely off at this point I get the snake out and put a dry towel on my lap which he then crawls through - when he comes out I put him back in to crawl through again...I have never had to physically remove a shed, by adding slight pressure around the towel as the snake slides through I have had all sheds come off...

I have never had a retained eye scale, however, it is definately VERY important to remove the eye scale - it is obviously quite a delicate job though...I can only offer theoretical advice on the topic, however, my inclination would be to use a damp cotton tip to remove it...

theRAVENv1 · #11 31-Mar-08, 07:32 PM

Thanks Aslan, I soaked him today but there was nothing but water so a cloth would be good, something for him to slither against!? I was reading on here that someone else had the same problem and it causes a scar they used betadine / bepanthen antiseptic cream on it as well as soaking and it helped. Does anyone use this on pythons? I'd be scared to, I guess they don't really lick themselves?

theRAVENv1 · #12 01-Apr-08, 07:10 PM

Tried again to soak him today using Aslan's theory, still nothing! He was swimming and then what looked like rubbing against the towel, I maintained the water temp so it didn't get too cold and he was in the water for about an hour! Took him out and into a dry towel still nothing, I also tried canola oil to help moisten it! nothing! really worried now...